Man City 0 – 2 Arsenal Player Ratings by KJ
Ospina – 7.5
Surprisingly had very little to do in this game. Claimed the ball well enough from set pieces and was relatively commanding. Did make a couple of decent saves late on when City ramped up the pressure.
Bellerin – 8
He was brilliant today considering he’s only 19 years old. He’s had to play against the likes of Dortmund away and struggled but was completely fine against the likes of Clichy, Milner and Silva.
Mertesacker – 8
A calm composed performance from the captain. He was never exposed by his defensive midfielders meaning he only needed to keep the spaces tight to ensure City didn’t have much joy in the middle.
Koscielny – 8.5
A masterful performance from the Frenchman. He done a “job” on Aguero today. Provided him with little to no space near our area to turn or to get the shot away forcing him to pass it back to midfield.
Monreal – 8.5
He had a very good performance today. Assured defending for most of the game as well as a good attacking presence. He won the penalty and ensured that Zabaleta had his fair share of defending to do which forced him further back than he would’ve liked.
Coquelin – 8.5
A surprisingly brilliant performance by the Frenchman. It was only a month ago he was on loan at Charlton and here he was dominating defensively against Man City at the Etihad. Never gave Silva space to operate and was always ready to clear the ball when it came into the box.
Ramsey – 7.5
He was good defensively and did well to move the ball offensively but his passing and touch was off. No surprise as he’s been out for more than a month and was clearly rusty.
Oxlade-Chamberlain – 8
He was very good today. He helped relieve the pressure with good dribbling and his passing choice was overall very smart. He also helped Bellerin enough defensively to prevent him being doubled up by City players.
Cazorla – 9 (MOTM)
An absolutely phenomenal performance. It had everything. He defended when needed, dribbled through City numerous times with powerful runs as well as keeping his cool during the set pieces. It was a magical display and shows a mental toughness from someone who you’d expect to hide in these big games.
Alexis – 7
He was poor today offensively. He did some good things but misplaced too many passes or was dispossessed too quickly allowing City to counter. He still did well defensively meaning he gets a decent score.
Giroud – 8
His performances against the big teams this season have been absolutely brilliant. He holds up play smartly and passes to the right player most of the time. This is such a turnaround in comparison to his performances last season. It’s great to see. He is also scoring in these big games as well as he did today.
Subs:
Rosicky – 7.5
He came on and helped keep the ball for the final 20-25 minutes. He made smart passes and ensured that he took pressure off the defence when he moved forward.
Gibbs – 7
He came on and done his job. Doubled up on Zabaleta and provided a pacey outlet on the counter as a LW.
Flamini – 4
He didn’t really do anything defensively and had the easiest of chances to cut back a pass to Giroud for the third goal but somehow allowed a City player to block it.
Never expected to say this but le coq is probably better than any cdm on the market
Exactly, who would have thought this but he has literally been in our top 3 players for every single match he has played since coming back!
Wenger needs to stop messing about and get that CB and then i’m satisfied with simply reassessing in the summer on a DMF (when they are more available anyway).
Note, this is the first time I have seen Arsenal with only 5 injuries in years; it’s fitting that with a full squad we beat Man City.
@Tidan2
Did you win the shirt ?
I think so; my second one, building a little collection 😉
Well done. Yes I have two.
I predicted Cazorla would score first
in the 24th min. In a satirical comment
on here on Saturday I wrote that after
Arsenal beat City 2-0 at the Etihad
Wenger will extend his contract 200 years 🙂
Ooops.
You deserve an e-lollipop David. Congratulations!
Arsene has been quoted as saying that most clubs are saying they are willing to do business in July, so in as much as the club is looking to buy a CB in January it is not easy. It may happen and it may not. Now we need to have Hayden fit so that he can come in as a back up. It is good to know that Bellerin has played himself ahead of Chambers which means that we have a player that can back up in two positions in the form of Chambers.
Hi
I am relatively new to the site, but could we include the rating for AW. Know it is subjective but would also provide feedback on tactics, timing of substitutions etc which is an important part of how we play.
