It was tense, nervous, exciting, and I’ll admit I was touching cloth in injury time, but we held on for a big three points against West Brom. How did the players rate? Find out below.
Lukas Fabianski: 7/10 – A couple of indecisive moments early on, but had a solid game overall, and his handling was very assured.
Bacary Sagna: 6/10 – While his crossing was never brilliant, it’s like he’s got a gypsy curse on him these days (“your balls will forever be flat” – at least we think it’s to do with his crossing). Found Lukaku a handful too as West Brom pressed, but might have scored an excellent goal but for a good Foster save.
Per Mertesacker: 5/10 – Had a very good game up until the sending off. Nobody will ever forget Mertebacker, but the red card loses him some points, even if he had no choice but to make a tackle.
Laurent Koscielny: 7/10 – Strong, quick, good in the tackle, committed, thoroughly deserving of his place.
Nacho Monreal: 7/10 – To me it was his best game in an Arsenal shirt. He’s more involved now, and his reading of the game is excellent. Twice in the first half he got across to snuff out West Brom danger.
Mikel Arteta: 7/10 – My favourite bit was late in the second half when we finally got hold the ball, lost it straight away, and Arteta took a yellow card to stop them coming further forward. Experience counts.
Aaron Ramsey: 6/10 – Involved well in Rosicky’s second goal but will have nightmares about the miss late in the first half. I think the goals will come for him though.
Santi Cazorla: 6/10 – Had a quieter game than in recent weeks, never really found his passing range, but I think West Brom paid special attention to him.
Tomas Rosicky: 8/10 – That special attention made them forget about Rosicky who, let’s face it, hasn’t been a consistent goal threat. Again his workrate was fantastic, deserved his first brace of Premier League goals for the club and the man of the match award.
Gervinho: 7/10 – Created the opening goal, had a good attempt which Foster saved with his feet, and once again he’s contributed to a good result.
Olivier Giroud: 6/10 – Struggled, and needs to be reminded that when we’re 2-1 up with not long left in injury time, he’d be better advised to take the ball into the corner than try a glory shot.
Subs:
Thomas Vermaelen: 6/10 – Was prevented coming on, for some reason, but was a body in defence when we needed it.
Kieran Gibbs: 6/10 – Not sure quite why he was chasing the ball down so high up the pitch late on, but I remember one almighty hoof clear so he did something.
Francis Coquelin: : 6/10 – 100% pass completion (2 of 2), made 1 tackle, for an 90th minute sub, under those circumstances, that’ll do.
[…] report – By the numbers – Player ratings – […]
The Mertebacker. Brilliant commitment and, might I say, genius improvisation. Hilarious and fantastic all in one. Good stuff Per. (Pity about the red).
And I don’t want to pass up this chance to eulogise my one true love, Tomas Rosicky. What a fucking class act, burning with passion and drive. Love him.
As I said earlier. Rosicky knows something we all don’t. How he makes it so easy to love him I will never know! but deep down I know it’s the right thing to do.
I also confess my adoration for rozza!
Why don’t you eluogoise your love for him on your own comment rather than replying to a comment high up on the site that is unrelated to yours just to get more attention and a few more thumbs?
It looks like he left the first two comments anyway, and surely you’ve just done the same thing? (and so have I)
The irony of you being negative in a reply to a comment up high to get more attention is almost too much to bear.
What mate?, I know nothing of what you speak, just a humble reply that.
You should try being alittle less grumpy though…
i do think he should be right back in the starting 11 after the suspension though
I assume you don’t mean he should be playing at right back, but just back in his central defence position as soon as he’s available again?
Mert achieved the first and only successful back tackle I’ve ever seen.
Incredible.
COYG’s!
I like how this was an exact copy of the Sunderland game. Ramsey misses a great chance before halftime, there’s a second half sendoff and then we hang on.
Also, I love Tomas Rosicky.
No way this would’ve gone our way in the beginning of the season, don’t understand why the lads can’t have the same mentality into every game of the season, instead just now realising it
It shows just how much Arsenal are about playing as a unit. Going from Santi and Poldi getting in each other’s way in the first two games to this.
What has killed us in the last few seasons is that losing key players each year has forced reset on reset. By the time the new squad gels, we are too far behind.
Keep this lot, add a few, decent pre-season so we hit the ground running and see what we can do.
Playing only once a week helps a lot too…
I like your comment so much i said it twice.
Yeah, it hough that too but i Realize however that the teams produces a winning streak usually when they’re in only one competition and have only one target. Over the past seasons, we play like this when we’re trying to make it for top four…and by then we’d already have been knocked out from champions league and CC and FA cup. The squad need depth and hunger.
I still believe that Tomas id world class!
