Through to the group stages of the Champions League for the 957th year after a 2-0 (5-0 aggregate) win over Fenerbache, here’s how we rated the players Twitter style (i.e – i n 140 characters or less, not calling them names in text speak).
Wojciech Szczesny: 7/10 – One dodgy moment, some excellent saves and fantastic laughing at the Baletacular dive by Emenike.
Carl Jenkinson: 7/10 – Every now and then he falls apart, but not tonight.
Per Mertesacker: 7/10 – Skippered the side with aplomb again, we need a thesaurus because we’re tired of assured and calm. As words.
Bacary Sagna: 7/10 – Got turned once which presented some danger but solid throughout.
Nacho Monreal: 7/10 – Tasty – back to fitness, took him a while to get going but when he did was good at the back and up top.
Jack Wilshere: 7/10 – Took a right kicking, his ankle is a worry, but you can see the sparks beginning to … erm … spark.
Aaron Ramsey: 9/10 – Two goals from a player flush with confidence. The finish for the second was as good as anything you’ll see all season.
Santi Cazorla: 9/10 – Just a joy to watch. A tiny Spanish genius. I love him like a Bloody Mary on a Sunday morning.
Theo Walcott: 6/10 – Hit the bar, but needs to stop watching games he’s playing in and get involved more.
Lukas Podolski: 6/10 – Sadly now knackered for three weeks but played all right until then.
Olivier Giroud: 6/10 – Missed a good chance to make it 4 in 4, let’s hope he’s keeping it in reserve till Sunday.
Subs:
Yaya Sanogo: 5/10 – He’s come from Ligue 2 and he’s barely 20, little wonder he looks a bit lost at the moment. Tried but not at the right level yet.
Kieran Gibbs: 7/10 – Showed his versatility replacing Podolski in the front three. Set up Ramsey’s second, worked hard defensively.
Ryo Miyaichi: 6/10 – Created a great chance for Jenkinson late on, but like Sanogo looks a bit out of his depth overall.
Feel free to debate and discuss in the comments, but please read the comment policy first and don’t get angry with each other, or me, about imaginary points.
A fair summary all round.
Really happy for Ramsey.
Arseblog, Can you provide any link for that quick one touch passes that almost lead to a goal?
Go sign the digital membership. You can watch matches post live now, absolutely free. Who says the club is just out to milk the supporters.
You work for Arsenal.com?
Is that a question or a statement? *do you work for Arsenal.com?*
Oh cmon =) Why not inform fellow fans about it should some be unaware?
The Arsenal player is really cool.
If you miss the match you can watch it next day in good quality for free.
Almost spot on. Still yet to realise how Walcott plays but i guess that’s okay, only been like 18 months of him doing it clearly on demand now.
WHY ARE YOU NOT BACK IN MIDFIELD LOOKING FOR THE BALL????
Because you’re constantly looking for the ball in behind the full back and centre back, pinning them in their own half and taking the attention of two men during most attacks? Oh right, keep playing to your strengths and doing that instead then.
Good summary but hard to rate players in a game when the tie is already won. The injury tally was almost as important as the scoreline.
Unperturbed, unruffled, serene and unflappable. The big fucking German.
As Goonerholic was alluding to on Twitter during the match, I can’t believe that we got Santi for £16 Million. Actually feel like we cheated Malaga.
I think we only paid around £12m with £3m in ‘extras’
Santi was a real bargain. Malaga selling him for 16M, what are they smoking over there?
Their money
An urgent need not to go bankrupt.
Ramsey in the picture…….
“NO NO Sanogo, you can’t touch this”
Ah sanity resolved. theo bashed.
No he wasn’t. Would advise you, if possible, to find a video of Lee Dixon’s half-time analysis on ITV which was spot on.
There’s always something with the tone in which you address theo’s performance. unnapreciative I guess? I by now know we all have different like-levels of a player and it’s fair to say you’re not a big fan of theo atleast not as you are of
ramsey. (not that that’s a bad thing)
p/s couldn’t find video.
