So a great point against Liverpool to extend our unbeaten run – and it was mostly excellent performances all round against a very organized side. So here are my ratings…
Bernd Leno – 6
Leno played okay but his mishandled palm out set up Milner for Liverpool’s goal. Sill prefer him to Cech right now
Hector Bellerin – 7
He seems to be improving a lot this season, maybe because he is actually getting instructions from Emery?
Shkodran Mustafi – 7
I thought he would be the weak point beforehand but he actually had a very good game. Please keep it up…
Rob Holding – 8
I thought the youngster was excellent and should be our first choice centre-back from now on.
Sead Kolasinac – 6
You could tell he was not quite up to match speed but tried very hard to get forward once we went behind. Good comeback game.
Granit Xhaka – 8
He is certainly settling in to an excellent partnership with Torreira and looks much more comfortable this season. Good game Granit!
Lucas Torreira – 8
He has to share the plaudits with Xhaka as they are an excellent team together. If those two stay fit we could go a long way..
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 5
Mhki seems to be lacking a little confidence lately and I was glad when Iwobi came on…
Mesut Ozil – 7
Showed glimpses of his brilliance but didn’t stamp his authority against an organized Liverpool defence.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 6
Our strikers were mostly anonymous for most of the game, but Auba managed three attempts but was given little space.
Alexandre Lacazette – 7
Lacazette was also smothered but he produced one moment of brilliance to save Arsenal. Always a danger if given half a chance.
Subs
Alex Iwobi – 7
Only 20 minutes but looked very lively
Aaron Ramsey – 5
couldn’t make any impression
Welbeck N/A
Short cameo but had little effect
Leno was a bit shaky and sloopy,mikhi not at his best but the other nine were top notch;We should win at home thuogh….
I think Mustafi’s rating should be the same as Holding, because Mustafi made many crucial tackles and interceptions. Holding has been doing good, apart from two handballs in the previous matches, but Sokratis should be the first choice CB due to his experience
Kolasinac should have higher rating because he was good offensively and forced Klopp to move Salah to the front
Ozil seems to be emulating Ramsey’s flicks lately. I wish he dropped back more frequently in that game and split Liverpool’s defense with through balls, but he was under a lot of pressure
Tot Leno was unlucky for the goal. There was a deflection and Liverpool was just lucky.
it was mindless from him and Liverpool were gifted a goal out of nowhere
Disappointed Leno didn’t attack the cross and take the ball in both hands, rather than punch.
Leno did the best he could, he palms the ball and it’s going to Sead before it hits Holdings heel and moves to Milner. Allison did the same and Mhki miss- controlled it.
I think Leno kept us in the game and deserves at least an 8.
?
So he shouldve let the cross go over to Salah? He did well, midfielders shouldve been on the rebound.
Pool have scored plenty ofof goals like that when the keeper DIDNT intervene with the cross.
Agreed, the speed of ball made it very hard to catch. He had to make a decision in a flash.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
Leno a 7 for me. Two crucial saves and great distribution. Not totally his fault for the goal either. Calling him mindless is ridiculous.
Leno’s weakness is his decision making compared to Czech. In games like this, it is a hard decision, but I think Czech would be better, especially in organizing the back, as the player know he knows the game. Another area, for example, he would pick the counter attack path faster, and throw the ball to the correct MF. Leno even messed some of those. I think Leno is younger and needs to know the team better and understand the game better.
Emery is lucky to get away with it so far.
We could have won this with Czech playing less from the back, along with Welbeck starting in place of Mkhitaryan, who is good for Europa L now. The Auba-Mhki connection takes place in a difference league, and I was wrong to expect it to re-kindle. Mkhitaryan is also desperate to score, to be relevant. Welbeck is much better: speed, work ethic, scoring, being unselfish, tough…
Having Welbeck being a viable threat along with Laca and Auba would have freed Özil to do his work better to distribute to a fast forming trident as the wings transition to attack position with the striker. Welbeck would have been a threat in front of Kolašinac, making the latter more potent. Welbeck would have make most of their counter attacks difficult too with his speed. Mkhi does not have the speed, and should be use as a back-up to Özil.
Now add that left side threat with Welbeck to the Bellerin attack from the right that was occurring and we could have destroyed Liverpool, whose defense is suspect when you get behind them, and that is possible as they play that high line. Emery misses on how to exploit the high line with raw speed, while exposing Arsenal to it. Lucky Emery not have conceded three!
