In a somewhat strange encounter in Lisbon, Arsenal drew 2-2 with Sporting CP to set up an interesting second leg in London next week.
William Saliba headed the Gunners ahead, but poor goalkeeping/defending saw the home side equalise, and they went ahead in the second period, before an own goal drew Mikel Arteta’s side level.
Here’s how the players rated this evening.
Read the Sporting CP 2-2 Arsenal report and see the goals here
Sporting CP 2-2 Arsenal – Player Ratings
The ratings are 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 Aaron Ramsdale. Also, please give the ratings a few seconds to load.
I would like to get people’s opinion on this: I do think Saka needs a rest at some.point? Went to the WC, came back and featured in all our games plus the both F.A cup games. Most of them for 90 minutes.
Today, I felt Nelson could have done 90 minutes considering he has been “resting” for a while now. It worries me that when we need Saka most he would be too exhausted. Just feels like he is being overused.
Saka is going to have to play almost every game if he’s going to be out best player and doesn’t seem like an injury prone player.
Yea it’s unpopular thinking but all the top top players have to withstand this amount of football. Think he’s doing alright!!
I also trust Mikel 100% on these matters, COYG!!!!!!!
He was certainly not ‘doing alright last night mate! It’s simple bio-kinetics – the lad needs a rest, albeit a brief one.
He played well and had some moments that could have been decisive.
I agree he should have been subbed, perhaps when Reiss came off. But I rate him in that top top talent pool where you have to play alot of football to get the kind of figures Mikel thinks he can get..
Well, he’ll have to get his rest in the interlull it seems, or hopefully we can pick form and start scoring putting teams away early, and he can have more minutes off. Arteta has always said they have to be ready to play every 3 days, won’t be any different when we have champs league next season.
He deserves a break and would have got it today if not for injuries to Nketiah and Trossard. ESR is also just coming back and is probably not ready for starts yet. Hope Saka can pull it through next two and half months or so.
Maybe ‘deserves’ is the wrong word. The guy wants to play every single game for the rest of the season. In his eyes, he ‘deserves’ to play every game possible!
But Nelson could have finished that match and have Saka rest.
You’re right, but Mikel has always said a star player should be able to cope with the workload in a season, citing the phenomenal achievements of Ronaldo and Messi. These guys have been doing it seasons on end and they are still doing it. Saka will survive.
If you look properly towards the end of the match, he was very knackered and just managed to see the game end. Saka needs to be rested and preserved for the important task of winning the league after such a long time.
Salah does it week in week out with Liverpool. I think he is young and we need to rest him. I Pray we take our chances well and substitute him early at Fulham
No argument from me about the achievements of Messi and Ronaldo but the physicality, pace and intensity of the Premier league dwarfs that of La Liga.
Nelson is coming back from an injury,
so still best to carefully ease him back.
That’s not to say that Saka doesn’t need a break.
I just hope Southgate feels the same 😂
Not at all. Professional player, play twice per week, as Arteta says. Not a problem. Look back at the ‘old’ days with just ONE sub every game. In horrific heavy mud!!!
It’s facile to compare previous generations to modern players, they run over 20% further per game but more importantly do 50% more high intensity runs than previous generations. Comparing individuals stamina and recovery in football is also erroneous. Messi and Ronaldo cited are very different in the way they play, with Messi making much more measured movements whilst Ronaldo is an absolute physical specimen who is more of an anomaly. In cycling or running for example only those born with the necessary genetic advantages will rise to the top. It’s well documented in cycling that those who can win a… Read more »
or look at the teams that go further into competitions and teams who don’t compete in Europe.
this is a selection of the players who have played most minutes for their clubs so far
B. Fernandes @ 3.593
Rodri @ 3.040′
Gabriel M @ 2.942 Arsenal Saka @
Salah @ 3143
Pascal Groß @ 2.402′ Brighton
andreas Pereira @ 2480 Fulham
All set up for a last minute winner and we BLEW IT
We bottled it this is the beginning of the end no doubt… hahaha
Thought the Polish lad had a rough first game. Sloppy passing and looked like he winced away from making an attempt at a header for the first goal. Maybe a call from the keep and if so, more understandable, if not, horrible.
