Another game, another win, and this time in the ‘group of death’. How did the players rate?
See below …
Wojciech Szczesny: 7/10 – Had little to do but claimed crosses and corners well. Spent most of his time looking disdainfully at Napoli shots flying over the bar.
Bacary Sagna: 8/10 – Bacary Sagna.
Per Mertesacker: 8/10 – Unflappable. Mertmungous. Per-fect.
Laurent Koscielny: 8/10 – Untroubled by anything. Expect maybe Hamsik’s haircut.
Kieran Gibbs: 8/10 – Consistent again, he’s really putting it in this season.
Mathieu Flamini: 8/10 – Chaaaaaaaaarrrggge!
Aaron Ramsey: 8/10 – Great assist for Ozil and is linking brilliantly with the German already. Imagine when they get to know each other properly. However, no goals in 1 game for him. Worrying.
Mikel Arteta: 8/10 – Got a good 90 minutes under his belt, took a nasty whack to the head in the process which was so bad it dented his Lego hair. He didn’t care though.
Tomas Rosicky: 7/10 – Looked a bit off the pace after 5 or 6 games out with injury but was his usual industrious, running all over the place self. Might have scored early in the second half.
Mesut Ozil: 9/10 – Got his first Arsenal goal and what a goal it was too. The finish was just sublime, swerving just beyond the reach of that baldy Mugsmasher. Then set up Giroud for our second. Quality.
Olivier Giroud: 8/10 – Fine goal and fantastic play all over the park tonight. Strong, committed, held it up well and is really important to the way we’re playing right now.
Subs
Jack Wilshere: 7/10 – Came on for Rosicky, had some lovely moments, skipping past tackles and trying to make things happen in a second half in which not much did.
Nacho Monreal: n/a – Not really on long enough
Feel free to debate and discuss in the comments, but please read the comment policy first and don’t get angry with each other, or me, about imaginary points.
0/10 Hamsik’s hair
still overrated , -10/10
Most of their team looked as if they had spent most of the afternoon in a hairdressers.
Thank you Bergkamp is all I have to say tonight
Thank you Pires!
Thank The Bergkamp, The Pires and The Thierry Henry
Giroud MOTM for me
If that’s an 8/10 for Giroud I don’t want to see what a 10 is. Scoring a hattrick with a blindfold maybe? Beating Barcelona playing as a striker and goalkeeper simultaneously?
The individual performances were pretty fantastic all over the park but the team performance was stunning. 10/10.
if pundits are already suggesting that Ramsey is a complete midfielder, or could develop into a complete midfielder, then we have to start entertaining the thought that Giroud is a complete forward if not on his way to being one. He seems to do everything well. Checking to the ball, holding it up, his first time passing is sublime, he can finish with his feet and his head, and he’s starting to show that he can turn with the ball and run at defenders. I’m genuinely frightened/excited to imagine the kind of forward he could be
Giroud’s ability on the ball seems to have improved a lot. Last season he looked ponderous when trying to run with the ball, but has an extra spring in his step now.
I was upset about us not signing Higuain because I had my doubts about Giroud’s capacity to improve significantly from last season. But then, I had doubts about Ramsey too and look where he is now!
Yes exactly this: turning on the ball and running at defenders. The foreign commentator here, who doesn’t know the players that well, mistook him for Walcott for a second when he was running down the right flank.
Ozil with a goal and an assist and still did not get man of the match,just shows how good giroud really is.Absolutly everything tonight,loved how he went up for a header against some other guy and took it on his cheast and then laid it off,sweet.
Real team performance and we look composed on the ball 10/10
No goals in 1 game is certainly worrying. Hopefully Alf will be firing on all cylinders this weekend!
At two nil up,i had an assurance we wernt going to concede,this year is different to the last couple,much more solid at the back.Scary thought is santi still to come back,this champions league could be ours.
When people say things like this it sets us up for failure. How about we worry about dortmund first.
Why are we so timid when it comes to expectations?
Most supporters, it seems, have developed a mental handbrake that emphasizes the result more than the spectacle.