So not sticking a tongue up Theo’s arse is evidence of some kind of bias ?
Well he doesn’t have a problem sticking one up rambos. (agaim not a bad thing) so yeah it is bias.
pretty sure you guys’re having bit too much fun with football
I’m no Theo fanatic, but his overall contribution was better than normal, and he didn’t shirk when tackled.
I think we can give him a little slack as he was one of the main reasons we were already 3-0 up in the tie, due to his performance in Turkey.
Usually I’d agree because I really like walcott, but today he was really poor. He wasn’t making the runs he usually does. Hopefully he gets back to form on Sunday since he usually is a big game player.
To me it seemed as if he just didn’t want to be there, can’t say that is normal for him.
Complacent?
I felt like he wanted to ensure he was fit for the Sp*rs game and didn’t want to get “Jacked” in his ankles by the talentless Fenerbahce goons.
Hey, he demands special wages, we demand special performances.
We are not signing players im afraid or not top top top quality players.
Look at Arsene Wengers interview at the game he looked really down you can tell they aint coming like he was hoping.
He generally did look dissapointed i have to say, i do believe he has tried looking at him in his interview you simple cant fake how he looked and how down he sounded.
Allegedly, Juan Mata’s Agent/Father was in the Directors Box for the game.
Make of it what you will.
when the last time wenger speaking directly about transfer to any journalist….about never
Totally agree. Glad sanogo was involved for ramseys second. But his first 2 touches were comedy. Bambi on ice crossed my mind
Great to see Ramsey getting some reward for his efforts. One thing has been bothering me for a while, Walcott getting anywhere near direct free kicks. Granted he hit the bar this evening but I am talking more generally. Shirley Poldi, Santi or Arteta should be way ahead of him when it comes to this. If he can’t put his ego aside for the good of the team then Arsene should be putting him in place.
dont call me shirley!
How good has Gibbs gotten? Everyone points (rightly) to Rambo, but Gibbs is strutting right there next to him.
We have 2 of the 5 best left-backs in the league. Two positions Wenger never gets wrong: technical midfielders and left-backs.
*Except Santos.
no – he was a technical midfielder.
still shit though!
has he like retired? not from getting old but you know…from not being a footballer.
Looked like Gibbs finished the game playing centre midfield when Wilshere was hobbling in attacking midfield and Cazorla moved to the left.
Ramsey was pulled off by Arsene so gibbo had to do abit of covering in midfield. Gibbo goes unnoticed but today he has showed he’s our 1st choice leftback cum left winger cum midfielder. VERSATILITY!
Sagna – 5 games at centre-back, 5 flawless performances. What a brilliant footballer.
My god sorry have to end of a positive note.
Aaron Ramsey is absolute class and i am proud to say that i was one of the few that defended him after his injury when he was struggling for form.
Maybe cause im Welsh tho but i simple knew he had it in him.
Your ‘Faith in Ramsey’ medal is on its way to you. I’m not going to lie two seasons ago I was madly frustrated with Ramsey. Never wished him anything bad like some folks, but still he deserved to be benched back then. Wenger’s persistance finally paid off though and I’m happy for him. Plus I’m starting to think that if it weren’t for the injury Ramsey would be playing for Man Utd right now.
do they teach English in Wales?
no, bingo.
Stop knocking Wales. The best mushrooms I’ve ever had in my life came from Anglesea. What a trip that was.
sorry, *Anglesey. Nearly twenty years on and they still kick in now and again.
@mic I am reliably informed his boot is fine and if not there’s a reputable cobbler down the road from the emirates.
Ramsey is the new Song in terms of massive improvement over a short time frame – hopefully though, he won’t turn out to be a cock and force a move to Barcelona.
“Nacho Monreal: 7/10 – Tasty – back to fitness, too him a while to get going but when he did was good at the back and up top.”
Took*
Can you please avoid text speak blablabla comment rule section.