All round a pretty poor performance, but the boys should do the business back in London.
Disagree
Yeah, Kiwior should have contested that header for their equalizer instead he winced like you rightly observed. He will learn.
What, he should have just slotted in like he’d never been away when this was his first, first team game? And not an easy fixture at that. Give him a break, he did well.
Bollocks – he’s an international defender! What part of mark your man and jump for a header in your box, is rocket science? He actively ‘cringed’ away from the contest… not a great start in red and white!
I suspect he heard a call from Turner (or even a sneaky opponent) to leave it and anticipated the keeper climbing over his back to claim the cross (so he was bracing himself rather than wincing and Matt Turner is a big unit) He’ll need more games to get used to his teammates
Didn’t see it, but read Turner gave him a shout as he was going up for the header. Then he ducked. Like I said, didn’t see it but I want to believe it! Although not sure what it would mean about Turner..
Totally agree
Definitely Turners mistake. His area and he had space and he could see everything. Kiwior wasnt helped by how Zinchenko plays LB. Something i imagine takes CBs time to get used to.
Definitely really bad from Turner whether he called to claim it or not. But even if he did, a defender still needs to stay between the attacker and GK and try to prevent them challenging directly. Kiwior made no effort to do that
Turner had a shocker. And it’s clear that, for all his playmaking excellence, even Tomi is a significantly more solid LB than Ziiiinch – he totally shut down the left flank when he came on.
Kiwior.
Watched the replay a few times – doesn’t look like Turner made any call. He just suddenly shrank away from contact? Weird.
Will give him a pass for first-match nerves – but the rest of the ‘defence’??? I’ve have seldom seen so many loose/lazy passes, lack of focus, skittish panic, wasteful use of the ball (at back and front!).
Bit of a shocker all round.
Indeed, time to get better though, fingers crossed he shows improvement if he has to play again.
“…..but the rest of the ‘defence’??? I’ve have seldom seen so many loose/lazy passes, lack of focus, skittish panic, wasteful use of the ball”
Someone’s got a short memory, that basically describes our defence between 2010 – 2018
Turner didn’t do a good job marshaling the defense, but something else to consider is that these players are not often deployed together, and it was kiwior’s first appearance for anyone who isn’t the u21s in over a month.
Smith Rowe will start in the second leg and will have a blinder. I can see it now
Not sure what to say about 40 million for Viera. It’s been a almost a season and we haven’t seen anything worth 40 million. Kiwior honestly looked lost so many times and needs to learn so much. Really a backup for Saka as he is definitely getting overused and tired in later stages of the games. Let’s get 3 points each for the next 2.
I also strugle a.bit with the productivity of Viera. This today was most probably his best game I’ve seen him play for us as he really fought wel, work hard and has won duels but he has not really produced anything (even though blogs says ‘he created chances’) or influenced our play in any significant way. The fact he has been deployed as an attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder and on the wings doesn’t really helps his case either. He obviously has Talent to justify the price tag but I honestly think MA is still to figure out how to fit… Read more »
MA is just trying to justify the 40 million by featuring him more often. Every time he is featured he is often losing him positions or the ball easily. He doesnt deserve a spot in this Arsenal team. And he doesnt give confidence to his mates. With ESL this boys has to warm the bench.
i don’t fully agree with your statement, but he did look extremely subpar phisically today. watching him fighting for the ball against coates was like watching a kid play with his dad. the same against other players, he was like a cute feather in a rough match. gotta ask what arteta was thinking as well when he put him against those folks, but i fabio learns something from this because he was nowhere near at the required level. i gave him a four.
Kiwior is tall
I come here to learn new things and am never disappointed
He does look imposing out there, but standing next to White on a corner looked to be about the same height (though could have been the camera angle).
He needs to Jump not duck
It was Turners mistake.
I suspect he got a call from Turner (or maybe even a sneaky opponent) to leave the cross and was anticipating the goalie climbing over his back to get the ball (or he just shat himself?)
Not when he’s shrinking away from the contest in his own box, he ain’t!
Jesus will be born again soon so I’m only feeling confident moving forward.
