Arsenal topped their Europa League group in spite of a 1-0 defeat to Cologne at the RheinEnergieStadion tonight.
A second half penalty from Sehrou Guirassy gave the home side the victory, but the draw in the other game between Red Star Belgrade and BATE Borisov meant the Gunners won the group.
Here’s how the players rated.
You do know penalties are generally pretty hard to save, right?..
I reckon if Cech or Ospina stood still on the line they would save a couple of them
But if they stood still, you’d say why do they stay and do nothing. The endless river…
No river is endless my friend.
All rivers flows are endless….
No…..
Tech never dives the right way, so why not try standing in the middle, or bring Seaman in to train him.
I don’t usually agree with anyone from Runcorn because you’re all inbred, but I’ll give you a thumbs up for that 😀
Penalty takers will soon cotton on and just put them in the corner
Its difficult for GK. If they stand in the centre and shot is to the sides, they cant save it either. Anw Ospina penalty saving record is much better than Cech. At least he has saved a few already for club and country
Not forgetting the countless errors he has made
He was, in fact, brilliant on penalties for Chile against Argentina in the Copa America final. (Well, a lot of players missed or made it easy; no keeper can save a well-taken penalty.)
Ospina is columbian
Has anyone noticed that Cech always dives to his right, and the strikers always put it to his left.
And you know whats going to happen don’t you. The one time he dives to his left, the striker will put it to his right…
Yes, but Cech’s record is rather appalling. Would have been great to see Ospina save it to show that at least one of our keepers can. I’m an amateur GK and have a 100% save record on Pk’s this season, so they are stoppable. Ok, so I have only faced the one pk this season – but it’s still a save.
Both are rather quite good in open play…how many incredible saves has Cech made this season itself…the question is why do we concede so many of them(though this one was a figment of the referee’s imagination)
You do know we were playing the worst team in the Bundesliga, right?
And lost.
We started with a midfield that included Elneny, Coq and Chambers – what creativity and pace was anyone expecting? It was like an AFC rehabilitation team with a couple of kids thrown in.
If AW was serious about the game, he’d at least have gone for two wingers. The remaining game will probably bring an even stranger format.
yeah, but when the draw was made a lot of people on here said how good they were, even though they were at the bottom of the league
Well done, Sherlock.
I would stand in the middle every time. Law of averages someone will eventually shoot there and you’ll save it
Wilshere needlessly gave the ball away dozens of times. He just isn’t up to Arsenal standard
Just like Sanchez does week in and week out.
and Sanchez with more end products and assists and less injury prone or imparted
Alright, things didn’t come off that well for Wilshere at times today(although for me, he was the only one trying out something.) but the thing is.. you just don’t say that about Jack Wilshere. Please.
Why, if Ramsey or Xhaka played that terrible everyone here would be saying they should never play for the club again.
I’d rather have Reiss playing and getting better vs. allowing Jack to take up a spot on the bench when he just isn’t good enough.
Wenger out this, F Rambo that, Ozil is a luxury…. BUT our #10 shirt gets an unlimited pass? COME ON!
Taxi’s on its way mate…
Except he was excellent in several other Europa games so far. So how do you square that with “he just isn’t good enough”? It’s almost as if you shouldn’t make absolute statements about a player’s quality based on one performance…
‘It’s almost as if you shouldn’t make absolute statements about a player’s quality based on one performance…’
Unless It’s after a brilliant Totts derby performance – then you can 100% say without amy doubt how brilliant some players are based on one performance?
“Why, if Ramsey or Xhaka played that terrible everyone here would be saying they should never play for the club again.”
No.. This is not facebook. Arseblog forum members have class. Unlike you.
But we do say that.
I’ll get your co
You’re bloody right though mate.
Wilshere is massively overrated. He’s only ever played well for England
Memory transplant needed
Granted, he’s not there right now but has shown early in his career that he was up to that standard, and some flashes this season. He got injured over and over in an Arsenal shirt so I’m happy to stand by him and give him a chance to get that top form back. Do we re-sign him? I have no idea. I think it depends on his performances going forward.
Really can’t see what others see in him. His only advantage is, he is homegrown. Had one good game against Barcelona. Can understand why he got little game time on loan last year. Definitely not Arsenal class!!!!
Played virtually the whole season for Bournemouth last season and was clearly their best player. Please get your facts right. Before his injuries he was an England regular and was Motm sevearal times for them. Had many great matches too for Arsenal. You have a selective memory.
No he wasnt one of there best players last year.he was playing att midfield had no goals no assists.how do you make him out to be there best player?
I agree he takes way to much out of the ball
The one plus was Maitland-Niles, that little turn over the defender who then got booked was delicious.
He looked very good , especially in the first half, but I couln’t tell if it was just that the Koln defender was so slow–Maitland-Niles just ran past him and turned him at will.
Meh.
My brother joked that Debuchy would score 2 goals for Koln today. Really wasn’t far from the truth. He turned over the ball to give koln their only real chance on goal and then made that needless challenge. Sure it was a dive, but he had coverage and was forcing the play wide. Anyone who knows footie will tell you, if you touch a player heading out of bounds in the penalty box they’re gunna go down. Debuchy’s decision making is sh*t. He goes down playing injured much too often for a defender and really can’t get forward, period. Has… Read more »
I always thought Debuchy was pretty good. Especially before Arnautovic pushed him into the hoardings.
Sounds like he had a mare tonight though
Thought Elneny ‘s deleivery and all-round game was especially poor this evening.
His corners were seriously bad, I don’t remember any beating the first man. When you have the likes of Giroud and Per in the box it’s such a waste.
I agree, was bordering on lazy at times. If that’s an audition to get back into the first 11..