With Ox and Podolski both out now, who do you reckon will play on the left this weekend? Santi maybe. With Jack, Ramsey and Rocky in the center..
di maria on the left mate. Tia Maria to celebrate the win on Sunday
Tia maria is no way to celebrate anything!
Your not alone mate ive backed Ramsey at every oppurtunity. Its like people have short memories. Imo he still has not got back to the level he was preinjury. He was slipping through some worldie passes a bit like that new 16yr old we have. Also he was lashing in some amazing shots. Honestly the skys the limit we just need his body to catch up to his brain.
Sagna and Ramsey defy belief.. Not so long ago they were struggling.. Ramsey, in particular, has been in the zone since the start of this season..
After the Fulham game I dreamt of Podolski grabbing a hat trick in our customary 5-2 spanking of sp*rs. Really hoping for better fitness news during the week. A transfer or two wouldn’t hurt.
I think you’re being harsh on Sonogo and Miyaichi. Sonogo grew in the game and other than that one time he gave the ball away when he came on Miyaichi looked ok. That cross for Jenkinson was pretty good.
Harsh but fair I think. I think that’s where they were with respect to the rest of the team, and I don’t think we could really expect them to be any higher, certainly Yaya. If however they are still there by the end of the season, then it might be a different story…..
I counted more bad touches from Sanogo than good. But that is to be expected of a young man transferring to a big team. When he gains confidence he will start playing 1 touch football and better ball control. I also hope the team encourages him and places their faith in him as the manager has done.
Surprisingly, the Arsenal supporters at the stadium sounded quite supportive of Sanogo, cheering him when he came on, and every time he got the ball, they could see the lad was trying, and they applauded his efforts. Glad to see that happening, I must say. Although maybe it was only because we were 5-0 up.
A touch unfair on the two youngsters. Sanogo played a key part in the second goal but I suppose 6/10 is about right for Myaichi. He’s sharp though and I think he may well play a part this or next season.
A touch unfair on the two youngsters. Sanogo played a key part in the second goal but I suppose 6/10 is about right for Myaichi. He’s sharp though and I think he may well play a part this or next season.
Fair assessment, you gotta love Santi, I made him man of the match, with Rambo a close second. If Santi had finished one of his wonderful runs with a goal instead of selflessly setting up someone else, it would’ve been wonderful. Theo just didn’t look like he wanted to be on the pitch, hopefully he’s saving himself for Sunday and Podolski looked to be doing a lot more runs than usual, which was possibly why he pulled his hamstring, but I would’ve given him a 7 rather than a 6. He looked more motivated than I’ve seen him for a… Read more »
Agree about Theo, his work rate and concentration needs to improve…and save some damn free kicks for Santi Claus……but I’m a big Theophile, and he always saves a performance for the big games and the spuds….ALWAYS!
Sanogo makes Kevin Campbell look like Messi….
There’s always something with the tone in which you address theo’s performance. unnapreciative I guess? I by now know we all have different like-levels of a player and it’s fair to say you’re not a big fan of theo atleast not as you are of ramsey. (not that that’s a bad thing)
p/s couldn’t find video.
Blogs
Ramsey was at least an 11 out of 10 tonight.
The man will become a Legend.
I think the point with Theo is that with the right coaching, and application, he could elevate to a higher level. Its not like he doesn’t have the ability, just that he hasn’t quite put it all together yet. There is still time.
Why are Arsenal fans so unappreciative of Walcott? 21 goals and 17 assists last season, how is that not a significant contribution? To me it’s clear he’s one of the best wings in the league. Last night’s performance may not have been great, but you must admit there wasn’t any pressure.
For a wing like Walcott it’s not so important to be involved in the midfield play. If he does very little the entire game, but contributes to a goal or scores one himself, then he’s done his job, what more can you ask of him?
