So a dour display by Burnley was matched by our battling side and we gave as good as we got. The 3 points was made even sweeter by Chelsea and Man City losing. Come on Everton this afternoon!
Anyway here are my rating for our win over Burnley..
Leno 6
Burnley only had two shots on target and one was the goal and the other was saved well, so it is difficult to rate Leno !
Maitland-Niles 6
The youngster is getting better with more game time, but he must be desperate to actually play in his preferred midfield one day!
Sokratis 7
Great game! The Greek’s fighting spirit is what we have lacked for years. He takes no prisoners and looks like captain material to me.
Monreal 6
Getting back to fitness and was improving until going off injured. Let’s hope he’s back quickly.
Kolasinac 8
He is looking like he is returning to top form. Stay fit!
Xhaka 6
Had to move back into defence after Monreal went off but showed his ability more often than not.
Elneny 5
Mo is better than this, but that will only come with a regular run of games.
Guendouzi 6
The youngster was targeted by Burnley and showed grit, but couldn’t do too much creatively
Ozil 7
I’m glad to see he is fighting for his place back. He looked very hungry especially in the first half. Great vision on both goals.
Lacazette 7
Really wanted to score and deserved too. He wasn’t too happy being taken off though..
Aubameyang 8
He is certainly proving his worth. A true goal-getter and full of confidence. MOTM for me.
Subs:
Lichtsteiner 6
Again played out of position but did well considering.
Torreira 6
Settled the defence when he came on. And just wait until he gets used to the EPL. He will be awesome!
Iwobi 7
Didn’t get involved much but took his chance well. Hopefully this will help his confidence grow a bit.
Auba does what he does:scoring!!!!
I agree with the author, Aubameyang is the MOTM
His second goal shows his finishing skill in the box and made Arsenal lead
Lets remember the conceded goal was because Torreira failed to boot it out. Just keep it simple inside our box and boot it out somewhere there arent opposition players!
Hope we can,continue our winning ways against Brighton.
And come on Everton!
I thought he should’ve left it for Xhaka to put it out for a corner. Xhaka was in control of it, or he would’ve been only he thought Torriera could clear it up field, but there was too many bodies. Torriera should’ve known that, whereas Xhaka was facing Torriera almost.
It was one of those things though, it’s in him to just attack a threat, you don’t want him to relax that instinct. Unlucky, but yes he was at fault.
I feel Lich was more at fault, he was our Right CB and their goal came from a player who was in the area Lich should be protecting but he is a pathetic CB and IMO he is the one who cost us, not Torreira.
Watch how Lich ball watches and gets dragged more central rather than paying attention to his role and players moving around him who he should be aware about.
Oh and Xhaka wasn’t aware of their number 28 who was coming in on Xhaka blindside, Torreira was as he was facing that direction and he could either leave it for Xhaka to lose or attempt to clear it.
I has great hopes of Licht when he joined us, given his playing pedigree and having won the Seie A with Juventus seven times. But though he is still fit enough(in general) though clearly not fast, his fighting qualities apart, he has been a big disappointment overall. At 34, he was always going to be a stopgap and he has fulfilled that role, in a manner of speaking, but how we urgently need, to build a proper outfield defence, two (at least) CB’s of real quality and a top FB on both flanks.
I did as well Jon, part of me had hoped that maybe he could do a decent job at CB if he applied his experience but some players are not CBs and Lich is one of them.
I don’t want to just moan about him as I do feel his mentality has helped our team a lot, he has that fight and seeing our team stick up for each other, it is nice to see that desire to fight for each other.
Nicely summed up Midkemma.
??
Let us remember the truth dude.
Torreira wasn’t doing tricks, he kicked the ball with intention to clear it, as soon as he kicked the ball it was intercepted and clearance failed, Lich failed to follow a player in behind and they got their goal.
Torreira was weak in the 50/50 which is not what we are used to seeing but I do feel it is harsh blaming him when he did kick it to clear it.
Watching it live, I only got one view of it, I maybe wrong but agree with Break-on-through that Xhaka had control of the ball and should have cleared it. Sitting behind the TV gantry gives me access to the television monitors and my view of those gave me no need to change my mind. Like to add AMN is definitely no fullback. Lose the ball for being to casual in midfield is ok if you have defenders behind you, but to do the same in the back four is criminal and a disaster waiting to happen. Also aplaying as a central defender, what’s Xhaka doing taking corners? They hit us on the break and he’s still strolling back from the corner flag.