Just an idea
Ramsey 7.5, haha what a joke. If there was any player that did not deserve to be on the line up it was Ramsey. He was shit both defensively and offensively. I did not even make any good pass, He is one of the guys who benefits from other peoples hard work, it was Santi and Coq who did the work. Wonder what some peeple smoke while watching matches
An element of truth in that. Great team performance, numerous top quality individual performances, great result and spot on tactics, but there were times when Ramsay was off on one of his glory hunts which left the midfield a little stretched. He can do the busness, but his discipline, for me, at times looks like it goes missing. Interestingly Wenger said we played with two holding m/f’s, Thierry thought we played 4-1-4-1 and I think that says it all. Ramsay needs to think defence first if played in that role. I realise it’s his first game back….and he’s a class act sometimes….but the team comes first.
Absolute agree. Ramsey is the weakest link. I would prefer Rocisky.
Ramsey is too slow. He can not keep up with the pace santi, S17 and ox have. every time he had the ball, the game slowed down. Frankly I am not sure it is due to his quality or his match fitness.
Damn coquelin…. what a performance by our DM
Lecoq is the player impressing me the most in the team. He reads the game very well and runs tirelessly. not sure we expected him to do this well.
Coq, Bellerin and Monreal were impressive and did way beyond expectations.
Cazorla was invincible.
Ramsey will be back.
Something happened to our defensive structure, some work was obviously done their.
As much as I dont like Arsene Wenger anywore, I have to admit that his tactics was spot on for that City game. I rate him 8.5
Probably, Steve Bould was instrumental to how the game turned out. The defense was immense. City would never have anticipated that kinda game. Pellegrini’s eyes turned red.
Neville pointed out after 20 30 minutes that the difference was we went man for man, every Arsenal player had his man to watch and they all did a great job of it. So before you say oh a good defensive display… it must be Bould, Wenger is the only person who could make that tactical call as hes the boss. I really do hope this is a corner turned.
Almost loved reading up on those player ratings just as much as watching the match.
Yes John,spot on, cazorla was invisible.
hence I am little disappointed that Cazorla did not get full 10. I have never seen a player playing so magical . Both offensive and defensive he was superior .
I mean he was not only dominating against the city midfield, he was like doing it with fun.
This is unbelievable, Hardly any one in the world can match this performance.
How many dribbles he has done, he crated innumerable scoring chances
How many defensive block he has done, how many sitaution where he took the ball from near our box and rallies forward from releiveing the pressure
This was pure magic from the little wizard.
@SUNNY13,
I tell you. A superb win anyway
You mean invincible right ?
Kos, Coq + Debuchy when he gets back. The French Musketeers, and up front D’artagnan C.O.Y.G.
Gunners blow away City’s OIL REFINERY!!!!
Cazorla now pushing Alexis for player-of-the-season – and making central MF role his???
Where will AW play Ozil? On the right, to use that magic left peg?
Starting to look like a solid squad, with Bellerin, Monreal and LeCoq stepping up to the plate.
COYG
Oh poor wishere, where will he play when he comes back? Bench i quess
And how does this concern Wilshire? Your hate of Arsenal players makes us wonder if you are an Arsenal fan in the first place. You have been slating players left right and centre for reasons best known to you. Arsenal is better off without fans like you?
Cash in if i am the manager
Was wondering where you were Kj? Totally agree with you. This season may not be our season for the trophy but we have a good foundation for next season. Two to three players more to increase our depth in squad and we are good to go. Let’s just build on this and win subsequent games playing good football or not. Winning should be our way
I think it the best time we offer bellerin a new contract and up his wages because that kid will be world class in no time
Was watching the highlights. After Cazorla scored the penalty and players were celebrating on the touchline, Le Coq was gesturing with his hands to calm down to every players all around the field. Then he put his fingers from both hands on either side of the hands and gestured as if saying”Do not lose your mind guys. Remember the 6-3 humping “. I loved it. It may be too early to say, but if he can consistently prove himself on bigger stage we can have a World Class CDM for us. But this does not mean Wenger should not buy one. Flamini is useless, Arteta injury prone and Diaby well just forget it. Need two SOLID options in the CDM position.
I won’t lie, when Coquelin played well in his first game back for the Gunners, I thought it wouldn’t last. I also honestly thought that City would be too much of a task for him and that he would be exposed… I am so happy that he is proving me wrong with a consistent string of quality performances… I think that, at the age of 23, he still has loads of space to improve!
If he keeps on putting in quality performances, I think we may have a world-class DM in Coquelin in the not so distant future! It takes a lot to keep Silva quiet…
I am as anyone so happy that we may find an answer for our DM position.
