Normally the Arsenal player ratings get put up soon after the match has completed but I am glad I waited a couple of days this week because it has assisted me in avoiding a grave error in rating Granit Xhaka.
After the game, I was inclined to rate him low because it did appear he ducked as United scored, however, as we all know now, he did not duck and a low rating for the Swiss international would have been grossly unfair.
Anyway, here are the players rating following the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Bernd Leno 8
I thought he had a good game and the save against Rashford was crucial
Calum Chambers 8
I have seen some places that have rated Chambers as low as 5 amid claims James ran him ragged, well, I must have watched the wrong game because I thought that Chambers negated James beautifully and kept him quiet for most of the game.
Sokratis 6
He did ok considering, think it would be harsh to criticise him for United’s goal, put it this way, he was better than he has been recently, a low bar I agree but even so, he did well in my opinion.
David Luiz 6
Same as with Sokratis, I thought he did well, made no huge errors and basically kept United at bay for most of the evening.
Sead Kolasinac 6
Another one that did ok though he was lucky to escape a penalty, never set the world alight but did his job adequately.
Lucas Torreira 5
What can I say, I was disappointed with the Uruguayan, he should have scored and was fairly ineffective, not sure he is being utilised correctly by Unai Emery.
Granit Xhaka 8
Had a decent game really, tackled well, used the ball well and helped the defence out. Dare I say it? He played like a captain.
Mattéo Guendouzi 6
Average game really, did his usual running around without really changing anything but was efficient in midfield.
Nicolas Pepe 3
I still expect brilliance from our record signing and I will be patient but I will also be honest with my ratings and he was very poor against United. He has to do something soon.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 8
Where would we be without Aubameyang? He is absolutely world-class and yet again gets Unai Emery out of trouble.
Bukayo Saka 7
This young lad is improving all the time and has yet another assist to add to his name. Will not be easy to shift him from the team if he carries on like this.
Subs
Dani Ceballos 5
Average when he came on, really hoping for better from the Spaniard.
Joe Willock 6
Offered some positivity when he came on and like Saka will be an integral part of the team this season in some form.
Reiss Nelson 6
Again, average when he came on, just getting the feeling he is missing his chance.
Errrr?😂😂😂 so according to your ratings Xhaka/PEA MOTM?
Jesus!! I wasn’t among those who quickly said he ducked, and I don’t think he had a bad game, neither did he put up an amazing performance.
Xhaka MOTM performance against Utd really??😂
Saka gets a 7
You called Guendouzi’s performance average and give him 6 just because he didn’t get an assist this time or win a penalty, are you sure you watched him play the game at all?
Xhaka, gets an higher rating when compared to those two kids?
Emery should’ve gotten a 9 then.
The only reason PEA can be allowed to get off with the 8 is because he scored the only goal and his only attempt.
Other than that, he was insignificant in the game
Lol..
He gave Ceballos a 5, yet gave Nelson a 6
Truly he didn’t watch d same game
Gu3ndouzi my MOTM
Emery and the board should just admit they can’t pay Ozil..keeps on saying ozil is weak but uses weaker nelson/willock
Wilock is better than Ozil
And he tries to get the ball back
Sure. Actually if I were Ozil, I would go nowhere. I would stay and see off my contract to every end second of it. After all he isn’t playing to be called for a national team duty. So what’s the meaning and reason of hustling for game time elsewhere? By 2022 he will be 33. At that time, he can go to MLS, His favourite Homeland or China for 2yrs and call it a day! Arsenal management is loosing this indeed. They better utilize 350k per week by playing him because he has nothing to lose.
He still has things to lose- his pride, reputation and legacy. That he is not giving interviews or on social media complaining suggests that he has accepted Emery’s view of him. Let’s hope he puts in the extra effort to get back in the team on merit.
we are talking 350k,you are talking pride and reputation?.. who cares!!!.ozil should sit his ass and go no where… if arsenal and emery refuses to use him..
I would imagine that he cares- at a certain point money becomes meaningless to multimillionaires, he has already earned enough cash to last several lifetimes, so what really matters to them is reputation.
He’s still getting paid though, only for not playing any match. Ozil is a talent, but his not being physical and mentally aggressive for games are his under-doing. If any coach tells you that in several games but you refuse to change, you will not get playing time. You wonder why he’s refused to go on loan, he knows no coach will tolerate that.
I read Barca are interested in taking him on loan
Fingers crossed- they always seem to make a bizarre signing out of nowhere- kevin Prince boateng and paulinho spring to mind
why will he go,when he is collecting free money
Any player who wants to be remembered for his football and legacy would put the effort in!
A player who cares less about the game and is happy not to play football for a living is just a another individual without pride or passion for football or sport.
Ozil is not one of those people. He is professional. He’s not going to sit on a bench and be happy because he’s a “professional” footballer and has more to lose by name than gain in money! Ozil’s problem is the fact that the team he was told by Wenger he would have built around him never happend!! Ozil never got the quality Arsenal needed and “Personally”, I think he faded..
Owen.G, Emery and the board doesn’t have a choice in Ozil’s salary for the next year and half. Not using him is our loss!