I thought Ramsey was a bit better than a 6, he seemed very positive. That miss aside.
Also is the overview an average of the individual ratings? It looks a bit off.
Keep calm mate this are just numbers, just blogs’ reflection of how he thought each player rated. You could give him a 8 and force it to stick you know, just back it up.
No I think Blogs’ ratings are pretty accurate. I just mean that in the overview the midfield gets a rating of 83% when no player gets above an 8/10 and so on. And also that I’d probably have given Ramsey a 7.
Jesus I’m boring, I think I’ll go hang myself.
A Team can be better than the sum of its parts etc etc…
Yeah agree with all the ratings except for Ramsey’s, he should have gotten a 7. Miss aside he was good.
The little Mozart…Oozed class and played his best game when it mattered most. Might be the most crucial 3 points for our fight to finish in the top 4. We could now get 3rd like last season, under the noses of Chelsea and Spuds.
That’s the type of midfield I want. Discipline enough to know their defensive duties but also astute when it’s time to attack. A midfield of ball chasers is what we have here. Rosicky, ramsey, jack, cazorla can all defend superbly (and just be around the place) and can at the same time switch to counter-attack mode just like that. Come on get the fuck in.
apart from Vermalen in, start with the same side for Norwich i reckon..i dont think we played that well to go 2 up but we’ve got a bit more steel and look likely to grind out results….early in the season we had to be in peak form to go 2 up against anyone!
While I agree with you, keep in mind we’ve got Everton following Tuesday, so we’ve got be mindful about not tiring out some of our key players who have been starting for the past several games, god knows we’ll need everyone to be on their toes against them.
Please atleast for once replace giroud with poldi.
TR7 a class of all did I just memtion class? No he’s a school of his owN good gam£ Rosicky
Monreal looks like a top class signing.Gibbs has his work cut out to get back in the team
I don’t understand the inconsistency of selection. Sagna has been poor all season and Jenkinson excellent, but Sagna gets straight back in every time. Gibbs has been excellent and Monreal has been OK, although a bit suspect defensively but keeps his place.
I love Bac, but agree he hasn’t seen his best form this season and surprised we haven’t seen more of Jenks. I think Sagna merits selection most of the time, but possibly it’s based slightly less on merit and more on trying to keep him at Arsenal, since there have been murmurings of his leaving. We need him for at least another season, and if he lost his spot in the pecking order I think he would be another high profile departure this summer. I think Jenkinson is the future in that position though, but needs another year to get… Read more »
It’s weekends like this that I love. Finishing the job early then just sit back and watch the two clubs choke on the top four spot. We add some kind of pressure prior to their games but sp*rs though like to help themselves out of the top 4 everytime by being shit. Chilled out is what I am.
Harsh ratings on Rambo and nacho. His best game deserves an 8 or 9. What do we want from the fullback to be 10… A hat-trick? And Ramsey is in here and in there making things happen. Played very well again.
Giroud only remained on for his ‘strength’ got very leggy unable to track back. Poor movement definitely not fit.
? He’s a target man, mate. he’s not supposed to track back, he’supposed to sfay up and get hold of any clearances. If you’re gonna criticise him, you should talk about the way he didn’t hold on to too many balls and didn’t do too well with the ones he got, not about his ‘poor fitness’ because he stayed where he should’ve.
He looked busted by the 70th minute, he jogs back when the opposition is carrying the ball right in front of him, compare his energy to Shane Long. A good CF can put pressure on the opposition defense so they make bad passes forward, it’s what many teams do to Arsenal.
In the criticize column I’d add that he should not have taken that shot so late in the game and rather run the clock down by taking it to the corner. Sunderland all over again. I’m sure Wenger was PO’d about that.
And to quote blog.. “Same again please.” Pretty much what you asked for! I’m too young to get chest pains, less of those please let’s have some more 4-1 wins.
I.O.N
Villas Boas has been caught speeding. In his defence, its the only way he’s getting three points this weekend.
good sir, im stealing that, nice
A 6 for Giroud is very generous. He contributed absolutely nothing but for the would-be assist for Ramsey’s chance
While Giroud could have done more in moments, he overall did well. I think 6 is reasonable. The guy at times had two players tracking him, especially on the breaks. He’d run anyway, but notice the midfield knew this as well so they would pass to each other more frequently around the box. Giroud is mastering team play, and while as a striker you think “SHOOT!!!” it’s gotta be appreciated that he has talents in laying off and strength, as well as the aeriels (PS what was going on with Sagnas crossing??) so he does his part for the team,… Read more »
I made a comment yesterday making a point that Rosicky should start against the Albion because he will only get better. The guy has Arsenal in his blood. He was outstanding. you could see that he loves Arsenal and that he would do what ever it takes to bring us champions league football again next season. I love the guy.
