Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Everton wasn’t enough for Champions League football because of results elsewhere.
That was then compounded by a red card for Laurent Koscielny and an injury to Gabriel which leaves us very short defensively for next weekend’s FA Cup final.
Still, we finished with a win, and with 10 men for most of the game, so here’s how the players rated.
That’s a really precise rating for Özil ?
Plus for Welbeck is that he’s nowhere near as isolated in this system as Giroud is; but that said, that miss was almost as bad as Gervinho at Bradford (sorry for the bad memories!)
I understand why people would rather play Giroud than Welbeck and I find his finishing as infurirating as any fan but I think that would be a mistake. Look through all our games this season and you’ll find that most of good team performances came in games where we played Sanchez or Welbeck up front and had movement. Whenever Giroud plays we look static and lack inspiration. To make matter worse, Giroud has looked disinterested for most of the season. He doesn’t run, he doesn’t fight, he doesn’t bully the centre backs and his hold up play has been terribLe.… Read more »
Is that why Giroud probably has the best goal per minute played ratio ?
You have totally ignored what was written.
That may be because the facts he quoted don’t bear out the writer’s opinion?
If you just want to look at goals, cheap goals against tiring teams that don’t count at the end of games should be ignored.
This. I keep on saying this. If we needed a box to box midfielder, we have Ramsey. Secondly, a comparison between two strikers would mostly revolve around their end product, and Welbeck has quite a problem. He is basically an average player. I’d rather if we had bought Wanyama and sold Welbeck. He has never been prolific, not for us, not for Man United. If we feel Giroud belongs in a mid-table team, then Welbeck belongs in a bottom of the table team. In fact, Giroud has always shone on the highest level. In fact, I think Sanogo would have… Read more »
Wanyama is very very good. I hope we get a player who can wrestle him down next season. Even if he’s your fellow Kenyan.
The trouble is that your argument against a Giroud is not really one for Welbeck. Giroud is slower, less dynamic etc etc, but he does do the one thing that Welbeck seems pretty poor at, which is score goals. Beyond the “isn’t he a lovely lad” and “he tries so hard” and the inevitable “he’s coming back from injury” what we really have in Welbeck is a not quite good enough to be center forward/ not quite good enough to be winger type of player. Basically a taller Theo, except Theo scores goals. So we have 3 not quite good… Read more »
Genuine question, I’m not sure of the answer myself: how many goals has Giroud scored since we switched to three at the back? I agree Welbeck isn’t a great striker, but I think he is the right type of striker to play in front of Ozil and Alexis. Chiefly because playing Giroud invites teams to play a high line – because who’s running in behind? Giving opposition teams that freedom can determine the entire pattern of a game. Also from my lazy observations I agree with the first guy that we do seem to play better, more dynamic football when… Read more »
I am not arguing with your logic of a faster striker in this or any system. I do however think that that striker should be able to,score goals. Following your argument surely Theo is an even better option as he is both fast and can score. He isn’t good enough but surely that just highlights how poor Welbeck is?
I think the answer is to just install Sanchez up front and Iwobi in LW.
Or give Lucas a chance up front.
BUT WE BOTH KNOW THATS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN.
I would love to see that! Iwobi has looked sharp the last few times he’s come on. I hope he gets better at finishing, so he can become top top quality.
If I could, I could give you 10 thumbs ups. Welbeck is ‘not good enough’ for us.
Actually I’d say Welbeck is the anti Theo
Theo scores but doesn’t do much of anything else. Welbeck does everything else but scores.
Isn’t that a bit like having a wife who does everything except have sex with you? Useful to have around but ultimately what’s the point?
Wow! I could not think of better description of Welbeck.
I understand where you’re coming from but my argument is that Sanchez, Ozil and pretty much the rest of the team become more dangerous and productive when Welbeck is on the pitch. I don’t have the stats to back my point but maybe By the Numbers can take care of that.
If anyone can get these stats for when Welbeck starts and when giround starts I think I can prove my point.
Goals scored
Shots on goal
Chances created
Key passes
In the long run, perhaps after a good pre-season, Welbeck will make an excellent backup forward, occasional starter, and hopefully a scorer of goals.
But on form, you have to pick Giroud before him for the Cup Final. Because he scores goals.
Doesn’t score goals when it really matters and provides nothing else. Personally I’d start Alexis up front and bring Iwobi back in.
Amazing how posts here earlier in the season were lauding the injured Welbz as being the missing piece to make us tick but then focus on his poor finishing when he did come back.
We always seem to have rose spectacles for players not playing.
Perhaps our By the Numbers guy can tell us why other teams score from outside the box but we can’t. I know they’re higher risk but then so are tight passes inside a packed penalty area.