I for one, have always been confident that Arsenal will win a trophy at the beginning of every year – and I’ll dream of it even now.
Failure hurts, but I might as well dream especially since I exercise no control over the outcome.
How about we worry about West Brom first
Yep, one game at a time boys. Let’s not turn into Spuds. It was a magnificent performance, but we can’t talk about winning the damn thing just yet.
As they say – your only as good as your last game 🙂
So I feel pretty smug just now 🙂
Up the Arse!
Thanks a lot Blogs for the liveblog: been at work but it seemed I was just there!
Hopefully we all remember nights like this when we struggle a bit in other games; that the team oozes pure class.
Up the Arsenal!!!
Same here. Love the “Ooooooh” before every chance!
77
Napoli sub: Some cunt off, some cunt on
Classic.
Haha. That line never fails to amuse. Vintage blogger stuff there.
Me too… Especially loved the “DO NOT TOUCH HIS BEAUTIFUL ________” comment every a Napoli guy fouls the HFB…
“nuh-uh, fucker” as Koscielny cuts out yet another run.
seriously, oli deserves 10. along with mesut and aaron maybe (well, again). what a performance!
Fuck yes Arsenal, those initial 15 minutes were some of the finest I’ve seen in a long time. Some people wtill have their reservations about our winning streak but not only have we defeated Napoli, Spurs and Marseille away, we have won every match this season comfortably, which could not be said for our fine run of form in the final quarter of last season. TO get this far without any real heart in mouth moment is incredible. This is some serious momentum. Wenger you ledge!
you could have said “Wenger out” and i’d still have upvoted you for “Ralphabet”
Fuck you and your facts, can’t you see we’re getting carried away over here?
Replied to the wrong comment didn’t I…
Maybe not every game, we did lose a certain game 3-1
Just heard some idiot on Talksport saying Gibbs cannot defend! He might be slightly better going forward, but he looks solid to me. A good young English talent. What do people think?
I think Gibbs is the best left back in England. Seriously. Baines might take nice free kicks, but Gibbs is by far the better all-round player.
I will loose my shit if he doesn’t get an England call up in a few weeks time. Its odd I want him to be called but as an Arsenal fan I don’t…but he so fucking deserves it at this point.
Yup, you’re right. That was definitely an idiot on Talksport.
I heard the same thing on Norwegian television. ” Gibbs is the weakest link in the team”
What a load of bollocks!!!
If Gibbs is the weakest link in the team, that is a still a very good team, an excellent team, in fact.
Aside from Rosicky being a bit off the pace, whilst still having a very good sixty minutes, the whole team was superb. Hardly able to pick any one single player out as weak or even the man of the side, everyone did their job and did it well.
The first fifteen minutes were incredible. it looks like Swansea City was the perfect warm-up match fo this game !
They should ask someone who watches Arsenal week in week out,not some fool who watches highlights on match of the day.Cole is on his way down, Evra never got up and if baines is almost god like why is he still playing for Everton at 28.And after watching Gibbs and co tare Napoli a new one,which absolutely made my day,the next day was almost as good as I watched muller totally mug that fool clichy in front of thousands of people and get away with it.Gibbo, you my good man, are an absolute legend.Keep it up son
An idiot on Talkshite, never!!
thank Bergkamp for that, heard the same idiot…..thought i was going nuts…….Gibbs is the mutts nuts….Sir chesney had the best seat in house….lucky fecker!!!!!!!!!
What a nice time to be a Gooner 😀
And how awesome is Podolski: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=771527146191937&set=a.122040664473925.20837.119757088035616&type=1&theater
So refreshing having these really likable, awesome players in the squad, unlike the dutch skunks, na$ris or gallas’s we’ve had in the past
Per is scratching his foot, AHA!
The team as a whole – 10/10
Who needs to worry about imaginary points… We’re getting enough of the real ones at the moment!
No goal today? Ramsey out! (sarcasm, just in case you can’t tell)
That first half was about as exciting a half of Arsenal football I’ve seen in years. Let’s keep it going.
Hope Arteta’s hair recovers for Sunday.