Really pleased Tomiyasu had a good cameo, which he needed after a poor game on Saturday. White looked dead on his feet. I was hoping for more rotation and cringed when Partey came on, surely we wrap him in cotton wool for the premier league. If we are to win the Europa we will need to play 6 more games and I would personally rotate far more as we don’t want to be thinking “what if” at the end of the season if we lose a key player for crucial Premier league games because he picked up an injury in… Read more »
I haven’t read the post but I agree with everything in it because of the magnificence of the user name
What? Paris very good – nice city but I wouldn’t go that far… lol
Significant difference on the left flank once Tomi came on – Ziiiiinch is great going forward but really not great in defence. Tomi totally shut that side down, calmly and instantly.
Understand but a player can get injured anytime even in training. Surely MA8 and his team know which players are entering the red zone?
Tomi fully redeemed himself and looks himself again after a couple of rusty games.
I thought both Tomiyasu and Partey made a big difference when they came on. Zinchenko had some of his usual brilliant moments–but seemed much less influential than usual. It felt safer with Tomiyasu–and it surely would have been a fine game for Tierney to start. Jorginho has shown he is fine replacing Partey when the rest of the first eleven are there–but without Gabriel and Odegaard (and with Zinchenko slightly off key), he provided much less security than Partey does.
Zinny off key is down to the players around him…everyone was slightly off key. Zinny doesnt have that understanding yet with Nelson, he’s used to Martinelli in that wide position, also the midfield and defense was different he’s never played a real game with Kiwior so that’s another chemistry that needs to be formed
I don’t totally agree with you. Zinny, in drifting to the middle adds number to our midfield, congest it and give us more advantage at the middle of the park but it leaves us: 1) open at the left side of defence 2) Isolate the left attacking winger (Nelli). I wish Zinny doesn’t start against City and Liverpool away to give us a balance at the back OR, we play 3-4-2-1 Where we will play Big Gab (Left center back), Holding (at the heart of the defense), Saliba (Right center back). Zinny (left wing back), Saka (Right wing back), Partey… Read more »
Called up the game a few minutes into the second. Thought Nelson looked very composed and did some good things.
Viera didn’t do a single thing a striker should do when he was moved up front. Yes, he was lost. Before that he looked good, but a bit slow at times.
Ben did look off it. Sick maybe?
Sort of entertaining game, but most actions were a bit off and passes were misplaced.
Nice to have a game where Var wasn’t involved
Burn the house down Sunday.
Vieira, the falsest 9 ever.
No one is talking about Martinelli one on one what a chance that was. Agreed he created the opportunity by himself but he should have taken it when the keeper was rushing out, shooting would have allowed him to score instead of dribble. Gabi can really over play some times hope he gets this out of his game cause it can be frustrating sometimes
It would’ve been a breathtaking goal, can’t fault him too much. I thought his dinked effort from the left was more frustrating. It was a good effort and took a great save to stop, but Vieira was there for a tap in 5 yds away.
I might sound harsh on Gabi on this occasion but after he past the last sporting player he had the time to pick his spot and shoot he was only interested in making the goal a worldie by trying to dribble.
That said he will develop that number 9 instinct with time
No, I was frustrated by it as well. It would’ve been a beautiful moment for him and the team. And I agree he can play with his head down too much. But that was a bit of magic, can’t be too mad he couldn’t finish.
Agree on both points. Gabri is very good right now and thereis a lot of upside as he gets more experience. It is a process.
Exactly – too often, he gets a red mist in front of goal. Better thinking and execution and we’d have had THREE more goals on the night… the gimme header, the square to Viera, the run-away one-on-one. All could – and should – have been finished off.
He got past about 8 men! I think he had no time to shoot he was too busy getting out of dodge. Certainly a harsh analysis of that moment.
Nah – watch the replay: he looks up as he enters their box, but decides to take the keeper on rather than dinking it or putting his laces through it.
Hopefully just inexperience. More of a concern was the fluffed easy header and the (selfish) lack of a simple square pass for Viera to side-foot it in.
@Arsemann, I agree with you completely. Gabi does overdo stuffs sometimes.