Lets go through this one by one. Firstly the “look through our performances part”: In the league matches, Welbeck started in the 3-1 loss to Liverpool. Played the full 90 in the 3-1 loss to West Brom. Started the 2-2 draw against City, 3-0 win against West Ham and the 3-0 loss to Palace. Started the wins against Utd, Southampton and Everton. So thats 8 starts, 3 losses, 1 draw and 4 wins. During the same stretch Giroud’s record in the league reads: 8 starts, 5 wins, 3 losses. On what grounds exactly does Welbeck appear to have been part… Read more »
Agreed about Giroud but I don’t think he looked disinterested his season, if anything he looked pissed and i think he worked/tried hard. It’s just his lack of pace and mobility really doesn’t suit our team and playing him makes us so unbalanced. He becomes isolated so easily and rarely gets any service as a result. Honestly if Sanchez is not available, I’d play Giroud and Welbeck with Ozil just behind them. Giroud alone would get marked by Chelsea’s back three and won’t be able to get any service. Either that or keep the front three as is and bring… Read more »
Im not sure which player it is you think is Giroud. But its obviously not him.
Funny that when we asked Giroud to move around then moving out of position which mean cannot socre 25 goals a season he was criticised, but it’s Welbeck, it’s ok, he can run around like a cut headed chicken, he is giving movement to the game, fair…. he is a striker and has score 4 goals in 19 games. Make your minds gooners, you want a striker that bang goals game after game but then feel sorry for a guy who misses sitters.
Wasn’t he just being unselfish by setting up Bellerin for a certain goal?
I’d really love to see Perez in that position with service from Ozil, Sanchez, Bellerin/Ox and even the Welsh Jesus if he’s to find his form again. Hell over the top from Xhaka too.
Agreed. I think once welbeck gets a preseason under his belt we might see a differently player. I love his movement and work rate, all he’s missing is the finishing – which is the hardest part, but it’s been proven over the years that every striker improves at arsenal. Not taking anything away from Welbeck, I still believe we need to sign a world class striker this summer, I can see Giroud leaving this summer to guarantee game time as there’s the World Cup next summer.
Francis Jeffers would certainly agree with you.
Danny Welbeck has never been able to score goals and he’s not going to change now. Oli is far better than a lot of people give him credit for and is a very valuable player for us, I’d rather keep him and sell Danny. Yaya Sanogo can bully defences and probably score more goals than Danny Welbeck anyway.
But the team game is much more sleek and swift with Welbeck. He also gets a lot more freedom than Ollie, because he’s quicker and can play the spaces. Welbeck also gets a better run from referees than Giroud. Look at how many “fouls” are given against Giroud for elbows and /or holding down.
Definitely haven’t seen Welbeck do enough to start over Giroud in the cup final. Headed goal against United aside, he’s been completely innocuous in most games and has at least 2 fresh air shots in front of open goals (I think the other one was against City at Wembley just before Alexis scored). I know that this system isolates the forward, and that Giroud has had his own struggles, but at least Giroud can finish. Also, with Ramsey back in form, he’ll be the perfect runner for a one touch Giroud layoff in the box that we know he likes… Read more »
A one-touch Giroud layoff? Where can I see one.
YouTube best arsenal goals of 2013-14
Or you can watch a compilation of Giroud’s goals for the Club and you’ll find a lot are headers and one touch finishes. There’s a particular goal which he scored against West Ham by taking the ball down sweetly with his left and swinging it in with his chocolate leg, nutmegging the keeper. All while he basically had Andy Carroll and at least one other West Ham defender hanging off his perfectly sculpted, toned and maintained posterior.
Neither. Start Walcott instead. He always scores against Chelsea!
I’m glad someone else has picked up on the airshots.. he should be villified really because if not for someone tapping them in we’d be calling for him to be dropped. He also swung and missed at the ball vs spurs in 15/16 I think and chamberlain smashed it in behind him.. ridiculous. How can we have a CF who now on 3 occasions has totally missed the ball from 6 yards out? It’s the sort of thing I’d expect to see from a Fan if they got the chance to play. Let alone Arsenal football clubs centre forward, who… Read more »
Anyone else feel really happy for Per finally making an appearance this season? His reception was quality and it was great the first time he touched the ball and everybody cheered!
FUCK OFF KROENKE
GET OUT OF OUR CLUB
Stan, Josh, Ivan….. who is the “Fourth Down-Voter”? Sir Chips?
Something we can all agree on
Bellerin’s gonna turn into a bit of a superstar at right wing back isn’t he? 🙂
Once he learns to cross!! Been taking lessons off Walcott.
Hopefully for us!
What does Ozil have to do to earn that extra 1/8th, Blogs?
I so much love that Ramsey goal
I didnt see it live. Had given up 15 minutes into 2nd half after Liverpool scored thier 3rd.. went to bed. It was 1:20am after all. But in highlights this morning, wow. What a peach of a strike.
I noticed he didnt take a look at all, from the moment he was preparing to receive right through to actually watching the ball leave his foot, he didnt look at the goal once. Aware 100% the spot on the field he was and where to put that ball. Loved it. Great way to finish the last home game of the season.
Only about 45 shots off-target practicing for that one.
Doesn’t Welbeck get an assist for Bellerins goal too? He purposely mis kicked it to Hector in my opinion
Ironically, he does; but your opinion is mistaken, I think 🙂
What’s happened to Mustafi?