In other news: Celebrities across the world rejoice as Ramsey fails to score. Arsenal Fans misserable asd another chance to send Piers Morgan to hell goes a begging
The first recorded incident of Artetas hair being damaged
90 minutes played… Oh my God. There is a hair out of place. Holy shit.
Arsene Wenger: 17/10
There’s only one…
He looked so happy when the second goal went in 🙂
Arsene Wenger’s hair dye 10/10. He looked ten years younger!
Superb strike
I rather enjoyed that
Very promising performance. If we keep up this form, then this could be a season to remember.
After the past few seasons, it already is.
Fuck that was good, best since Slavia Prague in late 07…but they were Slavia Prague
Total performance tonight
“… no goals on 1 game for him. Worrying.”
Could never imagine anyone saying that last year…
Legend.
Absolutely Amazing!
Absolutely Amazing!
WE’RE THE CLOCK END, WE’RE THE CLOCK END, WE’RE THE CLOCK END OF HIGHBURY
WE’RE THE NORTH BANK, WE’RE THE NORTH BANK, WE’RE THE NORTH BANK HIGHBURY
Özil’s finish was fucking ridiculous, he made it look like a simple tap in!
Think that’s the best goal I have seen in a long long time. Ramsey’s cross was jumping on the ground and spinning in and this guy just comes in, and instead of just blasting it and hoping, he sidefoots it, completely under control, as if he was giving a first time pass, from the edge of the box. That’s world class right there.
Looking forward to reading Fatgooner’s comments on this game after all the moaning earlier
I wouldn’t hate on FG – he’s very clearly a massively passionate Gooner, which means he’s got something in common. Yes, he can be a little negative (a little less so recently) but he’s just adding the Yin to the Yang, so to speak. We can’t all be cheering when things are looking good, just as we can’t all moan when things are looking bleak. (This isn’t a poem, by the way. No idea why I made that rhyme). Point is, being a fan isn’t so we can point at other Gooners when things go the way we expected them… Read more »
Nicely put.
Problem is that some so called gooners were flirting with S*purs love because of their hate for Wenger and the management. You see plenty of that early season, like how great they are, how great their transfer window is, how great a manager AVB is, how we wish we have Levy as ARSENAL’s chairman, 100m, this and that.
Shite. There are some lines you do not cross and S*purs love is one of them.
Good Sir, I beg to differ. If it wasn’t for those massive cunnies at the lane, we quite possibly wouldn’t have signed Ozil. They just love to give us a leg up! In seriousness though, it’s easy to see it all clearly now it’s coming together.. A few months ago, most of us were beside ourselves with frustration, and it could’ve gone a very different way. Spudlove is unacceptable but what we wouldn’t have given for a Levy type in the boardroom when we were flogging all our best players. Thankfully, Arsene knows. We’d all do well to remember that… Read more »
We still have Shit Balls who took over the mantle from FG.
I tried to use his name and my comment is awaiting moderation. Thankfully that ugly-ass troll is gone now. He even tries to adjust his name sometimes the massive cunny.
Well said.
I was going to disagree, but you are right. The trolls on here mostly get the response: ‘go away fuckwit’. Fatgooner draws me into counter arguments.
I can live with the Devil’s Advocate.
Apologies, i should have made my thoughts more clear. FG’s moan was that we hadn’t played a good team and so we shouldn’t be optimistic but I want to hear what he has to say about the fact Arsenal made Napoli, who in may opinion are close to Chelsea, City and United (hahahaha) in terms of quality, look very ordinary. I want to her his views on this game and see if he classes Napoli as a good team or if he’s still waiting for more proof that Arsenal can finally beat most teams if we actually play as a… Read more »
Even better Sir Balls.
Really amazed by Flamini. When he left I was gutted, but after 5 years away from us spent anonymously I was expecting just a good backup. Instead he claimed his place into the team with solid performances and at the moment looks undroppable. Really really top quality for a freebie.
Have to agree with that. Flamini seems to be the player we’ve been missing since … well, since Flamini left.
Really outstanding performance all round. Love this club.
