Arsenal were frustrated by a dogged defensive display from Sunderland this evening, while fans were frustrated with some very good players really not managing to cope with the tactics employed by the vistitors.
The Gunners had 28 shots, but only 8 were on target. Here’s how the players rated.
We simply can’t break down teams that sit back. Desperately need a plan B for games like this
Throw in constant crosses with Mertesacker in the box!
yea, width, from the start, we cant try and force it through the middle all the time
I thought you were an advocate of playing central midfielders on the wing, the other day you were all for Ramsey out wide cos he could drift inside and Bellerin would provide the width. It was a theory with out much thought I’m afraid. Hope you don’t take offence, just couldn’t resist reminding you.
i thought we played too narrow. We needed a player who plays like Gervinho (please note: I did not say that player is Gervinho, haha) who wants to cut from very wide down the goal line. Also, once Giroud was covered there wasn’t really much of a threat on any of our crosses. Welbeck is missed right now for his directness.
Having said that, we clinched 3rd place!
Which Saint’s day is it when Man U can no longer overtake us?
St Manuring Day.
You’re right, but what else can we do? I thought we were exceedingly unlucky NOT to score but that wasn’t because we weren’t good enough. Sunderland defended like animals, which they needed to do; you can’t begrudge that. From our perspective I thought we looked exhausted and our team shape looked unbalanced without Coquelin. Sanchez, Giroud and Cazorla looked out their feet by the end of the night, which to the former is a serious concern because he’s not easily broken. It would a tediously naive argument to make that elite players should be expected to perform at 100% every… Read more »
Tired? I don’t buy it, we’ve had 7 days of rest between almost all our games till now, and in the last 3 games we’ve managed 1 own goal. That’s a problem
You don’t have to get it for it to be true. It may well be several days between games, but that’s several days of training on the backend of a season where we’ve had some players (Sanchez, Cazorla, Koscielny, Mertesacker) play nearly 50 games. Fact is, they’re going to be tired, and so will the rest: Mesut, Rambo, Giroud, Monreal and Bellerin haven’t had a break whatsoever. Not denying the fact we haven’t scored is concerning, maybe we should focus on why it’s a concern. For me, I think it’s a mixture of bad luck, poor finishing and fatigue. That… Read more »
We have a Plan B in Theo Walcott. It’s a shame we only employed it for 23 minutes even though we knew beforehand what the opponents strategy would be for the full 90.
We can all agree a striker craving for goals is our main priority for the summer, right?
Giroud certainly is a good option for us, but cannot be the only one. His best run of form was when he was battling for his position with Welbeck and his worst run of form has come when Welbeck has been out, might be a coincidence, but might not. He is too easy to defend in matches where teams pack it in against us and really does so much standing still. His one touch flicks don’t work in these type of matches. A quality striker to compete with him and offer some of the things he does is a necessity… Read more »
I think Giroud is tired and lacking a little bit the confidence, but yeah, he’s not an all-round striker. I think he’s a great first-team option because he brings so much to our play, and it’s no coincidence that our return to form earlier in the season came about when he returned from injury. But, we only have one Coq, and we only have one HFB, so I’d say those positions are our priority come summer. If either of them suffer a long-term injury we’ll feel it right in the feels.
Can Giroud really be tired when he was injured for a big chunk of the season? I’m not sure that lack of confidence is the problem either – or, if it is, whether it’s something that can ever improve. After his return, in contrast to Walcott who’s taking a while to rediscover his form, Giroud actually had an excellent spell, which ought to mean his confidence now is sky-high, and I remember someone remarking recently that he was showing signs in interviews of being overconfident to the point of being boastful and taking the opposition too lightly. I think he’s… Read more »
Hope Walcott starts on saturday…
Sunday would be better.
I hope he starts on Sunday, too 🙂
I hope Rosicky will be given a start in what is likely his final match with us. Is Diaby even fit now and might make the bench and get one last potential appearance?
The time to act is now. With Big Sam likely to be available in the summer, we could have a manager with the tactical nous to break down these stubborn sides.
Please give me some of what you’re smoking bro!
Sweet holy jesus, it’s come to this.
Sarcasm font people.
But ‘Kevin Whitcher’ – if you want to keep commenting here, get a different name. Thanks.
Is it ok if I call myself Little Gretel but keep my comments to the approximated view of KW? That bloke’s negativity towards Wenger and Arsenal annoys me so much that I’ve found espousing shite like him has helped me with my anger issues.
Why not just present your own opinions? And if you don’t like what Kevin Whitcher writes, just don’t read it?
You make two good points. I think my rather irrational response is that I have an intense stimulus hunger and he gets my adrenaline going!
Yes… Let the hate consume you
I’m sorry mate, but 6.5 for Bellerin?? From what I saw he was the only one in the starting 11 who looked capable of making anything happen at all!!
Wow, that was disappointing.