Yes
I think your ratings are spot on for the top3 players yesterday,but remember ozil getting bashed against Southampton for that goal conceded and look at torreira yesterday ,like mclovin said he was totally at fault for that goal so for me that rating is a little favourable towards him
Iwobi 7.5
Showed great composure and finished well to make the game secured. Surely helps his confidence grow.
Hahaha?
You most be joking with that score ,he couldn’t really miss could he ?
I will admit he did get me out of my seat for the 1st time ,only if it was to go collect the sky remote from the other side of the room .
Oh come on now! Your hero deserves at least an eleven out of ten surely! He ran the whole game yesterday scoring a hat trick and laying on five goals, as he always does. In your wet dreams!
Kolasinac MOTM for me!
He was a monster, in all definitions XD
See Cork chicken out and give Kola a hug? XD Brilliant!!!!!
It was hilarious Midkemma!
?
?
I was reading from an ex player off Che or someone, can’t remember. But he was saying that he gets mad or angry or something, when watching Guendouzi. He said he rarely ever seen someone that young with the ability and confidence he has. He said he’s too good. What I love about him is his dominance, or his potential to be a hugely dominant player. He never hides, he receives allot of the ball and like Admit leaned towards, he’s starting to get targeted by other teams as one to watch closely. Ramsey, I liked how Ramsey had that neverhide attitude, but Guendouzi is much more comfortable in possession than Ramsey. That’s when you’re looking and thinking, he’s 19, what dominance he shows at times for a teenager. He has some stuff to figure out still, they all usually do. Smoothen some rough edges, like when he learns to control the tempo, shooting up the pressure in a first half before taking the sting out of the second one, he’ll be some player. He reminds me of Vieira, he was 19 too, and dominant. Different players of course but in many ways they remind me of one another.
I read that too.. it was Berbatov. Totally agree with what you say about Guendouzi… what a gem ?
“ARSENAL star Matteo Guendouzi ‘p****s’ ex-Tottenham star Dimitar Berbatov off – because of his talent and confidence.”
I read the same article I think 😛
Your comment has been describing Guendouzi’s talent
I agree that he is very good in ball possession, maybe currently the best ball controller at Arsenal, along with Torreira and Iwobi
His dominance in midfield reminds me of Paul Pogba and Mousa Dembele
My two biggest moans about Guendouzi is his physical strength and how often he plays the ball back, when he looks forward and he can see a pass then he makes it and he can pass very VERY well ^.^
Experience and physical experience.
For a young lad I recognise it experience which he can and will gain, I do feel we are lucky to have him and I am sooooooooo eager to see a CM trio of him, Torreira and AMN.
Guendouzi and AMN worked well together at periods down the right hand side which was promising.
I would stake my life on Guendouzi having a great career. At 19 he is exceptional, as you said so well, and so involved in every game , even though he has many rough edges. But his appetite, mobility, ability to change direction of play and will to win is Viera like. We should sign him up RIGHT NOW to a very long term contract.
Be nice to see Theo score a goal today…
Ah dear Theo. How I have always adored him! Now he is gone, anyway. But let us all hope he scores a hat trick! If he does I may even take his picture off my dart board. And buy him a Christmas present! Stranger things have happened, as I said to my ballerina before partnering her in Swan Lake!
I did think as I wrote it that the chances of it happening are slim… but you never know!
Omg he’s only done it!!! Get that picture off your dartboard Jon ?
?
Concur with views on Lichtensteiner who is clearly past it.AMN did fairly well but he must apply himself more to his defensive duties when deployed at right back of right wing back.For a young guy he exudes confidence which borders on complacency at times.Great future ahead for him and Guendouzi who could do with a rest soon.
Bonaroca:- Have observed an improvement in this Arsenal team since Mr Emery has taken over,but have observed that the habit of sending the ball backwards is still very evident with the result being drawn games as per against S’ampton. Still the improvement is there but it seems that Management are obsessed with wide players (which we used to call wingers) In my humble opinion what Arsenal need is to reconstruct and strengthen the defence,
I remember the famous critic Willie Meisl used to say, show me your half back line and I will show what a team you have. Admittedly Arsenal have those kind of players to fill that gap. Ozil could be really the playmaker, but what is happening there are two centre forwards, when in actual fact one should alternate as playmaker then obviously that would be the right move to have to fast moving wingers. Mr Emery has the material to compete, its up to him how to use them. I have been an Arsenal supporter since 1946 and have watched some famous teams playing in my younger days, since inception of the TV as an ‘I/V’ I watch all Arsenal matches.
Wish all Arsenal and its Supporters a Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year.