I don’t usually do this because I find the whole business of commenting a bit counter intuitive but on this occasion I think its necessary….I have been coming here everyday for a few years now and its been amazing to see how this site has grow over that period. A beautiful blend of brilliant writing, true love for the ARSENAL both from my fellow fans and BLOGS himself(well aside from the few trolls here and there) keeps me coming back every single day even during the dreaded interlulls, so all i want to say is thank you MR BLOGS for… Read more »
I liked the part where Monreal pulled his shirt up to show the ref this gash on his chest from that dirty West Brom boot
It was like looking in a mirror
at a fun house… while drunk…
he just wanted to get the women to over look his current lack of English and focus on his man abs. can’t blame him either
I personally protect my abs under a thick layer of fat. ^_^
hah
I think this season shows the importance of not being in the Europa league.
Thankfully for us, AVB is going all out to win it and Rafa just wants to win a trophy to stick two fingers up to the Chelski fans and doesn’t give a shit if they are in the champions league or not next year cause he won’t be there…
So, Chelski embark on the 6-hour flight to Moscow this week to play Reuben Sandwich in the Europa league. Moscow = “hot Russian women” = big night for John Terry. And, Spuds go to Switzerland where money-grabbing wanker Abedayor will be spending more time talking to his bankers than training for the match. It is INCONCEIVABLE that Arsenal play in such a sh!t league where the ‘prize money’ for winning the entire fucking thing is like GBP2mm (you get GBP35mm or something crazy like that just for participating in the Champions League.) Champions League is about ‘class’ as much as… Read more »
The overwhelming love that I hold towards Tomas Rosicky is almost exactly paralleled by the deep-set animosity I hold towards that fucking police officer-turned-cunt Howard Webb.
For every act of class, there is an equal and opposite act devoid of class.
‘Police officer turned cunt’ ? In my experience cunt is the foremost requirement in being a policeman, of course there are a few decent coppers out there, like there are one or two decent journalists, commentators, politicians etc
I hope you don’t call the cops when someone breaks into your house and murders your wife.
That awkward moment when Arsene Wenger starts talking about wife-murdering…
Shh, I am making lasagna for Gareth Bale’s dinner (his ankle is injured so he can’t peel bananas at the moment).
Koscielny 7 ? I thought we survived only because of him. 4 tackles, 3 intreceptions, 12 clearences. He was a gladiator yesterday. Rosicky 8? I really like Tomas but to be fair except for goals he didn’t have a great game. Very happy he finally got some goals but 8 for me is to high. Koscielny MOTM for me by a mile
Whatever the ratings are, massive win. I got much older because of this match
Was it the two goals, goaline clearance, hard work and leading the pressing game make you think he had a bad game?
Must be a hard one to impress!
no, it was many inaccurate forward passes, little defensive contribution and tired legs in the second half. have you seen “by the numbers”? his goals and clearance were excellent. apart from that i thought he didn’t do much. especially after Mertesacker sending off
Pussies run to the corner at extra time, and heroes go for the killer blow. You’re a pussy.
No need to go for a killer blow when you’re in the lead
Mertesacker and kos straight back in as the dc pair after the suspension for you Blogs? it is for me just wondered your view
Yes, but if Vermaelen plays well it gives the manager something to think about.
Giroud 6 ?
Good question though!
Sir please! what I said was entirely relevant as a reply. Did I wrong u in another life? If I did then it was probably deserved.
Fabianski 9. Saved us.
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I truly hope Mertesacker’s “back-tackle” of the ball in our penalty box gets included in the pre-match video at the Emirates next year!
For me it’s a toss-up between that Merty tackle and John Terry getting kicked in the face twice for funniest moment of the season. Sorry for starting that sentence like a co-commentator.
mertesacker’s back tackle = backle?
mertebackle?
Shame it wasn’t Sagna with the backle really, the headlines write themselves.
Actually I don’t think I’ve ever read a headline about a funny challenge come to think of it.
In defence of Giroud, I would like to add that he always does some positive thing at least once every game. His lay-off to Ramsey was just brilliant and should have led to a goal putting the game out of reach of WBA. Also he exactly nothing from Webb despite being monstered by Olsson, he tried to draw Webb’s attention to the fouling by the WBA defender but when Webb indicated he was not interested Giroud just gave up. Yes, I agree he was knackered towards the end but he does put a lot of work in every game. Just… Read more »
Spot on ratings except I thought Rambo deserved a 7. He had a very positive game and I think he’ll rue the missed chance, but like you say, I feel as though his goals will come in due time. Also Kos deserved a 7.5 – he might have saved the game for us with his massive defensive performance.
good article.
agree