As I said before, some people have their ‘favorites’ and ignore faults. 1) KOscielny – He has been in general fantastic but he has made errors too which are conveniently ignored. Not that I thought the tackle warranted anything more than a harsh yellow as it was early on in the game and he was hardly the last man but he ought to have known better. That said, the media are up to their usual nonsense again. They now say we have a defensive crisis without Koscielny. Mustafi has been excellent in his first season with us (remember Koscielny’s error… Read more »
I believe the Club held the record for most FA Cup final wins until United won it last year and drew level. It lasted a year but whatever 😀
Why the dislikes, Arsenal and United have 12 each. Last season United won it to bring them level. Before that Arsenal 12 and United 11?
Seriously dude, be more concise with your words.
Welbeck, not a bad footballer but a very useless striker.
He reminds me of how underwhelmed I was when the rumors started becoming strong on that fateful transfer window that we were in for him .
And why we still need a striker despite the fact we overpaid united for his services.
*insert the usual crap used to defend average British players in his defence here . runs a lot . Runs all day ,never hides, there’s a talent in there, the team does well when he’s playing and something about a bloody engine.*
Completely feel the same. To me he’s just a British Sanogo.
Him & Iwobi are the two players I think that aren’t good enough for us. They look exciting, run & dribble around everywhere, etc, but when you look closer they offer nothing to the team. Sadly.
I’m ok if we’re playing them here & there as subs to put bodies & fresh legs in, but even then I would rather play players that actually good at their jobs/positions.
(I’m maybe bias, because as a long time gooners, I grew to hate everything that ever came from Man United)
The cl ko could be a blessing in disguise. Can any right thinking fan
seriously think they win the cl?I doubt it. Mathematically not impossible
but its mission not possible. The gap between Arsenal and top cl sides have widened.Arsenal could suffer early elimination and the pain would be more tolerable.
The 2 hammering by BM bear testimony to this. The blame shd be pointed at the fm and nobody else.
His philosophy has been proven to be a non winner and yet he shows no sig of change.At any other top club,he would have been sacked long ago.
Yeah, it’ll be a real “blessing in disguise” when our best players push for a move to a CL club this summer…
In saying that though, Chelseas players didnt exactly push for a move when they didnt qualify for the CL. What they got was a board who made assurances things would be different, bought in a manager who had a track record of success and spent a few $$$ on players to improve the squad. the players believed the club would turn it round. I like to think Arsenals players can be given the assurances they need to stay… I dont think they necessarily need a new manager but they will want to see evidence the club will be bringing in… Read more »
Team for the final for me. Cech – back to the keeper we wanted when we sighted him Holding – silly mistake today but since coming in he has made way less mistakes than anyone would expect from a u21on his debut season especially considering he came from Bolton not a famed academy side looks like the real deal and I would have him first on the team sheet over are other defenders including koscielney who has been acting like a erratic u21 recently Gabriel – has looked a lot more comfortable since the switch to the back 3 and… Read more »
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance put up by the boys today. Being down to 10 men after only 15 minutes against a very good (and not on holiday yet) Everton side, we not only do well and won convincingly but with a few missed chances to spare. What does the media say about that? NOTHING!! Instead they turn on the fact we didnt make it to the top four, the red card to Kos (which was absolutely stupid and unnecessary), the injuries, the contract, the manager. Fuckthem for all I care!! As fans, please do not be influenced by these… Read more »
Remember everybody criticizing Sanchez for being angry about the draw with Bournemouth? Well, there you have
Apart from the goal, Ramsey had a really shit game in my opinion. Also, it seems like the players like Özil, Iwobi and Welbeck aren’t trained to shoot. And Ramsey is the opposite, he can’t pass!
I genuinely do not understand this. I think the reasonable opinion of someone watching this match would range (because even reasonable opinions can have a range) between “Ramsey was pretty good” and “Ramsey was superb.”
Also, please remember that we played most of the match with 10 men, essentially a 4-2-3. That meant that both Wellbeck and Ramsey had to make sure they were always in position to get back in cover.
Pretty sure Welbeck had 2 assists?
His miss for Bellerin’s goal was technically a backheel, albeit terrible 😛
And his assist for Sanchez…
Could it just be that none of our current strikers do that well playing as a lone striker? Personally I would love to see 2 upfront again and I think Welbeck would score more goals if that was the case. However, I don’t expect the formation to change for 2 up top
Only one option for Giroud.
Leave.
He will never get the service his game depends on.
He has been pigeonholed as a ‘super sub’, he is better than that.
He has some great abilities which are not suited for Mr Wenger’s Arsenal.
So leave, Mr Giroud.
Find a club where they will appreciate, play to your skills.
Can we recall chambers from middlesborough?
Can we recall chambers
6.5 for Welbeck, that’s just a joke, even a 12 years old boy could have given that assist, he is doing f*** all since his return and for less than that Giroud is being criticised to death.
I would like to see some stats on how many goals the team scores with Welbz vs Giroud on the pitch. It feels like its more when Welbz is on the pitch but I dont have any stats.