It is all about creating mismatches, which Emergy does not seem to get. We loaded only one wing yesterday, so Liverpool gratefully took the point away and could have had more.
Emery is excellent at working the players and getting more out of them, but he is tactically naive compared to the top coaches. So far Emery have improved side by simply being the coach, focused football on the field, while not worrying about the club. Nice luxury to have, but he needs to be tactically better.
Wow !
Sounds like u manage a football team,
Which please ?
You can manage any team in FIFA2019 and spend much more timeplaying games then to watch real football.
Did you actually watch the same game as me?
Leno was very unlucky that his clearance was deflected straight into the path of Milner who scored.
I cannot recall one instance since he took over from Cech, where we have played ourselves into suicidal positions by giving ridiculous passes to each other in defence.
Leon isn’t scared to clear it out with one kick if required and he has the ability to see sensible passes to his defenders that allows them to press forward.
Your point regarding Welbeck and Mak is quite different I think.
There could be a case for what you propose, it does make sense.
But after yesterdays performance from the team, let’s just be positive and bask in the knowledge that Emery is still assessing the players and formulating the best formations.
Klopp, on the otherhand has had four seasons, spent more on a goalkeeper than we spent on five players and we matched them in EVERY department.
Just a shame that the oil money and the russian rouble has made it nigh on impossible to compete in the transfer market, but if anyone can Sven can!!!
Maks, what is fifa2019…blow football? (that one is for Kenny and Jon).
Ken, agree with most of your comments, but I have concerns over Leno, we are in this era of expecting goalkeepers to be additional outfield players, we have also inherited the flap slap and punch of European keepers. Not so long ago we expected our keepers to stop the ball going in the net and then distribute. The likes of Wilson and Seaman used to be good at catching the ball and distributing quickly, via their hands. Why do we encourage flap and slap keeping which regularly ends in the ball falling to an attacker. Please let’s coach them to catch the bloody thing.
That’s a really good point and something I haven’t considered before.
I suppose it was due to ball being thrown further than the back four, but in essence your correct.
“Safe Hands” sums it up and another classic example was Pat Jennings who had shovels for hands and caught absolutely everything, sometimes one handed I recollect!!
Furthermore, the fact that it is, essentially British goalkeepers who catch rather than flap makes your observations even more pertinent.
Good spot Mwsupporter….food for thought.
OT
REISS NELSON is doing wonders in Germany.He’s may be one of the players of the season right now and he is yet to turn 19!!!!!!
Arsenal have some excellent young players coming through alongside Nelson including Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Maitland Niles and a few others.
With that in mind I suspect our budget will be spent on a top class centre back and left back which is where we need strengthening.
With the result yesterday I am just happy to see Merson embarrassed – although he does a good enough job of that himself every time he opens his mouth…
Agree, top class CB and LB then watch us go!!
Absolutely correct, perhaps we could even look at a WORLD CLASS PLAYER?
So pleasing to see that the long term planning that took place over the years is starting to come to fruition.
Thanks to all those visionaries who will give Emery the chance to build his own dynasty, whoever they were!!!
Could we even have the same outcome that Utd had in the nineties?
Arsenal played 90 minutes of football and was a notch above the most energetic team in the league only because we started Miki, Auba, Ozil and Laca for the first time I suggest the coach give them a chance to gel and not follow some fans who thinks Everytime iwobi lights up the Emerites he should start the next game. Miki gave us a good starting balance let’s give the guy another go can only get better in time. How much games have we started poorly until yesterday?
Don’t forget iwobi still light up the emirate yesterday with his defence splitting pass that resulted to the equalizer.
Have to admit I thought Miki was our weakest link. I was a bit shocked at his decision making and skill level in this game and also doubt Aubamayang as a left winger is better than Iwobi in that position.
I do like Ozil as nr 10 which does make room for Miki on the right wing.
We shouldn’t give a chance to the player who light’s up the Stadium and the match
But give it to the one who “would get better in time”
Wow !
I think lighting up every Stadium, every match, every time is better than waiting for “would get better in time”
Anyway, I am just too glad to silence the idiotic Liverpool fans who were bragging that they are going to eat us for lunch.
They are on par with Manure supporters on their last lhey days.
