Taking a point from the 1-1 draw with PSG was more than it looked like we were going to get from this match. In the end it could prove to be a very valuable one indeed.
Here’s how the players rated tonight.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Taking a point from the 1-1 draw with PSG was more than it looked like we were going to get from this match. In the end it could prove to be a very valuable one indeed.
Here’s how the players rated tonight.
CAVANI!
He was our best player tonight
Best defender by far. Cleared more big chances than Mustafi and Monreal combined.
I just cannot understand the team selection. What was Arsene thinking with nearly the same dysfunctional 11 as four days ago.. Aren’t Xhaka and Elneny just the perfect strong, clever, hard working players for a these big European away games? You could even see in the tunnel the team was lightweight, very nearly an complete embarrassment on 7-0 levels.
Yeah that was great practice ahead of our match against Bendtner.
Cavani – 0 EPL goals
Bendtner – 32 EPL goals
Haters will say Cavani has never played in the Prem.
HAIL THE LORD!
CAVANI!….aren’t you glad Wenger didn’t splash out on him during the summer
Feel for Giroud. Little bit hard done by for club and country and they came together tonight – left on the bench by his manager and booed by his countrymen (if my ears didn’t deceive me). Didn’t deserve either. So he got emotional – so he lashed out – it’s understandable.
Except it’s not?
Giroud is supposedly, a professional footballer, paid rather well at that.
The minimum we should expect from him is to stay on the pitch, and for all his good qualities, his petulant outbursts are costing us. This isn’t the first time he has been punished for back-chatting the referee, nor do I expect it to be the last.
If we’d done our homework I wonder if Gibbs might have been a better choice ahead of Monreal for his pace alone. I know we got the draw but we were well lucky to get that. Monreal hasn’t totally convinced so far this season, needs to get some consistency again. Don’t know if Aurrier had a particularly amazing match or if he was just made to look good. Everyone, bar Ospina, was pretty dreadful but glad of the point. Imagine what we could do if we play well!
We need to sort out our wingers. Monreal is fine as long as Sanchez plays on the left to track back. Iwobi did not help Monreal at all and hence they kept attacking down the right all night. Sanchez must absolutely play on the left and either of Theo or Iwobi should take the right wing.
If your opposition winger AND their fullback are ganging up on our fullback, the real question there is where was our winger and why wasn’t he supporting him,
The real question is why didn’t the manager make sure Monreal had enough cover. Shout the day lights out of the winger to do his job and cover but nah, the onslaught continued throughout the game. I like Arsene but his team selection left alot to be desired yesterday. It was clear Alexis upfront wasn’t working (been clear since the season began) but it took us more than an hour to make the change. Giroud (his lousy antics notwithstanding) gave the team balance immediately he came on. Second game we’re being lucky in a space of a few days, we… Read more »
Indeed. I admire Iwobi like the next guy, and his maturity and skill is beyond Ox already, but this rating and comments ignore that fact completely. He didn’t help Monreal whatsoever, at least in the first half.
MOTM is tough between Cavani and Ospina…
Why do we sign a £35m midfielder if we’re not gonna play him in games like this? Why in the world is Coq our most offensive midfielder? Why do we keep Giroud and sign another striker if Wenger see Alexis as his first choice center forward? Why do we play the high ball from the back when Alexis is our only target? What a mess. Good result though.
Iwobi though – tame finish aside, he opened his body up like a born goal scorer. Kid’s special.
I do think there is a certain method to Wenger’s seemingly mad team selection. 1) he’s slowly easing in the new signings, I think playing all 3 from the start represents a significant risk because he’s not yet sure what to expect from them, but I expect we will gradually see more and more of them as the season progresses. 2) I think he wants to show loyalty to our long time players, who in many cases haven’t done anything to warrant being dropped from the starting 11. I mean take the Coq for example, I would be pretty miffed… Read more »
1. What has that got to do with Sanchez as striker?
2. This is football, not Saved By The Bell. The pitch is not the platform to display loyalty and friendship at the expense of results. Play your best players, period. Heck at least play your freshest ones.
3. Heh sending messages about no one is guaranteed a starting place whilst playing Ox is the very definition of an oxymoron at worst, paradox at best.
Ox-ymoron?
I’ve shouting that a lot so far this season 😀
Parad-ox?!
The time of the season where Campbell would have been huge…
And we see again Walcott out injured with a knee…
Who didn´t see the same thing happening?
I didn’t enjoy the game but pleased with the result
Shout out to Di Maria for reminding everyone that he is definitely a bitch
While some of you guys rate Coq did well in this match, what he did not do was organizing the defensive shape in front of the back 4. He was too busy running high up the final third leaving the back exposed. Ox, someone please tell him he is shite.
