I know that the TV pundits gave it to Alexis Sanchez, and not many Arsenal fans will disagree after the Chilean international scored both goals for the Gunners in our narrow and hard fought win over Reading. But Alexis was not at his best and struggled for much of the game, while I thought Mesut Ozil was our best player and the only one who kept a cool head and kept the ball under severe pressure.
Szczesny 5.5 – Despite the tough test given us, the keeper did not have too many saves to make but could have done better with the goal and was poor with his distribution.
Debuchy 5.5 – I know he has not played for ages but the Frenchman still struggled with the pace of the game, was beaten a few times and offered little going forward. He did keep going and put in a real shift though.
Mertesacker 6.5 – Recovered after a shaky start, should have scored and did little wrong before going off.
Koscielny 7.5 – We really needed a warrior in the back four and the Frenchman was it.
Gibbs 6.5 – Did look rusty at times but was a much bigger threat going forward than Debuchy and linked up well.
Coquelin 7.5 – The fact that we now expect this tireless and battling stuff from the young DM shows just how high his standards and consistency now are. We would have lost without him, no doubt.
Cazorla 7 – Yes he did some good things but too often lost the ball under pressure.
Ramsey 6 – Maybe not his fault as played out of position on right but ran into trouble and came inside too much and that MISS?!?
Alexis 8 – His first goal and his drive and desire were brilliant but there was not enough quality and got a bit lucky with the second. He got us into the final though and we are lucky to have him.
Ozil 8.5 – I just love watching our German these days as he is smooth as silk and now has a bit of steel as well.
Welbeck 7 – Worked hard in a thankless task for much of the game as the play was too congested.
subs:
Gabriel 6 – Did well defensively but should have scored at least one of his free headers.
Giroud 7 – Made a big difference with his power, aerial ability and link up play. Most improved Gunner ever?
Walcott 6.5 – Theo must wonder why he was not on earlier and Wenger may agree after his late influence.
why cant Wenger just play a proper RW by playing Walcott from the start????
Wenger still out!!!!
Exactly Hafiz, spot on.
Hafiz for manager, you got my thumbs up
I agree Walcott should have started. But if I had to complain about Wenger it wouldn’t be that. Generally Ramsey and Sanchez have performed well when put there.
The problem I had was starting Szczesny as GK and Welbeck as striker, when we could have played Ospina and Giroud.
Giroud was disappointed not starting, so we could have started Giroud up front, Welbeck on the wing, Ramsey or Cazorla in box 2 box.
Szczesny speaks for himself. He had a bit of dodgy game against United and should have saved the goal yesterday, also had another mishandling. Federici actually performed better than Szczesny even with our second goal.
I’m sure Wenger will stick with Szczesny in the final though. Wenger is very stubborn and loyal.
But I still support Wenger. I don’t want him out like you.
screw off Hafiz, 2nd place and another FA cup final and you complain about theo, fact is you are not in the negotiations w theo, you have no background, people that complain when we win deserve nothing
Hmmmm
Hum it out of your ass. I agree with Luvdaguns, some fans with a total lack respect and a penchant for complaining even when winning dont deserve to enjoy in glory days or years, when Arsene lifts PL crown i feel these fans dont deserve to partake.
Ozil Was outstanding again. I can really see him getting the Player of the season next season.
This is the same crap Wenger tried 2 years ago, put Ramsey or Jack on the wing.
IT DOESN’T WORK
Yet we made it to the finals
and won
You certainly werent complaining when it worked against Livpool?!
Because against Liverpool the balance was right, Bellerin provided the width hence Ramsey didn’t have to go inside. It was a poor decision to play Ramsey out wide complemented by Debuchy
Was meant to thumb down, not only Ramsey the whole team played too slow. Sanchez Ozil Kos Coq are the only ones who put in required performace not great but decent, Ozil and Sanchez didnt up our tempo so they too are at fault for slow perfomance.
Slow tempo is the blame, against liv we had lightning quick tempo.
It s back to the futur,whenever Wenger has Ramsey and Wiltshair available,he find crappy ways to put them in the team.We lack of speed on the wings with Ramsey,Wiltshair,Ozil or Caz,they are not fast enough.We have proper fast wingers,Walcot,Ox welbeck,play them for f….. sake.
We were crap in the start of the season because of that and if Wnger go back to this with his favourites fit again,we are screwed.Watch out for the stubborn old man and his crappy tricks.
He had Wilshere available. He did not play Wilshere. Your argument is thus disproven. Ox is injured and cannot play, so that argument is flawed too. Welbeck *did* play (and started!) as a striker, but I’d be interested to see how he could play both positions at the same time.
My point is the need to play real wingers in their natural positions and don t force on the team some players like it was done in the early season.Wenger is the coach so he must be wise to his actions.I have no beef with him or any players,I just want us to win by any mean so we must see what gonna make us win.
i wrote you guys, that i have a feeling that blackburn will knock out liverfool. well it didnt happened, but now i have a feeling that liverfool will beat aston villa, so hope im wrong again:D. anyways, cmon villa today! if liverpool reaches the final it will be a really really tough game..and were now looking to finish 2nd wich is very nice, and 2 FA cups in a row and a 2nd place int EPL, and with özil and sanchez and cazorla to play with, will suerly attract top class players. 1 or 2, and go for the CL already…bright times i guess..COYG
Its either Sanchez or Ozil for the EPL player of the year next season should they stay injury free.
