England Storm into Rugby World Cup Final with Win over World No. 1 Side

England 19-7 New Zealand

England dominated the mighty All Blacks to qualify for the Rugby World Cup final, in Japan today.

They played New Zealand at their own game, with a highly mobile pack who tossed the ball around between them. Lock Itoje and flankers Underhill and Curry were exceptional, but all over the park England players defended robustly and created breakthroughs.

Sam Underhill ball carrying and punishing tackling

Manu Tuilagi opened the scoring, with a try, only one minute and forty seconds after the kick off. It was the result of a fast build up and the ball moving quickly through the hands from one side of the pitch to the other. When New Zealand halted the England movement, five metres short of their line, England quickly recycled the ball and Tuilagi bulldozed through their defenders to finish a spectacular opening phase.

Manu Tuilagi opens the England account.

England managed to cross the New Zealand line twice more, once either side of half time, but both times the TMO was called upon and he disallowed both tries.

Aside from a single glaring error, when England completely messed up their own line out, on their own 5 metre line, resulting in New Zealand's only score of the match, England ruled all over the pitch.

Once again, as in the case against Australia last week, England's defence was more than impressive. But as was required against the All Blacks, England defended very high up the field and all over the ground, winning the ball at breakdowns and quickly putting an end to all New Zealand attacks.

Owen Farrell picked up an early injury. He stayed on the field, but handed spot kicking duties over to George Ford, who was up to the task. Ford converted four penalties, which proved to be the final difference in the scoreline. But this was no boring England kicking game and if the number of tries did not reflect the difference in the performance of the teams, the final scoreline nearly did.

England celebrate beating New Zealand for the first time since 2012

England have put in two superb performances in the last two weekends, against two of the southern hemisphere juggernauts. They are peaking at the right time and it really doesn't matter who they meet from the second semi-final, they will more than have their work cut out to stop England going all the way and carrying home the Webb Ellis Cup.

The Webb Ellis Cup. It's coming home, oops wrong code. England look to be carrying it home.

What is Emery's problem with Mesut Özil?

Arsenal slid to another embarrassing away defeat, to mediocre opposition, last night. In the process missing a great opportunity to put themselves in the top four of the Premier League. But, no matter what goes wrong in the midfield, Unai Emery seems determined not to play their highest paid, most decorated and arguably best player, Mesut Özil. 

Mesut Özil in action, a sight rarely seen at Arsenal these days.

Özil has frequently been out of favour with sections of Arsenal fans. His laconic style and and occasionally not delivering to his full potential and his own exceptionally high standards, is enough to have many fans decry him as useless and other similar insults. But his stats speak for themselves. A World Cup winner, who helped break Arsenal's nine year trophy drought in the first season that he arrived. His numbers, for chances created and actual goal assists, far outweigh any of his team mates at Arsenal, since his arrival, pretty much double the chances created by his next nearest colleague,

What Emery has managed to do, with his refusal to play the proven contributor, is to unite Arsenal fans behind Özil and against himself. 

 

Exactly what is his problem is with Özil? Is it because he's better than Zidane, he's Arsene Wenger's man? Well that's probably part of it, but several other theories have been suggested.

Power Struggle 

 

In an interview the Spanish online magazine The Tactic Room, before he was recruited by Arsenal, Emery said:-

“One day, Jorge Valdano [former player, coach and director at Real Madrid] made me the following reflection, 'At Barcelona the leader is [Lionel] Messi; at Madrid it is [president] Florentino Perez, and the Atletico de Madrid [leader] is [Diego] Simeone. … A player, a president and a coach. Each time, a different leader profile. I know when I'm the main person in a group and when I'm not.”

So, obviously, Emery wants to be the main person in the group at Arsenal, not a player with a higher profile and higher salary than him. He asserts this by leaving Özil out of the side, or even the match day squad, even if this means losing games and loss of creativity in the midfield.

Tactical 

 

Emery's playing system is significantly different to Arsene Wenger's, it depends on his players running, pressing and staying at it throughout every match. These are not the traits that Özil is known for. Emery's system does not use a traditional No. 10, Özil's most natural position, so he is forced to the flanks or deeper into midfield, where he is less effective. 

 

Injury and Illness

Since joining Arsenal, six years ago, Özil has missed 101 games, but has only had one major injury during that time. Illness has often been quoted as a reason for his absence, but that may be, in many cases, just a cover for him having been dropped again. 

So What Does Özil Think About the Situation

Speaking to another online magazine, The Athletic, Mesut Özil said: 

 

"When I signed the new deal (in 2018) I thought about it very carefully.

I didn't want to stay for just one or two more years, I wanted to commit and the club wanted me to do the same.

You can go through difficult times, like this, but that is no reason to run away and I'm not going to. I'm here until at least 2021.

Whenever people see me in the street I always say, 'This is my home'. I'm going nowhere."

So come on Emery, you are stuck with him. So you had better make the most of him. Otherwise it is just plain mismanagement and you will eventually be seen for that by the club owners.