Still I would prefer to give credits to the whole team for yesterday performance. We keep the shape perfectly. Le Coq may have the most tackles, block, interception, etc … but he got help a lot from Ramsey and Cazorla, who both work hard defensively. Many complains Ramsey going forward too much although he is a box to box, I disagree, we may start with Cazorla playing higher but on the pitch Cazorla always stay back and pull the string from deep giving Ramsey license to roam. The whole team had been very well drilled and for the first time in recent season, I highly believe we found the balance between defense and attack. Last season we are top of the league but we score too few goals and always under immense pressure at the end of the match. The way we finish the game yesterday is amazing too, during the added time it is like City players all gave up already
watch cazorla take on everyone;
http://arsenalist.com/f/2014-15/man-city-vs-arsenal/cazorla-takes-on-everyone.html
Is it not true that the players performance yesterday was good due to the fact that the transfer window is open, now they perform beyond their skin because they wouldn’t want Wenger to buy new players and bench them. Am I the only one who thinks that come February, our performance against big teams will be back to normal again? Anyway, I might be wrong though. Only them players can prove me wrong
You make a good debatable point. Don’t worry, the thumbs downs you getting stems from our fans euphoria from yesterdays win. Suddenly the entire team looked like winners and played their part, and surprised everyone.
They have been playing with the handbrake on far too long now, relying on individual and sporadic moments of brilliance, rather than a solid and cohesive team effort which came to the fore yesterday. So maybe competition from injury returnees or new players we linked with in this transfer window has helped in raising team performances to an improved level.
Full time: man city 0-2 Arsenal.
They said the Coq couldn’t hold the midfield.
They said Per couldn’t handle Aguero.
They said Giroud wouldn’t get past Kompany.
They said Arsenal wouldn’t keep a clean sheet.
Arsenal did it all Arsenal beat city at the etihad stadium. Monreal won the penalty and Cazorla converted it. Santi then put a free kick in the box and Giroud headed it in.
The Arsenal win 2-0. Thoughts on the game? Who was your man of the match.
Waw, high scores!
Great game from the lads all round yesterday. Hats off to the manager, the coaching team and the team for a wonderful performance. That’s more like Arsenal, digging deep and doing all to get the 3 points (even the invisibles had to put in a shit and win at all costs, ugly or pretty).
FA Cup game team
Szc
Bellarine (sadly, he needs a rest and protection) Chambers ? Gibbs
Flamini Ramsey (1st 45mins only so he can regain full match sharpness)
Akpom Ozil Campbell
Theo
Bench: Kos, Monreal, Ospina, (Akpom/Welbeck), TR7, Ox, OG
– If Welbeck is fit he can take Akpom’s slot and change places with Theo. Aint too sure if Hayden is fit now and whether it would be wise to play both him and Chambers at the same time.
Up the gunners!!!!
Agree, rest 9 of our MC starting X1 and let Brighton deal with our second string side!
Sczcesney
Bellerin Mertesacker Chambers Gibbs
Flamini
Walcott Rosicky Ozil Campbell
Akpom/Welbeck
We may lack strength in depth in our back 4 but hey that is some second team.
am not a critic of Ramsey but with that performance from the bench from Mozart even at 32 he clearly has football brain better than Ramsey and wilshere put together….you need to see how Chelsea fans are cheering him here in Nigeria….. I wish he was 23…. he is in the class of fabregas iniesta and Xavi of this world …give him more game time arsene Pls
Rosicky is an impact player. We need him for 30-40 minutes in big games.
Rosicky usually performs in the big games. Just ask Spurs!
he’s 34 and still going strong!
Well, maybe this performance will put Wenger off from making any signing?
Congrats boys bt lets not get carried away…mo than the 3points ths win has great benefits towards our playrs psychology against top teams i hop we build frm ths win bt stil lts keep our heads down COYG.
Where have all the haters gone?Those that predicted there was nothing arsenal could do to get all the three points away at the etihad?
Don’t mind them. Some of them even swore by their fore-fathers. When I wrote in the post on this site on the team list that we would win, they said I was deluded. I support the team and who ever put on the shirt.
Nobody has gone any where.
We are not fair weather supporters
like you. Arsenals form v the big
teams going back several seasons
has been very poor indeed. We all had the
right to be fearfull before the City game.