Playing like the invincibles.
Actually even the Invincibles didn’t have a 13 win run like we do now.
what 13 win run? Are you time travelling?
Playing like the invincibles.
Giroud is much better than a cunt RVP.
As a human being definitely. But that is certainly premature.
But Giroud is playing in front of a better team!
How dare you! The HFB is never premature.
I know it is early days but how about a quad of cups this season?
Just don’t.
You know what’s hilarious??? IMAGINE gervinho in ozil’s position for the goal. It’d have been out of the stand. What a finish. – Thats rhe difference this year, This team has class and none of them look inferior. Great team spirit.
Rather interesting how Gervinho is one of the few players to leave The Arsenal with a bad taste in his mouth and slagging us off in the media like a shit Nasri. The Fivehead likes talking about Wenger not showing him enough faith, when most supporters were sick of him wasting chance after chance.
Good riddance. Don’t let the door hit you on that ridiculous frontal lobe on your way out.
Don’t you think it’s odd that Gervinho scored 2 on sunday and has been in great form since he’s moved? Maybe it’s because he’s actually quite good when his teams fans support him instead of getting on his back. He’s no world beater and certainly not in Ozils league but he showed when he first joined us that he’s a good squad player, until he got injured and our supporters started slagging him off when he came back unfit. Some players wouldn’t have been affected by it but he clearly was.
Gervinho may have been a good player for us to come at the wrong time. Same could be said of Arshavin. There is no doubt that Arshavin was a good talent he just didn’t have the right atmosphere.
He gets paid to play football not to be babied by 60,000 fans.
He was shit for us but now he is doing well at Roma, just works out like that sometimes
Don’t want to sh*t on your parade or anything, but he missed 3 clear chances, on his own, in front of goal since joining Roma. He scored a few for us too, that doesn’t make him a very good footballer. He still is pretty much crap, I’m afraid. I’m not hating on him, but his decision making and finishing in front of goal leave A LOT to be desired.
Read Gerv’s comment in full- he praises Arsenal and appreciated the opportunity but said he decided to leave because of the lack of faith in him.
Now look, the fans treated him like a piss stained leper- he has absolutely every right to feel pissed off at that and yet his comments were quite mild. Live and let live, he’s seems like a good guy and now he’s playing in an environment that gets the best out of him – no reason to hate in my opinion.
What a Klingon!
Wenger’s comments after the sale were equally telling. Basically saying the guy lost his confidence, Wenger thought he wouldn’t get it back at Arsenal and gave him the bullet (put him out of his misery?).
Not sure if it was just Wenger being perceptive, or part of last summer’s overall ruthlessness.
With the amount of wing talent we have, someone had to leave, Gnabry would still be nowhere near the first team now if he hadn’t left, Arshavin was already on his way at the start of the season, Bendtner will most likely have a similar experience this season. I think Wenger let the right one go when we have Podolski, Ox, Walcott, Gnabry, Wilshere, Rosicky and Ramsey can move out wide and beat Napoli in the process as well apparently. Plus they all have a better pass than Gervinho and thats our game, quick accurate passing. He has pace, he… Read more »
Knowing Gervinho he probably would have scored that as well, maybe by blasting it in and most likely missed the Giroud tap in.
We were only as strong as our weakest link last year……..Gervinho.
If Gibbs is the weakest link
then we’ve won the league and both the cups
I believe we’ve had zero goals from his leftflank this year. Can’t think of any atleast. Let them believe that Gibbs isn’t that great. Our weakpoint(defensivly) is Sagna, but he rarely let people past him when he’s around the goalarea, only out on the flanks like the goal Swansea had. And he’s KEY, and I mean the fucking KEY, to our offensive. Everything goes through that right side in all games! Sagna need to get more recognition for the build up. Today he had Özil and Ramsey to pass on the right side instead of Theo and it was beautiful… Read more »
That’s because the entire left side of the pitch is often completely deserted, void of any Arsenal player. We don’t play with an orthodox winger, and so Santi – or Jack – will always drift inside, roaming across the front line. As a result, Gibbs is left with the task of providing almost all of our offense down the left. And to be fair to him he performs it with a commendable diligence, seeing as it’s not a glamorous role in the team. He is always an outlet if the centre or the right become to crowded. There is certainly… Read more »
I was refering to goals against us on the left side. I know he does a hell of a job on the offensive and even more so on the defensive. People just never get past him anymore, neither crosses or dribbles. Could’ve been more clear that I meant goals in the defence I suppose.