I was shouting, “take the keeper on” because he had the pace. He did what I would have done but give credit to the keeper for the save.
I think he is only guilty of not shifting the ball wide while trying to beat the keeper. In my opinion, his decision was right but his execution was poor.
Everyone talking as though it was a bad miss, nobody could’ve anticipated the pace and timing of that tackle – one of the best pieces of defending I’ve seen at any level in 40yrs.
No a bad result for a changed team away from home but please put some time in
re learning how to defend corners.
Viera didn’t do anything glaringly wrong, but we sure do miss Odegaard (and Partey) when he is not in there as he has a drive about him that lifts the whole team.
Blogs, why don’t you just update the template to say “flick the switch at the top above THE KEEPER” instead of “Aaron Ramsdale”?
Good idea!
Nah, too generic! Whoever’s earnt the no1 Jersey deserves their name up every week.
The ratings are a bit too generous for me.
Viera is really not an EPL player and tonight he struggled against Europa league vompetition. He seems very weak and at 128 lbs (soaking wet) it’s understandable. Boy needs to really hit the buffet and gym. I personally don’t understand how he can be rated, at all.
come on man! He doesn’t weigh 128. That is 7th grade weight for a point guard.
Google is your friend. The best I could find was 132. And yes, that is seventh grade weight. I guess that was my point. I’m not a hater at all, but being the best on the pitch yesterday isn’t saying alot. I know MA rates him, but he also rated Willian. Do you believe there’s any club out there now looking at him for €40? €25?
Not the only thing that’s soaking wet round here. I thought he was one of our better attacking players
Sloppy. Disjointed. Wasteful. Casual. Skittish. Impatient. Downvote as you wish, lads – I’ve been saying this for a while now. Granted, it is not a sizeable problem, but it is a growing one. Some plucky – and arguably fortunate – results have papered over our profligate use of the ball and squandering of really good chances. And Blog’s overly generous ratings simply add to the complacency. Let’s face it – it is NOT good enough, looking at where this team can go (and is already going). We must begin to hold ourselves to a higher standard – Citeh’s, Real’s, Bayern’s.… Read more »
“Blog’s overly generous ratings simply add to the complacency.”
Yep, I can see it now: the Arsenal players sitting down at London Colney checking out the Arseblog player ratings.
“Hey, yeah – we’re not as bad as some people say!! Let’s just go through the motions!”
Also you can definitely hear Turner shout “Nothing here, Nothing here”, then there’s another shout before the header but it’s hard to make out exactly what is said:
https://dubz.co/video/4ea8d6
It might be “away” but even if it is, it’s too late – and I do think Kiwior reacts to it.
Yep – there’s a clear shout, not sure if from Turner, but Kiwior’s bunched ready to leap and then suddenly stops. Fair enough.
Didn’t make my point very well so apologies Captain… I was referring to we/us as a fan base, in terms of becoming complacent and accepting more mediocre performances. That said, in Saka’s case – his quiet night was most certainly not on him. The kid’s allowed a blip, given the minutes he’s had to play and the physical battering he invariably has to endure. But – much as we love him, and given it was NOT his fault, his performance was – by the standards he’s set this season, not at 70% of perfect, I don’t believe. Likewise Willy at… Read more »
I really don’t think complacent fans are much of a problem.
I don’t see any reason for the down votes because The point is clear. I am one fan that supports the encouragement and tapping the back when we play poorly and win. Of course we should encourage them but be bold enough to say their mistakes and places they need to improve. I remember someone calling for our bad defending of set plays some weeks ago and till now it’s still not addressed because we clap and overlook it. It’s the last lap, let’s do what champions do (addressing their mistakes). We need to work on 1) defending set plays… Read more »
It probably just means our bench is not as strong as those of City, Liverpool, Man Utd, and Chelsea but we’ve known this since the start of the season and have gone some way towards addressing the issue with the additions of Jorginho and Trossard. I have to be honest here as I don’t give a flying fuck about UEFA’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy
They could have done more but done enough.
I would like to thank the ref for this game for reminding us that you can be a bad ref from anywhere in the world, not just greater Manchester
Your comments on Xhaka’s rating are just bollocks!