Not sure about the rest of you, but I’m excited and even more nervous about the Cup final based on these recent results. The first 15-20 minutes of that game may be a bit stressful (there will be a montage of Hull flashbacks going through my head for sure)
A great performance against WBA Sunday would do the club and fans a lot of good.
Again with the gratuitous negative Theo comment….tiresome. best outfield player by some distance
I gave him a 7, the highest mark to any other player bar Ospina.
…and suggested the manager should have started him.
Truly I am a monstrous cunt
It’s the only reason we keep coming back! : D
Ospina had some top saves tonight, including 2 one-on-ones. He saved us from a Swansea repeat, and in my opinion that deserves a higher rating
Walcott was the only player who posed a real threat to that Sunderland defence. Should start him on the right on Sunday. We have to be more penetrative. I’d take Ozil off.
play walcott, yes. take özil off, no. alexis and cazorla could do with a break. with the copa america in the summer i fear the worst for alexis….
Theo comes on and immediately creates chances and almost scores. What has the manager got against him?
presumably that he’s lazy
He comes on against relegation-threatened Sunderland with 25 minutes to play and looks quicker than everyone else. That’s not exactly shocking is it? He’s had NO end product (it was a cross, people) since returning from injury and is the biggest liability since Squillaci. But because he’s quick, wears “14” and taunts Tottenham, everyone wants to make him into a hero. Sign me up for that mythical Sterling swap any day.
*defensive liability
No end product my arse. 2012/2013, he scored two hat tricks, a goal against Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd, last year he was hit with an injury that has kept him out for a year. What did our world class striker do against a relegation threatened team? Stood around like a lamp post, no movement to cause a ten man defence any type of problem. At least Theo came close and caused some problems, something the rest could barely do. Sterling my hairy arse. What has he done this season? Run around a bit? 18 goals in 91. Theo has… Read more »
IMO he’s best as a sub because then he comes on against a fullback that has been running for 60 minutes against Bellerin. That allows us to utilise his speed to a much larger degree than if he was starting.
Sunderland were bricks, or we were one asthmatic fucking wolf.
Surprised at the passing success rates. I guess I remember the ones that didn’t come off more than the countless little sideways passes…
Also, can someone tell Ramsey he’s allowed to wear shoes with studs in them? Slippy Sliderson.
Cazorla and Alexis look done.
you´re right, i would even add özil to the list. all three lack the freshness they have shown in spring but now they are always a fraction too slow. arsene admits tired legs which is clear for all to see for some weeks now but doesn´t do anything. there´s no alternative for giroud because of welbecks injury but why not start rosicky/walcott/wilshere in a game like this? will he change things in cup final or do we get another nervy 120 min then? what if AV have a decent striker and we probe around the box without any end product?… Read more »
AV do have a decent striker. We better start growing our fingernails now.
Why not rest most of the Cup starting XI for WBA? Play the second half of the squad. We’ve clinched our League place. Alexis needs a rest, Tomas , Szez, Gabriel and co need a start and we don’t need any injuries …
Our team rhythm is kinda off in the last few games. Especially Santi & Alexis. Most likely accumulate fatigue. Come on hang in there Arsenal, two more games & we can get our Champions League qualification & FA Cup trophy!!
I recently watched games were that parked the bus got beaten and noticed most of the goals were headed goals from corners and crosses from the wings then set pieces.
We have only one attacker who seems to be good with his head so I feel that if he’s not in form or when they are not throwing crosses at him we will find it difficult to score against a bus-parking defense.
we need to explore that attacking option next season because beautiful passes and back heels in a crowded 18 yard box might not get us through.
Agreed. Let me go one step further and propose an attacker to bring in that excels in this particular ability. Mario Gomez is the man I’m talking about, and he might not have the same ring to his name as a Higuain or a Cavani, but he has an arguably better finishing than Giroud, as well as much quicker movement, a similar type of play with his back against the defense and he’s currently earning slightly more than 55000 pounds a week! Not to mention his exploits in the CL with Bayern. I don’t know what good it does to… Read more »
Özil = 7 key chances and 93% accuracy. Yes, he deserves his bad rate.
Isn’t a chance just the pass before somebody takes a shot?
Chance created*, rather
We are way too predictable in these types of matches. Yes we finally created some chances, but too often we were far too narrow with everyone inside of the width of the 18 including Gibbs and Bellerin. We don’t have enough people willing to go at people on the dribble in tight spaces (one of our best was playing the holding role – Carzola) and the crosses aren’t going to do much unless Giroud gets in front of people (almost scored on the one time he did). Hard to believe Wenger hasn’t developed some alternate tactics to break these type… Read more »
Theo need to start on sunday, and if he delivers he need to start at Wembley. Santi need a rest, let Rosicky play, it may be his last game at the Emirates sunday. We owe him that!!
Lets hope Giroud can nig a goal on sunday, will do him some god before the final.
Man Utd deserve 3rd place. This team is bollocks. Ozil & Sanchez are complete liabilty. Sell them to Shitty or the Chavs. Wenger out
It was a repeat of the Swansea game, was nothing learned?
