Arsenal are through to the semi-final of the Europa League after a 1-0 win over Napoli gave us a 3-0 aggregate win over the Italians. Alexandre Lacazette’s first half free kick brought about the all-important away goal, which left the home side with a mountain to climb that even the crazy bloke who free-climbed El Capitan couldn’t have managed.
The downside was an injury to Aaron Ramsey who looked to have pulled his hamstring but all in all a good night’s work.
Read the Napoli 0-1 Arsenal match report and see the goals here
Here’s how the players rated this evening.
Ratings
The ratings are now hidden by default until you vote, but if you just want to view the ratings and the comments, flick the switch at the top above Petr Cech. Also, give the ratings a few seconds to load.
The semifinals will bring us a tasty matchup with Valencia and a tasty bag of jamon ruffles!
Return of the Coq should be fun
Or rather a tasty return for the Coq
A clash of a Coq anda Mkhi.
And Gabriel.
And Gabriel Paulista
10/10 for Sokratis trying to convince Koulibaly to hand in a transfer letter to force through a move to Arsenal in the summer.
I thought the same!
We gotta buy him – he’s a machine!
And his release clause is a mere 150 million euros.
Away victory, away clean sheet, I think it is the first this season? Yeay, away jinx stops in Naples! Now let’s do the domestic away games!!!
There was Monday after all.
AMN looks like veira with those long strides and impressive strength. Exciting
Mhmm but looked like Andres Santos the way those Napoli players were dancing past him on the left :/
I kept thinking that he looked like he was trying to avoid getting carded? Either that or his positioning was shit, I’m not sure which it was.
Not sure about Miki. I noticed on Monday against Watford he seems to back off 50/50s and even balls that are in his favour. He did the same tonight
I mentioned on the match report comments that I couldn’t really remember a single positive moment from him this season, just mainly aggressive misses from good positions (not to mention even more aggressive misses from not-so-great positions). Maybe cash in this summer and use the money to reinvest in the defense? Let ESR take his substitute appearances (and starts, for all I care. He’s been great whenever he played this season.) Or, let Reiss Nelson take over his starting spot on the right.
Agreed – not sure where you found the 7 for Miki Blogs? He ran a lot but that’s it – gave the ball away 7 times!! And seemed to drift infield constantly leaving AMN on his own, hence his low tackle count when Nap were pressing 2nd half.
Yeah past 2 games Mhkis final 3rd contribution has been woeful.
I was left wondering how Armenia can look at him as their greatest athlete ever with his current form.
This is even more true for Iwobi. He has so little ambition to win a ball atm, like he doesn’t care all that much
100% – see my comments below. At what point does ‘up and coming talent’ need to deliver… another 4 seasons wait?!!!
Missitaryan. Not been overly impressed with him to be honest. I wouldn’t be that sad to see him go.
I know people will downvote this and it was a thoroughly professional European job done by Arsenal. But at the same time, I can’t help but notice that some of our players just don’t know how to tackle and win the ball. Pointing fingers specifically at Mkhitariyan and Iwobi. Almost everytime Mkhitariyan just chickened out of a challenge or going for a 50:50 clash. Iwobi always gets into good positions where we are like 1 on 1 or 2 on 1 but he always makes the wrong decisions. He runs after the players but hardly puts in a firm tackle… Read more »
Spot on mate – I’ve ground the Iwobi axe on this forum many times but we always seem to justify his inclusion with ‘Academy’, ‘youngster’ and ‘talent going forward’ or (as Blogs puts it tonight) ‘good out-ball down the left’. Its high time we looked at the facts: – he is no longer a ‘youngster’ – at 23, he’s almost FOUR years older than Guendouzi, for eg – and is he really that much more value to the team? Certainly not ito commitment and work rate; – ‘talent’ – I’ve always agreed he has undoubted ability… but talent is without… Read more »
Iwobi will learn that with games.
Mhki looks like he is past it tbh.
Mate – he has had 123 appearances for Arsenal, playing over 7000 minutes! How much time should we give him? In that ‘time’ – he’s scored just 13 goals and has 17 assists… TOTAL! His shots per game is 1.3 but most disappointing is his aerials – less than 10% won. And his supposed ‘strength’ is his size and ability to hold up play?? His return this season is an average of 0.1 goals per game in club competitions. Last season his average was 0.06 goals per game, he scored 3 goals in 52 club matches. And here’s the thing… Read more »
no cazorla return but hello coquelin and gabriel!! and of course coquelin would score in an arsenal match for the first time of his life……
Yeah own goal
I always thought that Francis would get one for us before he left, and I pictured it as like Flamini’s volley against Spurs. Not a great player, but played hard, did his best, and has made a good career. I’m sure he will get a fine reception when he comes back.
10 for all the players and coaches you us fans proud
10/10 to the boss for the team selection. we were never on the back peddle and the substitutions were spot on
on a side not, just saw that we’ve kept 6 clean sheets in our last 7 games? what have they done with our Arsenal?
Please don’t jinx it. Please don’t jinx it.
Kos the Boss.
I don’t know what will we do when he decides to leave at the end of next season.
Just give Sokratis 10 minutes alone with him in the Rosicky contract signing dungeon. The extension will get signed!
Keep the flags high so he won’t! So many people were stating hes too old and shit, after a rusty start after nearly 17 decades out of injuries. bullox! i love this man! prime example of a defender!
Cry and the buy Koulibaly?
Throw in Mustafi for good measure. Even if they insist otherwise.
Kill two birds with one stone.
Hopefully he’ll have already been replaced with an able deputy who can take over the mantle after some proper planning and decisive action from Arsenal in the market
lololololololol jk
Amen – the captain fantastic who many here were writing off as a ‘crock’ and a ‘spent force’ just a few months back… shame on ye of little faith!!!!
