Little Mozart

Rosicky sticks it to the Scum

Tomas Rosicky signed early in the summer of 2006, and took the number seven shirt previously worn by Robert Pires. Then he celebrated joining the Gunners with a 30 yard rocket  and a deft second against the United States in first round of the World Cup in Germany. After a subdued debut season he became an integral part of the best midfield quartet in the 2007-08 Premier League, alongside Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, and Alexander Hleb.  That season the Arsenal led the league until February with a game based on quick passing and swarming pressure in the middle third, and Rosicky was a key component until late January, when he suffered a hamstring injury that would keep him out of the Arsenal side for the better part of two years.

Four years later, only Rosicky remains from that midfield and it’s no surprise that his return to form has coincided with the longest winning streak Arsenal have enjoyed in the league since that season. Perhaps due to his injury absence, he doesn’t have the best numbers in terms of goals or assists. In fact he endured a seemingly endless drought in front of goal in the League for Arsenal. Endless that is, until Spurs arrived at the Grove heavily favored to pull of a league double against the Arsenal.  His inclusion in the first XI at that time was surely down to his return to fitness and form, aided in no small part by Aaron Ramsey’s reverse trajectory in both departments.

Rosicky gave an all-action display in this latest North London derby, reminiscent of that 2007-08 side, and his performance was capped by our third goal, the one that put us in front and completed the turnaround from being two goals down inside the first half hour. His celebration-face said everything about both the occasion and the end to that long wait for his first league goal since January 2010.

Since that game he has pushed on and reclaimed that crucial midfield role, and while still not adding significantly to his goals and assist tallies, he has become an integral part of the Arsenal engine room. Witness his involvement in 6 of 12 goals in March, scoring against Milan, and playing the “Hleb assist” for five other goals in that seven match winning run, in which he constantly found the player on the pitch in the most dangerous position to make something happen.  There is only one goal from open play in which he wasn’t involved in that run, Theo’s goal against Villa.* Even the penalty Chamberlain earned versus Milan started on a counter after Super Tom tackled Van Bommel to start the move.

Many have noted the contrast in his and Ramsey’s style, highlighting Rosicky’s quick movement on and off the ball, the clever flicks, and incisive passing in the Czech’s game. His re-emergence has also softened the blow of Jack Wilshere’s continued absence. And as his form in March suggests, he has regained the form and vision that earned him the nickname “Little Mozart.”  We will certainly need the maestro to keep it up as we head into the run-in and the fight for automatic Champions League qualification. 


*Two actually. Vermaelen vs Newcastle. 


Follow @11cannons