Yes, it’s only a friendly but it’s good to win at Wembley and always good to beat Chelsea.
Arsenal triumphed after a penalty shoot out – read the report and watch the goals here – and everyone was happy.
Here’s how the players rated today.
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Sunday, December 22, 2024
I know Walcott didn’t do too much but…
Oops 😉
He should at least be docked a point for that awful new hairstyle.
No Theo? Great penalty from him.
Great win and great performance!
I have been a bit concern about Bellerin’s performances though. He has been really poor since the start of 2017. At the moment surely Ox starts ahead of him!
It’s like Wenger is thinking of starting both
everyone is saying ox today was today his old self but no obe mentions he played lwb position that it is last on his lost he i not even a good LW let alone lwb he was great vs sevilla as rwb and that is his postion and will contribute very well, as hecot is really rusty ox is ahead of him but wenger tried ox as lwb to have him as an option.
well Ox can be played ahead of him on the field. We would just have to drop someone else in that position sch as Welbeck.
Totally agree. Bit of a harsh rating for Ox given he’s on the wrong flank.
I’d like Nacho at left CD and Kol as LWB, really solid and powerful left side.
Ox as RWB for me, offering so much more than Bellerin at the moment. Let Hector win his place back.
Ox plays consistently well as a right wing back. I know Wenger is trying to fit both him and Bellerin but I dont think it is helping OX or the team.
Guess you missed the cup final then
Good penalty Theo…Hands up who went ..”oh no it’s Theo” ✋
I was at the game and thought – “Well done for putting your hand up to go first.”.
He’s a senior squad player now – time to start acting like one. Good on him.
Now?
I’d usually say a senior squad player is wrong side of 25 and he was 28 this year.
Theo for me is our third best penalty taker behind Cazorla and Giroud. Always feel confident when he steps up. Lacazette is presumably right there with them based on his Leqgue 1 penalty stats.
Lacazette missed two last season.
Can’t say I’m a fan of his penalty style, his style is the same as Ozil’s
Well it seems we’ve found something Theo can actually do
Cech still hasn’t saved a penalty for us!!! Haha.
Great win today, Sead looks like Blanca from Street Fighter over on that left side. What a beast!
he can only save them if they are on target
He made two of them off target.
haha good point, what team would ever make their goalie go 2nd in a shootout?!?! He scores, he’s distracted. He misses and he’s distracted. Bad coaching.
Nothing to do with coaching, bad decision.
Conte says Coutois is one of their best penalty takers. Guess, Cech knowing him well made him flinch and miss.
My motm will be elneny, considering the fact that a gud number of folks here don’t rate him. Xhaka was awesome. The xhaka-elneny combo looked pretty good tbh, elneny looked more comfortable with the ball than Ramsey is. Kolasinac is a beast, wat a player, lacazatte will bang in a truck load of goals dis season.
I’m one of those who doesn’t rate him.
I doff my cap to for that performance though. Got given the box to Ramsey role and played extremely well. Credit where it’s due.
If he plays like that in a competetive game, I’m happy to eat a large slice of humble pie.
I don’t understand why we would sell him. At £5m he was a bargain. He’s improving, and is young enough to improve much more. He won’t expect an automatic starting berth and won’t moan if one is not granted, and to replace him would cost us s minimum of £20m in this market (ake cost Bournemouth £20m from Chelsea, I mean come on)
How can you not rate somebody and at the same time give credit for their performance?
It was a competitive game.
For me Ramsey isn’t the best CM option as I think technically he isn’t the best, he is a very good player, the timings on his runs, his engine and ability to attack the box make him a very good player. Just not an arsenal CM, were ball retention is key.
Elneny though, same engine as Ramsey, but technically better and he can tackle a bit, I’m excited to see the Basel boys in midfield and how they developed.
Really hope wenger doesn’t Lucas him and drop him after a good performance.
Ramsey has wonderful technique, the main problem he has and where Elneny excels is decision making. Ramsey is either 100% on it or in a domino disaster mode, Elneny just keeps it simple all the time and does that well. To be fair Elneny is a better partner for a more confident expressive Xhaka which we will see more of this season. Tough decisions for Arsene, the decision to pick the most decisive or most talented…
Ramsey is an inconsistant loose cannon..
He hasn’t exactly been on form pre season, Elneny however… At time dare i say it he reminds me of Gilberto, or closest thing we’ve had since
Was going to post the same thing but you beat me to it.. bugger.
But he gets results dammit!!
Where is theo?
Courtois looked like he was going for a goal kick. Top moment that one
That was a Big Fucking Gash.
Want to give Iwobi a shout out because, for all the talk of Mahrez and Lemar you wouldn’t have thought we had a player like this on our books. Rapid, strong, very gifted technically and more than an eye for a pass, he has all the right ingredients and it showed today. A performance up there with the 3-0 against Chelsea. Other than that, excellent all-round and looking strong going into the season.
Bonus ratings: 10/10 Walcott’s penalty, 0/10 Walcott’s haircut
Other than Kolasinac, I thought Iwobi was by far the best player on the pitch. Every time he got the ball we looked dangerous. Fantastic foot skills to get out of right situations. Once he learns how to finish, he is going to be a bad, bad man.