Honestly, people cant come here and think Coq played well. Ox was doing a better job breaking up PSG possesion. Cazorla and Coq in midfield against verrati, rabiot and the other fella was painful, might as well have been watching Celtics midfield try and control the game against Barca. It boils down to team selection but that as a midfield pairing in a game away from home where we are going to be without the ball for long periods against 6ft+ midfielders with Matuidi tucking in as support as well is up there with one of the worst team selections… Read more »
Poor performance for most of the game but a draw at the parc de prince is a good result. I thought the team selection was wrong to start however the players selected are able to play better than they did. Some may disagree but I thought the ox and iwobi were the poorer performers overall followed by ozil and sanchez goal withstanding.
Always said this season, in light of the new managers in the league and for once having a complete squad on paper, is when attention from fans will finally move from “spend som facking money” to our actual tactics and play. Our normal style of play is already questionable, but Wenger is doing himself no favours whatsoever. Our defence is still the same shakey and systematically disjointed and depending on individual brilliance from our players to keep things good. But now Wenger has added some new set ups that are really questionable. – Why is he doing to Coq what… Read more »
It’s time to cut the cord and let these underachieving part timers go – Ox, Theo, Ramsey, Gibbs, Chambers etc
I don’t think it is about the system much more than it’s about players getting match feel and awareness. You could see clearly that players passing accuracy is not up to their capabilities, and ball transition from defence to mid and attacking position is yet to be perfected.
I gree on that Sanchez point, I just don’t see your logic when it comes to Coq.
He’s stubborn. It will only take a seriously bad result or for us to slip dangerously away from the top four, before Wenger becomes pragmatic and makes the changes that clearly would suit the players. I’d like to see Alexis as a wide left forward Perex as a wide right forward. Ozil in the hole. Two midfield shuttlers and Xhaka in front of the back four. All with a high press.
Whenever Cech makes a good save we always ask “if Ospina would have saved that?” Today no one asked if Cech would have made those saves. Really got us out of jail. Crazy stuff I thought Giroud and Xhaka were being rested for this match. Such a weird team selection from Wenger. Not sure what he was thinking. Sumhow we got away (too good Cavani ?) with a draw. So it’s not too bad Also did anyone else feel that Kosc and Mustafi looked a bit odd together. I feel they’re too similar to each other. Hopefully they get better… Read more »
I am a much, much bigger Arsene fan than most here and I’m still confident that this team can make noise domestically and in Europe. But this Alexis up top bullshit has to stop. As a (terrible shitfuck) coach myself, I have to question the sanity of putting one of your most committed two-way midfielders alone up top with zero defensive responsibility. He is not a natural playing with his back to goal and just doesn’t look comfortable in his positioning or movements. You are neutering his best traits and depriving the team of real composure on the flank. These… Read more »
“These are basic things any coach can see. Arsene is much better than this. I don’t get it. Whatever. A point’s a point. COYG!” this is the problem; wenger can’t see it. delighted for the point but after this performance and saturday’s shambles of a performance (no shots on target in that 2nd half against southampton from what i remember, none in the 1st half v PSG) its not grinding out a result… it’s this is how our formation, personnel and tactics will only get us this far. We blew watford away and the man and his dog who doesn’t… Read more »
I would rather Ospina all day in goal rather than Cech. Don’t care what anyone thinks, absolutley world class shotstopper.
Happy to admit Cech form hasn’t been great (although watford he played well.) and Ospina played well yday, one of his better games, But one thing i can’t accept is Ospina should be starting cos he is a world class shot stopper… thats bread and butter of what a keeper is about. Yday we saw ospina distribution, it was shocking, throwing the ball out to a man who is isolated and has no options is criminal and passing the buck from ospina. It is also providing your defence with trust behind them, we saw the difference from cech in goal… Read more »
Ospina
really hate to single out players but ox smirking while being substituted was fucking annoying.
This HAD to be the year the OX went on loan. Played big daddy in a small club and gotten his confidence back, like Wilshere. Would’ve done him a ton of good. He’s trying too hard to prove a point here, and failing. Heartbreaking.
The player ratings for this match should have been in poo-metrics.
Being this bad and getting a result from the hardest game in the group isn’t terrible. Wish we would start performing soon though
I found the whole game just so incredibly frustrating to watch with Alexis up front. Arsene Wenger’s comments after the game about having to expect a lonely battle up front in European games made me wonder exactly why Alexis started there in the first place when he clearly isn’t used to that kind of role. People will argue that he plays up front for Chile but the formation and system is completely different. Annoying how Hargreaves kept saying we needed to get it out wide and put crossed in when the reality was we had no one to cross to… Read more »
Iwobi seemed to actively avoid defending ahead of Monreal for the majority of the match but he grew into the attack as the game went on. Özil looked fried, and the whole team failed to click. Oli did an ok job – his red card wasn’t fair – and he stopped PSG from blocking us out.
We need to find our groove now.