Reiss Nelson, Guendouzi and Smith Rowe will be important players in our future I think. Bags of talent. Hopefully they will get lots of experience with no major injuries
I hope we beat liv @ anfield, if we lose its the same as Wenger days vs klopp draw @ home, lose away
Leno – Can a player be blamed for a deflection? He gives me more confidence than Petr.
Ozil – I thought he showed me one of his better big game performances. He worked hard, good body language and created chances. He is best as a 10 rather than out wide. Never been a great fan of his in big games but he can deliver this level of dedication in all games, he would start for me every game.
Torreira – the one player I think we can’t lose to injury. I just love what he brings this team.
Xhaka – Is a different player when he has Torreira next to him.
Emery – Is there a foreign manager who has had a greater impact in a top 6 PL team in a shorter period of time? I don’t Pep or Klopp or Van Gaal or Moureen have done better.
“Arsenal fans react to Henrikh Mkhitaryan display against Liverpool”: that is a dose of what is to come if they fail.
But, the expectations are so low for Emery!
We should know that Le Prof left Arsenal in very good shape removing his English dead wood carefully with profit.
We should remember that this Arsenal team has top three attacking talent! A world glass goalie in Czech, and a classy mid-field for many occasions. It was missing a stronger defense with that seemingly solved by Torreria
Emery is lucky to get such a team. Like many new coaches in many top teams the initial reaction is good. Chelsea has done better with Maurizio Sarri and they won with Conte.
So please stop with this Emery stuff, it is pathetic.
JJ Pawn…. one of the last of Wenger lovers who have guts to still prise him after Emery is showing day after day with the same players totally different team (spirit, work ethics, tactics) keeping Arsenal’s fast technical football style.
Wenger is OUT!
Not different… you make it sound that Wenger got us relegated with no silverware.
Facts matter, over silly emotion.
JjPawn and Maks, you are both correct in different ways.
AW players (excellent aquasitions) Emery’s tactics and coaching (excellent teambuilding).
So let’s sit back and enjoy the ride!!!!!!!!
How long are we going to keep looking backwards rather than forward? I may as well say that Rioch left Wenger a very good squad to inherit; ancient history.
Very poor ratings which our players did not deserve. Very bad judging by the author of this post!
The only one who is at fault at Milners goal is Leno himself. He obviously decided a bit too late to catch it, therefore he only managed to puss it not far enough, so it ended on Milners path. Before that he made that awful exit at that set piece which almost costed us a goal at Van Djikes header, which hit the post. Overall I prefer a fit Cech than Leno, who doesn’t gel yet good enough with the rest of the team. The only reason that he is starting in front of Cech is cause of Emery’s persistence to keep playing from the back, whereas we don’t have capable defenders to do that anyway and sooner or later it is going to be fatal for us, cause all the teams will push us up high cause they know that this is our weakness. So I suggest to stop trying to be City, till we do buy some proper defenders who are accustomed to this style of play, like Pep did two summers agi and went on to win the league. Till then I suggest that Cech starts our games and he plays some mixed balls, cause we do have some target players who can bring the ball down and start the play from the opposite third end. Leno will hopefully learn alot from Cech and is for sure our keeper for the future.
Iwobi gets only 7 like for real???
Torreira + Chaka (Present) = Gheundozi + Nile (future)
Arsenal has a list of good midfielders. That i am sure of
Leno can’t blamed for that goal, was unlucky, he kept us in the game coming out to save Van Dyke and Firmino’s shots on goal. Had He not reacted those two should have been goals no doubt. He save Van Dyke’s header from a corner which was for sure going in. So how can he blamed, we are more assured with Leno in goal, he is impressing, reading the game well, spot on with distribution and has good reflexes too. I’m to happy to have him. Our weak link in the game was Mikh. I think this was the best Arsenal game in a long time. Good game lads, with a few additions i.e top class winger , center back and midfielder( Ramsay upgrade) we will be up there with top teams.
If one cant see what Unai has done, then you are as well go out and support any other team of your choice . Big up, thumbs up to Unai, he has put a smile on our faces us as fans.
I’m surprised to see anti-Arsenal camp were still keen to debate about the disallowed goal.
Mark Clattenburg claimed the goal should have stood. But perhaps he should remember interference with play is a subjective things and things could be interpreted in either way. Mane was so closed to the ball and it all depends on where you are looking at.