I love you, Arsenal. Bring on the new season!
I know THEO goes missing, but also from the ratings seem a tad harsh.
Excellent performance overall, bring on the season!
Hilarious that blogs forgot Walcott but I entirely understand, apparently he had no idea about the ABBA pens at the end of the game, classic ‘consistent’ Theo, always on the ball (if he can control it.) Never been a fan of the saying ‘denied by the post’, nobody is denied by an inanimate object, it hasn’t moved, and for it ‘not’ to effect the possible outcome of a players shot to goal, it would have to not be there? Then we’re in a world of hurt! That would be rugby? Just get it over that line? Or, we could bring… Read more »
I want wat u smoke gunnerzed
Also, I want Blatter’s phone number. Winner of the non sequitur of the year award.
Had a line then mate?
Wow
The mind boggles
That Courtois penalty just came through my upstairs window.
Im sick of these ‘yes it was just a friendly’, ‘this game does not matter’ etc comments. Really whats the fucking point of spoiling this great feeling of beating twats and raising the trophy? Blogs and James made their point numerous times before and after 2014 and 2015 games, also in the pre-build to today, can you please spare it this time Guys?
“Arsenal remain in talks with Monaco over winger Thomas Lemar, according to Sky sources.”
Can’t tell with Sky these days, might be true. Would be nice.
Xhaka was so good! I really hope he stays injury and suspension free this season.
He is just the best
Frustrated with Wenger that he never gave the ox a game in the centre during pre-season and community shield.
Welbeck does everything you want a forward to do except score. I hope he works on that aspect. He’ll be a helluva player. If wenger adds a really solid midfielder to this team and sanchez stays we’ll be capable of winning the league. A lot to enjoy about the performance 2day. Xhaka was great.
To all those who dismissed Xhaka as being overrated I hope they appreciate what a brilliant signing he has turne out to be. The potential was ther from his first match but once he learned to discipline himself he showed his true worth.
I’ve said it before: he has the potential to be Xabi Alonso.
From a big picture perspective, I think the boys are settling in with the 3-4-3 very nicely. Especially on the defensive side of things and Xhaka coming into his own. We have a glut of capable of centerbacks, and the introduction of Kolasinac couldn’t have gone better. He made the smart passes and had some booming runs. If Monreal-Koscielny-Mustafi is the ideal back 3 for Wenger (I have no idea. Just guessing here.), I think Kolasinac is primed to push The Ox and whoever else for that left mid spot if he keeps playing like that. You could tell his… Read more »
Roster?!
Never been the biggest Elneny fan, but boy was he good today. His movement has always been decent but it was his driving forward and attacking passes which surprised me. Didn’t think he had it in the locker. Keep doing that please.
Why not
He is still pretty young and can improve if given a run in the first team. Could challenge Ramsey if he keeps improving (though I still think we need a new CM as Ramsey is so injury prone and Coq isn’t up for the required level)
I’t’s how he plays for Egypt, either Arsene’s let him off the leash or he’s feeling more confident himself, either way it’s good to see.
Not that I don’t want us to sign exciting new players, but this game – especially the first half – made it hard for me to justify spending 50 million (or whatever) on a midfielder. Play some of our own. Everyone needs a little time to settle in, but it’s become more “sign someone new” if a player doesn’t do well for a few games. I’d much rather play Iwobi (he’s got drive, goes forward intelligently, sublime footwork and doesn’t lose his composure even under great pressure) and Elneny, and a few others. We have good players. We can’t buy… Read more »
Yeeeess! Always good to win at Wembley. Hope we win there at least 3 more times this season
On a different note. It was respectful moment from all fans to adhere to the minutes silence. Too many times I’ve heard it be flagrantly ignored but today everyone showed real spirit.
Our record at that lot’s temporary home is better than theirs will be…
MOTM Granit. Media prattling on about his “awful” clearance…probably he’s also going to be painted guilty as a red card liability unlike Chelsea players. But his range of passing and pinpoint accuracy is amazing to watch. Put that ball on the bull charging into the box they call Kolasinac. I thought elneny did well next to him…that’s high praise from me. Still think we need an upgrade in midfield in lieu of Elneny and that we should not be lulled into complacency with the win. BUT he puts in a shift and seems to have a good shot from distance… Read more »
He’s been dogged by injury but I don’t think anyone disagrees that Wilshere is quality on his day? I’d rather he stayed and was another good quality squad player who’s hungry whenever he comes on.
Bit harsh on Ox
You left out theo walcott…very harsh
Monreal has always been one of my favorite players. How many players can play wingback, outside center defender and the center defender of three and look so calm and assured doing so with no drop in level of play or consistency? I really hope Welbeck and Iwobi get their chances this year, but will be tough as Sanchez and Ozil play in front of them. Both bring such energy and workrate behind the striker and both are threats to attack straight ahead on the dribble which we haven’t always had. Xhaka and Elneny make a great partnership in the def… Read more »
Is Bellerin a bit over rated? His crossing has never been great and his defending is a bit suspect at.times. Isnt he the one that gave the ball away leading up to the goal?
I still rate him but id Ox would be my choice as a wingback.
I think we still need a ball stopping dm…i dont necessarily think we need Lemar unless.we.lose Sanchez.