He could be referring to appearance fees etc, but I doubt it
Guendouzi’s was our best player followed closely by Saka, sokratis and Luiz had a good game, am not sure we watched the same match.
Obviously not considering you didn’t include Leno in that list
Will not comment much on this but if I were to pick two players out, Xhaka and Nelson were door especially with the former ducking. Pepe wasn’t classy yes but Torreira being played out of position hurts when he is subbed for under performance. Xhaka was supposed to be subbed, Torreira dropped back to DM and Ceballos AM while Guedozzi play CM(b2b) That tactical change at half time could have yield results
I thought Guendouzi was brilliant
Totally agree Sue.
In contention for my MoM !
👍
I thought so too Sue
😊👍 captain material, Pat!
Xhaka wasn’t bad at all but 8 isn’t too high
I give Emery a 4 for picking Xhaka instead of Ceballos or Wilock
We had no creativity
OT……………….Odds have been slashed from 7-2 to 2-7 on Spuds new stadium being sponsored by 7UP!
Hahahahahahaha that is hilarious, Le Coq 👍👍
Very good Le Coq !
By the way, is that (Alan) Sugar free option ?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 brilliant, AJ… 👍
In cockney rhyming slang that lot from down The Seven Two Sisters Road were known as the 4 by 2`s……………………I think the 7 by 2`s is more fitting !
xhaka was okay. 8 is generous. 8 is also generous to Chambers, who did get better as the match went on, but I’d still knock him down to a 7 at most. Torreira concerns are justified and I don’t know why Emery has him playing there. If it was to mark out Pogba, Ceballos can do the same job, and create.
7 at most? Otherwise known as “a Bayern”
Oh these comments tonight are superb 🤣👌
Well we’ve suffered more than anyone over the last few years. Let’s just hope City don’t put 8 pay us at the Etihad or something.
Very true, Nitsram. Haha don’t spoil it by saying that 😆
Nah! you can’t convince me that Xhaka played better than Guendouzi. I’ll only rate him ahead of Pepe for that match.
I think you were actually watching a different game from ours by giving Xhaka MOTM and rating Guendouzi a mere 6….well that’s just your own opinion.
Admin Martin, in a number of cases you are offides with your scores. Not in a month of Sundays could any football authority give Xhaka an 8. You just dont watch this man. He wanders around, slowly mind you, avoids tackling and every now and then makes a good pass. It was absolutely predictable him ducking the free kick.
Guendouzi? He was terrific.The very thing he is, Xhaka is not. A tryer, endless energy, skilled and utterly dertermined. To give him 6 is almost bizarre, especially weighted against the Xhaka 8.
Lol..looking back at that rating, I think Admin was just trolling us. Basically we got comment-baited and fell for it. Well played.
Xhaka got an 8 for his exquisite back passes! He’s a real backpass machine. Pass to me at the edge of the box? Backpass to Luiz. Pass to me at the center of the pitch? Backpass to Sokratis. It’s like Xhaka patented backpasses. 90% of the game he has his back turned against the opposition..it’s like he caught Leno star gazing once and now wants to make sure Leno has his head in the game. Granit Backpass Xhaka.
In all honesty Xhaka played a good game against Man united and was very vocal on the field.
Giving Xhaka 8 is a suicide, How on earth did he do better than Guendouzi, the guy is everywhere, he was fouled countless time, if i could remember at least one of United players got yellow carded for fouling him, he didn’t hide like that crook Xhaka, who dont want fans to batter him again, sideways and pinpoint passes master, worst Arsenal captain of all time.
SALZBURG 😝😝😝😝😝😝
Scousers are drawing 3-3 Sue.
Omg Declan, I’m as excited as I was last night!!
I thought Guendouzi was our best player and whilst I have criticised Xhaka heavily for ducking away from the shot, I was a little harsh and other than that he had a decent game. Leno was close behind Guendouzi for top player. The big disappointment for me has been Ceballos and the way Torriera is being used at present.
Pepe looks like he is out of his depth in this league. We should’ve kept Monreal and sold Kolasinac. He becomes worse with every passing season.
The Salzburg number 9 Hwang Hee Chan is an amazing player. So skillfull and confident on the ball to get out of trouble. Arsenal should get him.
The number 18 Minamino is also just as good. They play with such confidence somehting you rarely see at Arsenal anymore.
On last night`s game…………..there hasn`t been a hammering that hard witnessed in North London since Eriksen arrived home earlier than expected last week !
The jammy gits won 4-3
😁😁😁
Xhaka eight…..8? You watched a different game to me. Xhaka 5 for his best but still boring game for us. Xhaka has not one ounce of creativity, or nous in his mind and he is incapable of any intensity in his game. Two boring teams who bored the pants off everyone. What is Emery doing?
Xhaka, ducked or not, he close his eyes tightly and too scared to face the shoot
Guendozi, actually he was doing great, help attacking and defending, good work rate
Torreira, he CAN’T shoot and shouldn’t be allowed to bomb forward, how many times has he missed a sitter like that?