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Arsenal Player Ratings for Brentford win – Smith-Rowe best of a great bunch

A much needed win for Arsenal but really need to start turning more chances into goals. Wolves will be much tougher…

Here are my ratings…

Aaron Ramsdale: 6
Didn’t have too much to do but looked a bit comical when Brentford scored..

Cedric Soares: 7
Played well as cover for Tomi, and got forward often

Ben White: 8
Had an excellent commanding game at the back and even nearly scored…

Gabriel: 7
Solid in defence and helping out in attack too…

Kieran Tierney: 7
Kept bombing down the wing but didn’t get his usual consistent crosses in..

Thomas Partey: 7
Great to have him back on form, we’re going to need him in the weeks ahead. Had more shots that Lacazette!

Granit Xhaka: 6
A standard performance from Granit, but needs to get used to having Partey alongside him.

Martin Odegaard 8
He seems more commanding every week. Our new engine room..

Bukayo Saka: 8
As always the Little Chili made a nuisance of himself and an excellent goal

Emile Smith Rowe: 9
Saved Arsenal’s blushes by scoring an excellent individual goal. There will be calls for him to start every week now…

Alex Lacazette: 7
Lively as always, but can’t help thinking we need a real goalscorer up front. Hopefully we’ll see Martinelli back against Wolves..

Substitutes:

Pepe: N/A but good to see him get some minutes at last

Eddie Nketiah: N/A (only had 2 touches)

WATCH Arteta’s FULL press conference after Brentford win..

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31 Comments

  1. I feel we need to drop Lacazette for either ESR as a false 9 or Martinelli as an out and out centre forward. I would even try Pepe out upfront as Lacazette just isn’t going to get us the goals to get back into the top 4.

    1. I’m interested to see how ESR would do as a makeshift cf – I think he can do well there but I wouldn’t want to risk it from the start in a league game.

      1. He was unsuccessful as a false 9 against Villarreal in April 2019, but has the physique to make decent CF, although not sure about his heading skills etc. John Radford made the conversion from right wing back in the day. Pepe has been tried there also I think and he’s a better finisher IMO so we do have options from within the squad.

        1. Laca isnt great at winning headers but he is really good at moving the cbs while the ball is in the air and making it difficult, which helps us to win the second ball a lot. That’s the sort of thing we’d need from ESR of GM if they were to play up front. I’d be more confident of ESR being able to do it, but I’d want to see it tried in a less high pressure situation than your average PL game at the moment.

          1. I hope arteta doesn’t listen to most of u dat want arteta to replace laca and I hope he stick with some of us dat wants him remain there till we find a striker like him dat can also score goals. For without him, our fine game play will crumble n poor result will follow. I’m just glad laca’s worth is finally getting appreciated

  2. good performance, I think ESR should be the first name on the team sheet till the end of the season. with our strikers letting us down massively, there’s no way ESR should be starting from the bench when fit.

  3. I agree about Smith-Rowe as the MOTM. The half-space on the left side was open for him to exploit, unfortunately something stopped him from utilizing the opportunities in the first half

    About Xhaka, I heard Arsenal are tapping Fabian Ruiz up to sign him as Xhaka’s replacement or competitor next season. Ruiz isn’t a specialist DM, but he just has around one year left on his contract, left-footed, has years of experience as a key midfield player and is Arteta’s compatriot

    I also liked Odegaard’s work rate and his initiative in high press. Lacazette isn’t threatening as a goalscorer, but his challenges and passes are better than other Arsenal strikers

    1. Gai, that’s the limitation we have with Lacazette, we need CF that can cause panic for defenders. If possible Lacazette should be bench against Wolves ESR and Matinelli should play. A very pacey forward line would cause problems for wolves defenders. Imagine Saka ESR Matinelli with Odegard as midfield Orchestrator. Pepe can also be in the mix. I think we should be unpredictable against Wolves to get any result.

  5. For me odegarrd best player on the pitch, most creative player.
    Great work rate, £30millon is a bargain imo….

    1. We will need more goals from him and Laca. They’re on 4 and 3 goals respectively but becausw our striking issue, they need to start chipping in.