I always look at Theo and think, he can be our Pedro (Barcelona)…very similar players, but Pedro is more consistent…Theo will get there though, i have no doubt about that….maybe the competition from Ryo will push him along?
everyone has been begging for gold up play up top A’s that’s what you got from yaya to setup the second. he could’ve easily been on the end of that one because he was right next to Ramsey, they both made the same run, rambo just happened to be the one in the other end of it and with his form that may have been best even if we had henry on the front line. Ok well maybe not king Henry but you get the point
hold up play up top and*
Is there any update on the injury to Ramsey’s boot? You know, the one that the ref made him leave the field of play to have treatment on, then booked him. Anyone explain what went on there? Wasn’t obvious, an it was right in front f where I was sitting….
Loved the moment where Mert was telling Sanogo to put his arm down when standing the wall. I know it’s a minor point, but we’ve lost so many games in the past on cheap penalties where players block the ball in the wall with an arm above their head. Superb display from Ramsey and Cazorla back to his best. On a side note, the team has to take more collective responsibility in protecting its own. Whenever there is a scrap, Jack is first in to let the opposition know they’re being arseholes, yet when Jack is being singled out and… Read more »
Giroud always protects jack love him
@mic I am reliably informed his boot is fine and if not there’s a reputable cobbler down the road from the emirates.
I think you were a bit generous to monreal. He and wilshere were the most guilty of giving away possesion too cheaply at times. But wilshere did get a kicking in the last 25 mins.
It’s obvious that Miyaichi and Sanogo are still quite raw but I hope that they follow in the footsteps of guys like Wilshere, Ramsey, Gibbs etc.
my dad told me he played for Arsenal (John Felix Carroll). Unfortunately he’s also a liar.
my dad told me he played for Arsenal (John Felix Carroll). Unfortunately he’s also a liar.
Its almost too easy for us. C.G Carroll, from Windsor.
As for yaya and ryo. Yaya is an ugly duckling who can be a swan. His first 2 touches were not great at all but ryo just seemed to be keeping things simple for the most part, which is a good thing. And as much as it pains me to say this. I hope that yaya can be our new adebayor… without the attitude of course. His similar stature and long stride show a similar style. But the boy is 6 foot 3 and needs to use his body and strength a lot more. Once he masters that the rest… Read more »
He’s a strong and sizeable fellow. He will mature over the season but is a good addition to have (particularly for free) Don’t mind seeing someone like Leandro Damiao given all the complications with some of our recent striking targets. The brasilian has lost his pecking order in the Selecao and will be keen to impress. Perhaps a move to Europe is necessary to refresh him. He’s still young (23-24) has plenty of pace, strong, good height and aerial ability and has the trademark Brasilian skills. Could really blossom into a wold class phenom under Wenger’s tutelage and likely won’t… Read more »
Sanogo will be our Drogba.
Lukaku’s the next Drogba.
Sanogo can be our next Kanu – which is great, because we get to look forward to him winning us three points at Shiteford Bridge with a supernatural hat – trick.
Agree with you about Jack Wilshere. Love the boy’s attitude and skill, but he needs to learn not to run into trouble so often. I always thought one of the reasons TH14 was such a great player (apart from all the rest!) was that he knew how to avoid a tackle and still keep possession. Santi Cazorla has the same skill. If Jack can learn that, he’ll become a legend.
ps. Can’t we encase Jack’s ankles in aluminium? I suspect that’s against some rule or other?
Ramsey has been excellent. He has far surpassed Wilshere and at the moment with a fit squad I don’t see a place for Jack in the starting Xi. He dribbles far too much and holds the ball too long. He looks like a less skilled version of Nasri.
Nonesense This is the sort of comment which is not helpful. As good as Ramsey is, he is still not as massive for us as many make it out to be. His energy rate is good but where Ramsey is a good passer, Jack is one of the very few that can run at defenses with the ball. They are also likely to be a bit dissimilar in roles with jack likely better positioned to be closer to the tip and supporting the striker because of his dribbling ability. Ramsey cannot pass his man. Right now there will be a… Read more »
Clearly you have not seen the dribbling of Cazorla and Rosicky, and Ramsey isn’t half bad either.