Tell me about it! I was so frustrated whenever I saw him taking the dead ball delivery. He has the heart but not the skill, he just keeps making sideways passes and then you pair him with Coq, who is a terrible passer himself and then wonder why we don’t deliver breakthrough passes against a team that is sitting deep! In fact Koln moved the ball upstream faster than us during counter attacks! We didn’t have players who could run behind the defence and we didn’t have players who could deliver crosses and corners, so we were expecting individual brilliance… Read more »
I just want to see an Arsenal GK stay in center of the goal.. I think they would have more chance of saving a penalty that way! I dont know the stats, but it seems a fair % of penalties go down the middle vs Arsenal so why not play the odds….. at moment they are saving 0% cant do any worse!
If only Nelson had scored from his mazy run … it would all be different.
Watched whole game, we were actually okay, but couldn’t score.
Wilshere not the best headers, but almost scored from range at end.
Move on to Burnley and Chris Wood the Kiwi colossus, who tk God may have a dodgy hammie ..
Great run, great skill BUT why, oh why, don’t we force players to train until they are comfortable using both feet? If Nelson used his left foot he’d could have blasted it instead of right foot toe poke.
Get Santi in to show them all how to do it for their £20k-300k wages!
If anyone needs reminding how much of a gulf there is between our first and second team selection…those idiotic voices calling for Granit to be replaced by the likes of Jack. I like our reserve players and they have function in the first team but as a collective, this is a very different Arsenal squad from the last week so not all that surprising. We were not sharp enough in front of goal and did not take the chances created. On the plus side, several players had decent enough performances to warrant potential for first squad rotation needs. Chief amongst… Read more »
I think Jack is only as good as the striker he has ahead of him as any attacking midfielder would be in regards to assists. Now Giroid just isnt showing enough right now. Pundits keep praising his hold up play but i fail to see it. Nothing sticks, attacks are breaking down once he gets involved. Enough is enough. Yes crossed were poor but he has been poor, he’s not even producing off the bench anymore.
You can put anyone in front of Jack right now. He wouldn’t find him. His first touch is still a tackle…or a throw-in for the opposition.
Your obviously english
Best to have a duff penalty in a game that doesn’t matter.
Still, we lost and won the group with a game to spare.
Only question remains … how many fans are going to turn up for that last group game?
I love losing yet winning even so
I think a lot of the issues today stemmed from a lack of natural width from both fullbacks and wide attackers. If you haven’t got overlapping runners, preferably on the side that’s their strongest foot, then you’ll always find it difficult with a striker like Giroud (who needs the space that’s created for him). It also helps Jack. I think playing Nelson as the right forward would have seriously helped today.
What a good hearted squad we have that knows Cologne were due a bit of joy.
For like the first time ever I fell asleep and missed arsenal play, seems I was fortunate I didn’t miss much.
Looking at the team I’m not even slightly surprised though, lots of great players but other than giroud have any of them ever scored more than 5 in a season ?
Looking at the line up i see maybe 8 players that will probably leave or should leave this summer. Per is retiring, Jack wont get another contract, Giroud is probably regreting staying, Ospina likewise, Debuchy, Coquelin and Elneny aren’t good enough. I also have doubts about Chambers. The less i say about Walcott, even though he didn’t play, the better. Add Ozil and Alexis leaving on a free and we end up with the task of replacing a whole eleven between Janaury and next summer. Some youngsters can cover some positions which is better imho than hanging to the same… Read more »
These matches have become really boring to watch unfortunately. Not a lot of creativity on the field with Elneny, Coquelin, Giroud and Chambers among others.
Funnily enough, we may have to get used to this: last night was a taster of life post Sanchez and Ozil.
I don’t buy these “second string” stories. Only the defense was makeshift last night. There’s also not a lot of difference in quality between a Xhaka-Ramsey and a Coq-Elneny midfield.
We also know that Lacazette won’t be playing every match for us.
With Ozil and Sanchez unavailable, last night’s team was as best a team as we could put out.
You are totally wrong , the team against Koln had 11 freaking changes , Ozil and Sanchez are just 2 players , nothing more ! we were great without them against Chelsea , so don’t make unnecessary drama.
We didn’t win the game, but we won the group and rested players.
The young gun on the left will eventually give players in the center a run for the money … if he isn’t already.
Keep calm and carry on!
Second string is garbage. This is what’s on offer should any of the first team get injured.
I thought Le coq was much I proved in this game.. Just didn’t have much cohesion but also giroud needed better service.. But least we’re top ?
I’ve enjoyed these games but you know, with Ozil and Sanchez leaving and questions over Ramsey and possibly Welbeck, we have a lot of deadwood in the team. Sorry to say this but I’m thinking it’s less me being grumpy and more a hard truth.
I must have watched a different game. For me Coq’s performance yesterday was his best since Santi’s times.
It’s entirely natural to think that your coq is more impressive than others think it is.
Coquelin was the best player on the pitch. He accelerated the game, change of play, recuperated the ball. yes he lost the ball on a couple of occasions but not with than anyone else on the night. With a bit of confidence and gas time I’ll play him from of Ramsey.
wilshire is absolute beans
take a bag of bibs and cones in jan for him
Coq’s numbers suggest he was quite all right, mostly defensively. He had Arsenals most tackles (three out of four, El Neny had one, same for Jack), two interceptions (only Mertesacker had five, no other midfielder had even one) and also won an aerial duel. Offensively, he had 98 passes (second only to Holding, same as El Neny), of which an immense 69 forward and 39 in the final third! Despite playing mostly forward and into the final third he had an pass succes rate of 92%. Yes, his dribbling looked awful but I don’t think he deserves that much worse… Read more »
I think Elneny was poor and Iwobi disappointing when he came on. Shame I like him but he really needs to push on