There was the usual prematch gung ho stuff but
nobody was seriously picking an Arsenal win.
Like how many fans truly believe Arsenal
will win the Champions league this term?
Are any of you two prepared to put your house
or your most precious possessions on Arsenal winning?
No I thought not.
PS. Calling people haters is childish.
@ davidnz well said lad…it has been painful for us FANS to watch ARSENAL play against the big teams for years now, coming to these games not expecting to win but just not get beaten to the pulp.
Tactics, Players in their natural positions, Subs @ 60 mins, THIS Was all we asked from our Coach, he did it and here are the results…We always knew we had good Players we just needed the leadership to make the team work.
WENGER is heading the right direction, pressure from the FANS it’s absolutely the reason he is changing his thinking, let him follow through and the AOB revolution will end, hopefully clinging a EPL championship, if not this year in the next two.
@Godswill
Exactly.
Flamini – 4
“He didn’t really do anything defensively and had the easiest of chances to cut back a pass to Giroud for the third goal but somehow allowed a City player to block it.”
Allowed? what? allowed? Kompany put a magnificent piece of defending to block the pass. He tracked the play and did what a world class defender does.
Flam made a run like a top winger to get into space, shrugged off a defender and crossed the ball.
You are very loose with your description or you have never played the game..
@AIYD
Well said.
true,
did Arsenal win over defending champs man city???? Anyone with reliable information to please confirm. Thanks all, I love u all bar Wenger
Agree with the Flamini point, but personally I was disappointed to see him that far up field, we just needed to keep it tight, I hope this is the benchmark that wenger and the players set now, and also get Coq and Belerin signed up on long term contracts NOW
We need to prove this was no fluke by beating chelski and Liverpool at home and then go away win at old Trafford achieve that then u can say that after 5 years we have finally learnt how to play against the big clubs!
Wenger Out!!!
I can’t stop smiling . Wenger did everything right.He derseves a 10/10.
michael owen f**k you
we won city in etihad
what is your next prediction?
aston villa 4-0 arsenal?
Can people see why some of us keep saying Sanchez is not a finished article yet and that he still has got to improve his game?.. He is very good but he can even get better..
Me and some few gooners on here keep pointing out his weaknesses being Holding onto the ball for far too long and his link up / passing game. He has got some of the worst passing in the final third, for example, He will try 7 easy passes in the final 3rd and only get 2 through…
If he can work on his link up and passing then the sky is the limit for him..
But very good performance from the team. I still can’t accept and believe that this was out Arsenal. Where the hell did we get that maturity, heart and fight from. Came from absolutely out of the blue..
I am still in shock, I’ve never been so calm and cool away to a big team like I was yesterday, I absolutely felt so comfortable and never in any danger throughout the whole game (apart from the first 10 minutes of the second half where we tried to get the second goal to kill the game off). It just felt so comfortable and felt like we only had to get hold of the ball in small spells of the game and we could score. That’s how I felt..
Good game GUNNERS..
With all the excitement of such a solid performance and looking to a better future, some seem to forget the ARSENAL of two months ago, back then SANCHEZ literally took the team on his shoulders with very little or support from the other players…back then it was a ONE man team, for sure we would not be in the top 5 if it wasn’t for his drive which he could not find from no one else in the Club. He was passing the ball but no one was able to finish, which was noticeable how it frustrate him, so he took it on himself and that was the team Dynamics back then. If we continue playing as a team like we did Sunday I believe that sooner rather than later he will adapt and be more of a team player, he brought in a winning mentality, zero mental issues against the big teams hope he inspire other players…and NO I have nothing wrong to say about SANCHEZ
I must be honest with you guys I was surprised when i saw the formation with everyone in behind the ball i was confident we were going to win
Well done to all particularly with the freezing cold weather but need to see more of Assertiveness Arsenal
we had to will and we did. just like a top club would do. off topic … Hate manure they don’t desreve to be on 4th this season. they have the most boring,shabby and dull football of the top 7 teams.
Outrageous performance from Cazorla. There’s no way Ozil can come back and displace him as playmaker. Don’t even try it. But Ozil’s not exactly the most effective player on the wing. So can he even get back into the starting lineup , assuming no more injuries to midfielders?
Different horses for courses. They play different roles against different styled teams.
Ozill will pass weak midfield to death, Santi will take out quick midfielders like Silva.
Different uses for different players.