I don’t get these comparisons of Jack vs. Aaron. Just because they’re similar ages and both midfielders, people talk as if they’re alternatives. You can’t make a choice between them, they’re quite different players with different skills, different weaknesses, and each brings something special to the team.
Look at the progress Ramsey’s made in the last 12 months since he started playing regularly in the centre of midfield, and you just wonder what can be in store for us if Wilshere can make the same sort of progress (if he manages to survive and stay fit for that long!).
Was nice to see Sanogo and Miyaichi come on and get some touches on the ball and run around a bit.
I’m expecting Wenger to ease them into the team with Capital One Cup games and 88th minute garbage time substitutes.
Ramsey getting his plaudits. right on!
Injuries stall development, how the ramsey bashers could not see this back then I don’t know! jack is abit raw at the moment and when he’s fully back our midfield will look like gold. watch this space….
I think the issue with most people (at least the one I had with Ramsey) was more with the manager. Playing him at the expense of the team was stupid and set him up for harsh criticism. At the time he wasn’t up to the required level but that was the manager’s fault.
“Carl Jenkinson: 7/10 – Every now and then he falls apart, but not tonight.”
Oh wow, I see what you did there. That was brilliant.
Comes with continued play. trick for us is to balance it out so that playing a younger inexperience player will benefit him but not be at the teams expense. Last season Ramsey was played a lot to his eventual benefit but many a time to our disadvantage. We need to introduce the younger players and give them enough exposure but it has to be done with a lot of thought. Also suggest we revert to using the league cup to blood some of our less experienced players/reserves. Prioritizing it last season (considering our squad depth) was foolish and impacted our… Read more »
Ehm… I suppose so mate, but what does your reply to my comment have to do with Carl Jenkinson’s dad? Mine was about blogs quite deftly continuing that joke.
Blogs, was that an Air Supply reference?
Must admit Ramsey is looking very consistent at the moment. I want to be cautiously optimistic that he would eventually take over from Arteta in a season but he could be stepping up his gear earlier. Also the way we are playing in midfield at the moment, there may not be a need for that tall bruising CDM in the mold of Gustavo, Capoue, Fellaini, Kongdogbia, Pogba etc. We have a fluid midfield 3, something which Arteta used last season which is a difficult routine to perfect but when done right is very impossible to deal with. Thereby perhaps someone… Read more »
Oh how I’d have loved Vieira to have been on for the last 10 minutes last night. When Jack was getting a kicking we needed someone to put the boot back in to the Turks. And hard. Unfortunately(?) Jack with his glass ankle is the only player in this team willing to stand up to the physicality teams show us. I worry without some more testosterone in the middle we will be kicked out of our stride too easily by cloggers like Stoke and Villa this season. Can you imagine a re-run of Old Trafford ’91 with this side? Jack… Read more »
In a match where ramsey was excellent, scored two goals and was everywhere, cazorla was man of the match for me. Its amazing how we can have such drive and energy from Aaron and Jack, and alongside that the incredible cazorla. This could be a great great team.
While accusing Theo of lack of will to work or whatever. Have you not considered he may just have been slightly fatigued?
He didn’t look to lack effort, physically he looked ok, if anything he looked mentally tired.
What I do find bizarre is that a some of you are so quick to jump down Walcotts throat for an average performance yet none of you have mentioned Giroud at all?
He had a pretty bad game from a finishing point of view. Don’t you want to point out how we can’t rely on him as our sole striker yada yada yada?
Someone mentioned bias earlier. Ill leave you to think on that one.
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i would like to thank our manager for eliminating our frustration by selling gervinho. he misrepresented us as Africans at arsenal. i so wish diaby could recover and play again. ramsey has fully gained his form, im happy for him.
In the words of American gigolo – sanago’s a huge bitch…big boy hope arsene’s teaching him how to use this bulk to intimidate centre halves could be Terry’s nightmare ( anton’s revenge)
Some not so good positioning from Monreal on a few occasions…i do know he hasnt played much since his injury…heres to hoping that improves a bit…otherwise he looked good..