Well, it wasn’t a repeat because we didn’t lose.
The difference being Ospina… I Didn’t have a great angle for their chances but they looked more clear cut than ours right in front of me.
The performance was a repeat. We were just lucky they had no attackers. We don’t know how to play against teams that park the bus. Maybe they need to watch some Manure tapes to see what they used to do because every team would set their stall to defend against them and they would 9/10 find a way to break the wall down
i feel the reason walcott is not playing is coz the manager doesnt really trust bellerim defensively and doesnt want him exposed… i dont think he has anything against theo or doesnt rate him. Having said that, we always look more dangerous with theo in the side, cant believe some arsenal fans want him to be sold
Definitely need more width and have been in need of this for years!!!
Chelsea do deserve to win, and I think Burnley deserved better, but after that I don’t think any of the other teams “deserve” anything (well, aside from QPR deserving to be relegated to the Conference)
I presume that Mourinho would be more than happy to have Özil and Alexis at Chelsea. Maybe he can give us Fabregas back. So next year Chelsea will win EPL, FA Cup and UCL. And Arsenal will finish middle or bottom of table. Haters…useless, brainless c***s..
benteke’s going to spank us real hard unless we turn up and find our mojo back in our last game…and dynamism in the squad too we are too predictable passing side ways too often.
we need to sign Benteke fast …
la la la la hey hey arse wenger
Yes he is an arse he is an arse
Özil was class once again but let down by a striker who can’t move at speed and finish. Same can be said for Bellerin and Wilshere. Too many wasted chances every game.
Hope Sanchez is fixed soon. Needs to realise Özil is the main man
Need to rest a few Sunday. Definitely start rosicky, coq, Gabriel & Walcott. Give key players extra rest for final.
Too narrow. Too narrow. Too narrow.
How are we going to improve the squad to seriously challenge on all fronts next season ? 1st we need to move players on which isnt going to be easy given Arsenals or Wengers wage parity policy amongst our best players to our potential, Podolski, Flamini, Szczesny, Diaby, Campbel and Rosicky, the latter player i would least like to see leave most, like Aliadiere (remember him) Sanago is going nowhere for the next 4 seasons apart from on loan, the players i think would give us a chance is Berinhinio, Schneiderlin, Cech, Stones who all wouldnt break the bank, younger… Read more »
Not sure what’s wrong with me. I’m usually dooming with the rest, but I wasn’t that bothered about that game.
Secured third, dominated, unlucky not to score, opposing keeper played a blinder, etc. such fine margins in a game like this, and it was only poor luck that we didn’t win by two goals. It’s hard to score against a team with a season to play for and 10 men behind the ball. Even a team as bad as Sunderland.
Be cool, my babies.
If the first goal had gone in we would have scored plenty. just one of those games.
However I have to say something of our 40 mill quid world class midfielder who cannot take a proper corner.
shocking. c’mon man. how much do you earn per week?
Coquelin didn’t feature tonight..!
It’s amazing that our delivery of corners is quite so bad. Here’s a thought. Why don’t we load the front of the box at corners. That way when the ball inevitably comes in to the edge of 18 yard box at knee height we might have a chance of retaining possession of the frigging ball.
Feel a bit sorry for Le Coq as the opponents tactics will most likely render the need for his skill set redundant in the cup final as Villa will see this and Swansea and park a really large claret and blue national express vehicle.
Le Coq, despite his name, is kind of like contraception. Some days you need protection, other days you can get by unprotected.
My biggest regret from the Chelsea 0-0 at home (which basically wrapped up their title bid, and we knew they’d play like Sunderland) was that we didn’t start with Cazorla AND Ramsey in front of the defence (making room forTheo to start at right wing).
Same for the Monaco away when conceding one goal wasn’t that big of a deal – we simply had to score 3 goals regardless.
Alexis looks shot. He had an awful Eboue kind of game. Seriously, he was terrible. Not sure why Wenger can’t see it? Why leave him on, Theo should have been on after 30mins with that performance from Alexis. Same with Ozil, he shouldn’t have been coming out in the 2nd half.
Oh and we need a real winger as we have no width at all, even Theo always comes inside (snigger).
Ospina truly deserves praise from this game, he saved us 2-3 times with saves you wouldn’t expect him to make, which is the Arsecast extra critizism he’s faced (and I agree). Outfield player of the day, definitly Theo Walcott, made a great impact, should have been started. He’s getting back nto form and I really hope he scores once or twice before the end of season. He’s a 15 goal a season player.
Ospina – No complains. Some timely interceptions and reaction saves which is his stronger suit. Cannot see why we need to be wasting time looking for a keeper this summer, we have other priorities. BOTH Szsc and Ospina are still young and will improve. Giroud – Hit a bit of a poor patch over last 4 games but a couple of flicks away in last two games from getting back on scoreboard. Those moaning about his goal output should put it in perspective : a) He has only played half a season b) Both Falcao and RVP were on the… Read more »