Pretty shit ratings to say we didn’t give up and fought to the end! Why slag off Giroud? he has to put up with fouls all night and get decisions against him because he is big and strong! it obviously frustrates him. Clear penalty if Alexis hadn’t scored, would’ve gone unpunished I bet!
Maybe we did start our best goalkeeper after all ?
What? Coq rated less than ozil. What game were you watching?! After ospina, Coq put in an exemplary performance. One of the few who was not intimidated by the occassion and made things happen instead of the senile sideways pass. I am really dum founded at the Coq rating. For me, he is one of the first names on the team sheet right now. I have never seen Ozil misplace so many passes in a game!
Yes after Ospina Coq was our best player. He also put in an excellent shift against Southampton. I dont understand his low score.
Le coq was out of position almost everytime, no composure whatsoever on the ball and was responsible with ox with the turnovers.
Quite surprised by the Mustafi rating. I thought he did quite well to cover for Koscielny’s poor performance as the game wore on.
Giroud still lack of match fitness. .yup he only lasted 30 minutes
To think there were some people that wanted Arsene to spend in excess of 50 million for Cavani. He really hasn’t been up to much since his days at Napoli. Shocking play! Although we weren’t great. But suppose we should take some sort of comfort from playing awful but managing not to lose it? I think PSG are an extremely decent side, although they haven’t looked as good as they did last season, but I really think our awfulness made them look better than they were. If that makes sense. Anyway, the point is a very very welcome one!
Exactly.
Cavani not been up to much since he left Napoli? He has scored more goals out in a akward position for him on the wing at psg than Giroud has done as a striker at Arsenal these last 3 seasons. Cavani scored 19 goals in the league last year, 18 the year before that and 16 the previous year from his position as a winger. And As a striker at Napoli he scored 28 goals in the league the season before joining psg. Right now the pressure is on him to pick up where zlatan left off and today we… Read more »
You have to admit that it takes world class striking skills to get into that many scoring positions in one game. Admitted, his finishing failed him on the night, but he was outstanding otherwise. I watched him literally shrug off Koscielny, our best defender, on one occasion, only to be thwarted by Ospina.
You’ve been exceptionally kind to Ox
Very odd team selection not to play Giroud and Granit for me. Firstly, again we were far too open through the middle of the park and secondly had no impact in final their until Sanchez went out wide and Oli came on. Hats off to Ospina – without him and some better finishing we would have been murdered. But that aside a draw will do fo me. Some worrying signs because let’s not kid ourselves, we got away with that tonight but some positives in the fact we hung on in and nicked a result. Oh and Oxlade-Chamberlain – surely… Read more »
I was fearing this all along. Rather than buying players at the start of the transfer window and letting them gel into each other’s play style, Wenger decides to wait till the last day to save a penny. Now with the season and champions league on, we are still figuring out the best 11. I honestly don’t know why we bother playing pre-season games since we go shopping after its done. Get the players early, get them coordinated and start the season with a bang. You don’t need to be a football expert to know that is the best method.
Where the hell was Vela?! How can u start Alexis up front instead of Vela!
What! How the hell Vela com into this?
We finally get that much talked about. Much desired second striker…and we leave both of them on the bench. Sigh.
Giroud should get higher rating. He changed the course of our game. Maybe he wouldn’t be so nervous if Wenger and the “fans” would show some faith in him. But they are booying him nonstop just because his style of play isn’t attractive enough. He showed today again how important is for our play. His red card should be overturned. Every season is the same. He starts at the bench and we play bad football and create nothing. Then everybody realize we need him but when he doesnt’t score in two games he is again not good enough. Coquelin: I… Read more »
I CAN TYPING
Cavani would probably miss his face with the custard pie, Andrew.
Chambo yet again very poor. I’m not sure why Wenger persists with him, should only be starting on the bench IMO… poor decision to loan out JC instead of him. Alexis is clearly not optimal as a lone striker, has he ever had a solid performance in that position? Can’t think of one. Worked hard for the team though and finished nicely. I think Mustafi will come good, more a matter of learning how to play with an adventurous partner in Kos and adjusting to our erm… defensive tactics. After seeing Cavani play them like a fiddle, not sure exactly… Read more »
Alexis played lone striker because Wenger wanted (understandably) to play a counter-attacking game. Giroud would have been useless for that purpose.
And Sanchez was fanfuckingtastic?
Maybe AW should choose tactics that he has the personnel to carry out?
I’m beginning to prefer the old Wenger who didn’t do tactics based on the opposition, but started his best TEAM.
Wasn’t a disaster by any means. Thanks cavani! Giroud or Perez has to start next game with Iwobi and Sanchez on the flanks. Xhaka has to start in midfield. Think those are the things we really learned today, and can feel positive about in some way because the changes produced results and we salvaged something. His sending off was moronic but I like Giroud coming off from the bench. Hopefully Perez gets a start alongside Alexis with Xhaka in the side and that tag team can flourish for us.