Le Coq to me has nothing to prove any more so if we sign a player,should be for rotation or back up.
WEMBLEY again!!!!! even those call themselves big clubs would have dreamed of and be proud of this back to back trip.
I LUV ARSENAL
so ozil will be player of the month
we cant afford to play ramsey on the right against chelsea. Our midfield of coquelin, ozil and cazorla is too lightweight. We need welbeck on the right because there is no way bellerin can handle the threat of hazard and azpilicueta without a lot of help from the RW. One of ozil and cazorla need to be sacrificed and on current form we have to drop cazorla. We saw yesterday that gabriel is way better than mert even in the air. I believe he can handle the physicality of drogba or the pae of remy depending on who plays.
ospina
bellerin koscielny gabriel monreal
ramsey coquelin
welbeck ozil sanchez
giroud
Do you think Wenger will play Ospina?
A lot people say it’s obvious but I’m not too sure.
I think Wenger can very stubborn sometimes and very loyal. He will think like he did with Fabianski that it would not be right to change. So I think Wenger will play Szczesny.
I hope he plays Ospina. Szczesny hasnt been a very safe pair of hands this season and I think we made it to the finals despite his poor play. He made a couple of cockups yesterday, two I remember against United.
The difference with Fabianski last year was that Fabianski put us in the final. His saves in the penalty shootout were instrumental in advancing to the final. Szczesny can make no such claim. Fabianski also wasn’t dropped for outrageously poor performances and smoking. The only reason Szcz was in this match is because Wenger gives his backup keepers a chance to challenge for the first team with game time through the rotation.
It might still be that Ospina doesn’t start the final, but I think Fabianski had *earned* it last year. That’s not the case for Szcz in the FA Cup.
Are you mad ? Cazorla, Ramsey and Coquelin is our strongest midfield, Ozil Sanchez and Giroud will be responsible for goals.
@Prince – Ramsey has done nothing show that Arsene should change from the midfield triangle that has sparked this run that we’re on (Mesut, Santi, LeCoq). Ramsey only got his chance to get back in because Welbz picked up a knock for England.
Wenger is all about not upsetting the rhythm, so I believe his midfield triangle will and should remain the same. To break down Chelsea we’re going to need proper balance, so (can’t believe I’m saying this) I think welbeck should come back in.
Ramsey and theo to come off the bench if necessary.
Hafiz makes a good point about Walcott
I have a feeling that Wenger isn’t playing Walcott because of contract negotiations.
I don’t understand why else he wouldn’t start Walcott in FA Cup at least. When he came back from injury Walcott scored then we hardly see him.
Very odd. I’d prefer Walcott to play on the right then Ramsey. Maybe Wenger wants to play both Cazorla and Ramsey so decided to play Ramsey on the wing. Fact is you can’t play all of these players together: Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Coquelin, Walcott, Alexis. One has to NOT play. And Wenger decided on Walcott and putting Ramsey on the wing.
This is one problem with depth in a squad is putting a big name player in the wrong position.
For the final, I hope it’s something like this
Ospina
Debuchy…Koscielny…Gabriel…monreal
Coquelin….Cazorla/Ramsey
Walcott/Alexis ….Ozil…….Alexis/Welbeck
Giroud
Wenger needs to put loyalty aside and play best team available. Liverpool or Villa will definitely put their best side out.
We really cant play ramsey, cazola and ozil together. even Wenger said it after the game we were to slow! we had no width down the right! all three are amazing players but one has to be dropped for a proper winger (either Welbeck or Walcott). me personally i would drop ramsey and bring in walcott. He looked decent! no more playing players out of position, ramsey is not a winger.
Also we really missed bellrin, what a player he has become!
We won, so tactics were good, if tactics werent good we would lose, sometimes you cant demolish teams, sometimes you need to fight hard to win, i am pleased with boys, and Wenger, why Debuchy, Gibbs and Welbs started? they are also part of a team, they need to play too, you cant play 40 games with same team!!!
so, santi was a 7 for loosing the ball, but mert didnt do any thing wrong, so he is a 6.5? that makes alot of sense? mert had a great match, broke up much in the box, gibbs got beat for the goal, debuchy i expect needs to get to match fit, i think santi got lostin physical play, ozil looked good start to finish,
Very Much off topic did anyone see Sunday Supplement? Yet again sneering journos dismissing Arsenal in the usual fashion.
Usual rubbish about not playing under pressure in the early part of the season whilst forgetting we were missing prime players at the time
Bentekes back.
Exciting stuff
I’ll tell u now, hes no giroud. But he looks sharp
I love Theo but how anyone can give him a higher score than Gabriel is totally beyond me! IMO the two full backs were a bit iffy but my mom was Alexis, he never stopped trying. Ozil was nearly as good.
Gabriel deserves a better score. His first header on goal was very impressive and the keeper just made a spectacular save to keep it out. This ‘he should’ve scored one of his headers’ is a bit unfair — he’s a defender and the mere fact that he was so solid on that attack should rate better than if, say, Giroud had done the same (the fact that our best headers on goal were Gabriel’s also says something about his workrate and quality).