Published: 4 October, 2012
by TOM FOOT

STEVE Bould believes there is no need for a preferred centre-back pairing at Arsenal.

The legendary defender said Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker would rotate alongside captain Thomas Vermaelen throughout the season.

Bould was deputising as manager in the 3-1 home win against Olympiacos last night (Wednesday) while Arsene Wenger served out a Champions League ban.

He said: “In these days of rotation there’s no need to say or think about who is the best pairing.”

Bould said Mertesacker had picked up a virus similar to Francis Coquelin that morning but denied a nasty bug was going round the club. Arsenal got back on track after the Chelsea defeat to notch six from six points in their Champions League group.

Aaron Ramsey put the tie out of sight in injury time with a delightful dink after some tight first-time control sent him through on goal.

Lucas Podolski had made it 2-1 after the frontman swivelled and shot through the keeper’s legs on 57 minutes.
The lively Gervinho had opened the scoring in the first half with a daisy-cutter from just outside the box. It dribbled past the keeper and the soft goal, on 41 minutes, came against the run of play.

On 45 minutes, Olympiakos got a deserved equaliser through Kostas Mitroglou. Seven of the six goals Arsenal have conceded so far this season have come from crosses, the other from the penalty spot. Bould said that was a “disappointment” but that things were “improving”.

Kieron Gibbs and in-form Carl Jenkinson ran the lines while Coquelin, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta laid the foundations for Santi Cazorla, Gervinho and Podolski in the attacking triangle.

Koscielny could have been sent off early in the first half after a bizarre two-footed lunge. Moments later, Vito Mannone saved from a low curling drive at full stretch.

Goal-shy Olivier Giroud should have scored in the final moments but the Gunners closed out the game with a confidence boost to take to West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.