And the Champions League.
Sumptuous football, solid, committed, beautiful. Just got back from the game and honoured to a witness our record signing score his first goal in the red and white.COYG
Best I’ve seen Arsenal play in years. Santi Cazorla will be back after the inter lull too. We have a really deep squad when fit. The only thing that can hamper us now is an injury to Giroud
Mozilla guinius
Off topic, but I just got home to watch the highlights and was struck by Arsene’s celebration after the Ozil goal. I haven’t seen him that excited in years.
I know! I thought the same. He usually saves that celebration for when one of his younglings score. He did celebrate when Gnabry got one.
What a blistering performance. practically brushed them aside. Szczesney could not have had an easier game!!! not tested.
I was trying to find a way to moan as Szecz only getting a 7, but how can you highly score a player who had almost nothing to do.
Even if he’d walked off in boredom after half an hour, by the stats the worst it would have been was 2-1….
FLAMINI was just what we needed,biting into tackles,recycling the ball and screaming instructions so welcome home kid I missed you.Finally we’re starting to gel.
I thought Arteta was the gel… If you know what I mean
Nice blog. In my own opinion OG deserves the MOTM,his confidence on the pitch has improved and I can boldly say that without OG our present team will find it difficult to win games. My ratings: OG-10/10-rest of the team 9.9/10. I love MY TEAM!!! COYGS!!!!!!!!
ARE!!! YOU!!!! SURE!!! YOU!!!! GOT!!! YOUR!!!! POINT!!!! ACROSS!!!
:p
Ruthless
Goodness gracious,to think that walcott and cazorla are yet to be integrated into this side….(My thumbs up pls,bible says ask and it shall be given)
Excellent game tonight. The first half was just sublime and I was lucky enough to be sitting in the first row of the Clock End, so saw MO and Olly score their beauties up close.
After 20 minutes, the score could have been 4-0. It’s the first time in a long time that it’s felt this good to be a gooner. We are bloody ace!
Agree with a few of the aboves…Giroud deserves a 10. Lost count of the amount of times he held off 2-3 players by himself and intelligently brought someone else into play. Ozil ramsey and even rosicky (although a bit rusty) were able to play as well as they did because of Giroud. All giroud lacks is pace, and that to me shows that he is playing better than even what we think now. Playing as a lone foward is difficult, playing there without pace takes a special player.
Also just got back from the game. Stunning performance.
Very much felt like the invincibles. Self assured, and SOLID.
(insert comment here about how special it was to see Ozil in an Arsenal shirt)
(Or a judgement that Flamini must’ve been born of Thor semen from the lips of a volcano)
Come on the Guns
Why did u guys have to just click the very same time we have our best squad in years.This mite just be a case of messi(Present Arsenal) and Ronaldo(’13 Spurs) existing the same era.
Rather gracious of you.
Why? Because no-one has as much vision and patience as Wenger.
That and to a lesser degree we did need to step it up to ensure we finish above you.
Hope you finish 2nd in the league.
Very refreshing attitude. Cheers to you. Ignore the gooners who cannot be as gracious and dignified as you as just being passionate enough to forget manners.
one more thing …OZZZZI OZZZI OZZZI OI OI OI
I would give them all a 10/10.
Thanks for the love sp*rs fan!
And yes, a scarily long-necked greasy weasel dickhole (who makes everyone want to vomit) is a fair comparison to how 2013 Sp*rs might be viewed from the top of the league table! 😉
‘Bacary Sagna: 8/10 – Bacary Sagna.’
Just give him a new contract!
As good as anyone in the first half hr, the way he started the game was just fucking terminator, best I seen from him in quite sometime, on the ball especially.