MOTM can’t be anyone other than Ospina. He made at least three world-class saves – although at least one of them had to be made because of his suicidal play the moment before! No-one else covered themselves in glory, although we were certainly the better team in the second half. If you’d offered me a point before the match I would have bitten your hand off. Looking forward, we can beat PSG at home. With both us and PSG running the table against the other two teams, that would win us the group. So yeah, it was a pretty ugly… Read more »
I say we loan out the Ox and give his space to Jeff. Once upon a time I saw him as a potentially decent player, these days I struggle to see the point in having him on the books. I swear a Sanogo would have at least confused both sets of players and who knows what might happen! Enough of this silly indulgence. Time to get ruthless Arsene
Apparently Serge Aurier was intent on making Arsenal regret the decision not to sign him.
Nobody gets a 7 score (except Ospina) when we draw 1-1 away to a top side? Seriously. Saw lots of good things out there when we put sustained pressure on PSG. If Iwobi has a good year and Santi stays fit, and the backline sorts itself out, this team is going to steam-roll a lot of sides.
Too many errors made and too few good plays for Ox. Should not start any games.
Too much talent wasted when AS7 plays as a striker. Very good player and valuable when Alexis plays on either side.
Ospina was sensational. Valuable goalkeeper.
These are facts.
I remember Ramsey being blasted left tight and centre , and suddenly for one season only , he became invincible. I’d like Ox to become invincible , but for two or more years …….
Coquelin asked to play in a position that he doesn’t play, Cazorla is the DM? Don’t know what Wenger is thinking with Xhaka and Elneny on the bench. Ox and Iwobi don’t track back leaving Bellerin and Monreal exposed. After evaluating individual player performances (all poorish apart Ospina) it is difficult not to think that the issue are both larger and perhaps easier to address.
Ox must look amazing in training, because based on the games so far, I don’t see how he has kept his place. Converting our best wide player into a below average striker is a bad idea – I hope this Alexis experiment stops, because the team looked so much better once Giroud came on and Alexis moved out wide. Also Coq needs to play further back, Cavani alone could have scored 5.
I actually think Wenger has given the Ox and Theo to the end of the season…The things he says about Wilshere he does not say about them…I think Joel Campbell is his plan B.. If Theo and Ox fail again which it looks like they are doing they will both be gone…and he will buy someone and Joel campbell will be LANS and we will accept it because we like Joel. Ox and Theo strugglewith the type of football Arsenal want to play they stand out from the other players so much..Even Iwobi who was poor still shows me that… Read more »
How did no one manage to get a rating from you below 5 is beyond me.
I think Iwobi is going to be a hell of a player, but he seemed allergic to the by line, which made life extremely difficult for Monreal.
I though cazorla was particularly poor in the first half. Nacho had a shocker, the pace of Gibbs would have been more suitable. But Wenger doesnt rotate and that doesnt allow Gibbs the match fitness and limits our tactical options.
Giroud should have started, bench the OX. I feel this is his last year. He should spend less time goofing around and taking selfies and start focusing on going back to the basics. Certainly not the smartest bloke
Comment: I’d have preferred a Xak and Coq midfield combination like Vieira and Gilberto of yester-years. Then Elneny should be given more playing time. AS7 should go back to the wing to avoid being in the wind. Thumps up to Ospina!!!
Is Arsene’s approach to coaching football, just to let players know what position they’ll be playing in and hope for the best or that they’ll somehow realize their potential? That probably isn’t the case but it bloody well seems like it. Sure we had the invincibles but I can’t help but wonder if it was just because that group of players were just so good that they managed to make the best out of it. Don’t get me wrong, I think we have a very capable and talented group right here but I truly believe that under the tutelage of… Read more »
That’s exactly how Arsene coaches, see interviews from nearly any player after they’ve left Arsenal.
Time to get rid of the riff raff. I am hoping our next manager is Simeone so at least we will have someone ruthless enough to see the overpaid underachievers for what they are.. Ox, Walcott, Ramsey Gibbs Chambers.
So you you would leave us with not enough homegrown players in our squad to be able to field a team?
Bellerin, Gnabry, Iwobi, Reine Adelaide, Zelalem… all home grown.
The first step would be to be more demanding – shape up or get lost.
The second step is the bench
The final step is moving them on
Really happy for Ospina, he is a quality keeper and had one rough play last year that cost us a game so glad Wenger showed faith in him and he had a great match. Sanchez worked hard, but as a forward ventures too far from the top to pick the ball up sometimes leaving us unblanaced, would like to have seen Perez and his movement come in instead of Giroud so we can see how he plays with Alexis on the left and Iwobi on the right. I’d like to see those three up top vs Hull this weekend. Carzola… Read more »