I can’t understand how Iwobi can play for Arsenal. He looks totally lost when he is one on one, loses posession and/or momentum when he has the ball and contribute too little in the goal/assist department for a player in his position. Would like to see him get those things in order because i like the guy, otherwise would an upgrade be welcome
I also wonder what his best position is. Once we get a proper winger, he’s probably not going to play there a lot. Can see him develop into a decent attacking midfielder, but I agree, atm he’s not contributing enough
And yet 36 people on this forum think your comment is inaccurate??? Obviously those with blind faith who feel the tag ‘Academy youth’ masks any and all ills. Facts – he is a decent bloke but LACKS COMMITMENT to the team (apart from his off-field indiscretions). His completion rate (either a goal, an assist, or even just a dangerous cross) is pitifully low relative to the amount of ball he gets on the ‘out-ball’ from our defenders and mids. And I will say it again: his defensive stats are the worst in the entire PL. Nice fella – but sadly,… Read more »
I love how all the Iwobi haters probably wanted us to extend Wilshere at 26. Iwobi has been one of our best players this season, no player has had better chemistry with Kolasinac this season.
Most of our created chances from the wide areas come from the left. He’s also a perfect sub when we’re under pressure and need an out ball.
Mate – you have no idea of my views on Wilshere so best keep the sweeping inaccuracies off this forum. ‘Probably’ and ‘most’ – perhaps actually looking at real match stats might prove illuminating… Sead is the real source of the LHS chances with twice as many as Alex… Laca, Auba, Ramsey all have more assists than him this season. All our other mids have more goals (including Ozil with far less game time). Even Kos has the same number of goals as Iwobi! Which then begs the question – if he’s not delivering going forward, perhaps he make up… Read more »
“looks totally lost when he is one on one, loses posession and/or momentum when he has the ball” To me he’s one of the few players in the team that can actually beat a man, and his best attribute is keeping the ball under pressure. He regularly keeps hold of if when facing two or even three opposing players – his strength and control are pretty exceptional. His problem is his final ball around the box. Often he takes a touch too many and kills momentum, or looks up for the pass but makes the wrong decision. I’d say it’s… Read more »
He’s actually currently enjoying his worst rating of the past FOUR seasons on both WhoScored and Sqawka… and they look at actual stats mate, not the rosy-hued selective ones. I have never said the lad doesn’t have talent, or doesn’t have certain abilities – however no-one can argue that he simply does NOT deliver anywhere close to what he should… and to what the others vying for his position do. I repeat my point: Ramsey be given away as ‘surplus to requirements’ when we’re keeping one of the consistenty poorest performers? It does not – and will never – make… Read more »
I love it when the “ Obviously those with blind faith who feel the tag ‘Academy youth’ masks any and all ills.” guy is ALSO the “keep the sweeping inaccuracies off this forum” guy.
On Iwobi, though, I’m not closing the book on him just yet—he’s made big strides under Emery this year, and if that continues, he could be quite a player. The clock is def running down on him, IMO.
wise words -agreed,
As long as you are talking about actual stats, I’m sure you know that WhoScored has Mustafi as our highest-rated defender, a little above Koscielny.
I’ve always seen him as more of a midfielder than a winger. Yes, his best attribute is keeping the ball under pressure… which is more important in midfield than attack. His attacking stats are dismal, after all.
He possess neither the pace nor trickery of a typical winger to deliver the early, devastating ball, like Sane for instance. Or even Gnabry.
But if Emery could see Iwobi in the middle, where he’s tasked with keeping the ball and occasionally charging forward, without the pressure of scoring or assisting, he just might unleash the best of this boy.
Replace him with Fraser, simples.
Yay 2 more matches of Coq-themed punnery!
Let’s hope it’s not a limp affair
It’ll be hard to think of any.
Finally revenge for John Carew all those years ago
Papa holding Kulibaly by the neck and not letting him go until he nodded that he understood…
Papas do that. I do that to my kid too.
Sokratis is clearly a boss of a James Brown level
I was shitting myself, if he had wanted koulibaly could have related badly to that and papa would have seen red.
You can’t put your hands on people’s faces/necks.
That being said the amount of bastardry in this team now is frightening, #cojones
Reacted*
They said be careful what you wish for, you’ll regret it when Wenger leaves. Best points finish in the league for a decade is on and semi final of Europa League
Thankfully we didn’t hire David Moyes.
New era – new boss. Wenger’s way worked for a long time, but not forever. It happens to all managers… look at Mourinho. Special my arse.
We have a good one in Emery. The club did well to appoint him. With someone else’s squad and no budget we are odds on a return to Champion’s League football. COYG!
Am so impressed with Kos, the man was a rock at the back today.
Did not catch the first half so hard to rate for me but on basis of second half, overall a very discipline performance likely helped by us taking that away goal as well. Thought Koscielny was solid today. Did not think he may be risked on account of wear and tear but every appearance a bonus. Some important clearances by Le Boss and overall good solid marshalling. AMN still got beat a number of times too easily but for the most part he kept calm. Its both his asset and weakness. Kolasinac seem to have something going on with Koulibaly… Read more »
Very impressive, well done.
10/10 John Hartson – more please!
I support the call to let Ramsey go only due to his injuries. He will never play more than 35-40 games in a 60 game season. Thats no where good enough to win you titles.
It is if you have his replacement a 30 game a season world class replacement
[ ] … “when his hamstring went.” The decision not to give him a massive, long-term contract was justified. He never has and never will be able to stay fit.
We are going to win the europa league trophy
Arsenal defeated Man Utd Chelsea Tottenham Napoli who is Velencia
Arsenal ? ? ?