    2. Agree completely ., looking the class act he was billed as a youngster … a bargain at 30m!! Close control vision and composed .. if he can add goals he will be a world class player

      1. The same problem Ozil had(With goals MO would have been in the same level of Zidane….If wishes were horses!!)
        Like the German MO is a joy to watch
        but lacks goals

  6. Lacazette is involved in most of our goals albeit not getting on the score sheet and is all we have got upfront. We need high pressing games to achieve CL spot.

  7. I have previously criticised the decision to bring in odegard. But he has settled in very well. Very good player.

    For top 4 we need to try martinelli or pepe up front simple. ESR must also start every game. The guy is sublime. I would be inclined to go with martinelli as he can pack away goals. But also may give pepe some new life

  9. I think people are missing the point with laca – he’s off form at the moment but his work rate and aggression is making a big difference. The others are playing better because he’s there helping them. Take him out in favour of a better finisher and I think you’ll see a drop in our general play, with fewer chances for that better finisher to score, and less control over the game in general. It’s what happened when auba played up front, often even before arteta took over.
    We all know we need better next season, but we don’t have anyone better than laca for the job right now.

    I thought odegaard was motm yesterday, but ESR was the difference maker. 9 league goals already is an incredible achievement, and we badly needed that from him this season.

    Thought xhaka was better than 6 as well tbh. Very tidy from what I saw, one of his better games.

    2. Couldn’t agree more on every point, Davi.
      I really can’t understand why some fans are still stubbornly saying that Ode is unimportant to the side – he orchestrates everything around the box – in particular he has a great understanding with Saka, has great movement and never stops running.
      Whilst Laca was relatively poor yesterday and as we know can’t hit a barn door, what he gives the team is unique and crucial to the way we play. It’s no coincidence how well the team has performed since he came back in. He is the hold up man, pivot, space maker by dropping deep. I shudder to think how we would suffer with GM trying to replicate Laca’s role. We can’t experiment now with a new system – we must stand or fall by keeping Laca there until the end of the season.
      And yes, when we are struggling against low blocks, ESR and Saka more often than not are the ones creating a little magic. Pepe would be the third, but unlike the kids he’s too disruptive to the overall system.
      Xhaka was not as eye-catching as Partey and certainly doesn’t have the same tricks, but he was essential, never made a mistake and was the perfect foil.

    3. I completely agree with you,Lacs was involved in our goals,dropping back,drawing fouls and taking defenders out of play,as you rightly said ,right now there is no one who can do a better job than him.

  10. What majority failed to realize is that the presence of Lacazette upfront, alone is an incentive to the young ballers, unlike Auba. I think they relish playing along with Laca alot. I just can’t get my head over the fact that some are suggesting that Nketiah be played in Laca’s stead. Yes, we are all entitled to our thoughts but as for me, I disregard such opinion. Even if we want to move Lacazette on, I suggest that we buy a player akin to him, that is, one who can hold the ball and also proficient when it comes to linking up plays. Come on, who cares about Lacazette scoring, in so far as, we are winning and in the top 3. And yes, Definitely within our reach.

    1. I agree, there seemed to be a drop when Laca came off for Eddie, maybe that was what lead to the comical goal, but I am beginning to feel the same about Eddie as I did about Willian, he is being given a lot of chances and only very occasionally showing anything, although without Martinelli, and the sales/loans in the January transfer window, we have very few replacements for Laca when he gets tired

  11. Yes, Xhaka played really well, they all did. I didn’t see anything that would give white a higher rating than Gabriel either. I did notice White making some errors that weren’t punished luckily but probably would’ve been by more clinical opposition.

    Laca, he deserves respect. Not that 7’s unfair, he’s just so down for the team and works so hard. I love him and would give him an extension for a year or two plus 8/10 just for passion and effort.

    Pepe was great also for his cameo, looks like he’s ready to me. The team are playing like they want it. Great spirit and unity, now it’s time for us fans to unite and support the team and manager for the big push for CL.

  12. Laca is essential to the team cause and I doubt whether gM or Pepe can do the same work rate as Laca. The only ting Laca should do and importantly is to improve on his scoring consistency. But he brings so much more into the game with his hold up play and linking with other attackers.

  13. Odegaard played well again, but I’m concerned that for a number 10 he doesn’t contribute enough goals. He’s clearly got excellent passing ability and a great engine but that finishing needs work. For me, his obvious skills would be best used alongside Partey at Xhaka’s expense. Then put Emile at 10 and Gabbi on the left. I think he’d be a huge upgrade on Xhaka at left midfield.

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