Huddersfield v Arsenal Player Ratings – Maitland-Niles gets my vote

Hi dear Just Arsenal fans, I am really sorry for the delay in getting articles on but my last resort had rubbish internet. I am seriously hoping that it is a lot better in my new place. I am in one of the last undiscovered beaches in the Phillipines (Long beach, San Vicente, Palawan) and there is just one bar in ten miles of empty beach! Nightmare lol!

Anyway I have managed to watch the game on Arsenal.com and I can now share my ratings for the very poor, but efficient-ish performance where we actually got a win away from home. It wasn’t pretty and the fact is that we were quite lucky to get all the points, but at least we were not as bad as Chelsea. Bye bye Sarri….

Anyway here are the ratings, and I will get some more articles on as long as the internet works!

Leno – 7
Very little to do in the first half, but did his job well in the second…

Mustafi – 4.
I think we just have to accept he is not up to EPL standard, and he obviously has no confidence every time he plays. The sooner he is back on the bench the better as far as I am concerned…

Koscielny – 7.
I didn’t think he would come back so strongly. He was definitely our best defender…

Monreal – 6
Another one I’m glad to see back, but still needs to get up to speed. Our saviour in the second half..

Maitland-Niles – 8
A couple of mistakes but our busiest player. He is a future star for sure.

Torreira – 5
Lucas has gone right off the boil and I am worried that it is something more than the pace of our League. He looks like he needs a long rest considering how awesome he was at the start.

Guendouzi – 6
He has a lot of responsibilty at the moment but is coping well. Another brilliant buy but needs time and more support.

Kolasinac – 6
I’ve always said he’s a rubbish defender, but can be a real asset going forward.

Iwobi – 6
Scored a lucky goal and was trying hard, but please someone give him some shooting practice.

Lacazette – 7
Top performance with little support. Great to be in the right place for his goal.

Mkhitaryan – 6
Good first half but looked very tired in the second. Not bad for first game back…

Subs:

Elneny – 5 Not very effective but I would say he was better than Torreira!
Suarez – Didn’t see much of him for a rating.
Willock – N/A.

85 Comments

  1. Koscielny man of the match for me -8
    Iwobi probably the worst -2
    Team performance Not that great -5
    Manager rating -5

      1. I am certainly NOT an Iwobi fan club member, not being a Nigerian, as most of his fan club are, BUT to award a two out of ten is biased in the opposite direction. I always prize the truth, above biased nonsense in either direction. The truth is that he has improved , is hard working, is a far better dribbler than before, BUT is still caught in possession too much, runs down blind alleys often, cannot shoot except straight at the keeper or miles wide. I thought his perf worthy of a six. Two is nonsense, as also is his star billing by almost the whole of entire Arsenal fans in the biased Nigerian nation.

            1. Hilarious! Not your comment though but your clear bias! Why not be more measured? It is the mature and responsible thing to be, that is if you want most fans to take your comments seriously.

            2. @Dan Kit poor attempt at exaggeration followed by even poorer attempt at humor. Iwobi may not be good enough but his football is much better than your exaggeration and humor(?)

    1. Iwobi scored and caused a lot of problem for Huddersfield’s defense with his runs/ passes, so he deserves at least 7

      He said he is a CAM, therefore I hope Emery would assign him there sometimes

      1. ????
        “A cam”
        And you believe him just because he said it ?
        He might think he’s a cam but he won’t be no good as one

          1. What the use of double negatives usually shows is the lack of education. This self same lack of education is often found in people who use biased, rather than properly thought through comments. Dan kit is a good example of that.

            1. ????
              I’m going to take you’re comment with a pinch of salt Jon because I dont want to fall out with you again ,maybe take my comment with a pinch of salt aswell Jon ,you never know you might crack a smile ?

    2. Iwobi was worst player on the pitch yet scored and got into great positions. Alright. He had a rough second half but you exaggerate. I’ll never understand the Iwobi hate. There are so many players that put in far worse performances on a regularly and get a pass. And so people dont put words in my mouth I’m not saying Iwobi is the greatest thing since sliced bread. He is an inconsistent player, but he’s had an alright season so far yet still needs massive improvement if he wants to be a starter next season.

      1. So you’re happy finishing 4-6th position every season then ?
        The quicker we get these sub par players out this club the better we will be

        1. And what exactly gives you the confidence
          that Emery will be given the financial support
          to necessarily improve the 1st team roster to
          realistically compete for the top 4 each year?
          In his first window, following yet another
          season of missing CL futbol and the exit of
          the clubs most successful manager Emery
          was given less money than what VVD cost
          Pool the previous January to resolve serious
          issues at GK, DM, Winger and CB. Upgrades
          that would cost realistic top 4 aspiring teams
          to spend between £150-£200M. A few examples:

          Pool
          VVD—£75M
          Alisson—£62.5M
          Fabinho–£42M

          City
          Ederson—£40M
          Laporte—£57M
          B. Silva—-£45M
          Gundogan—£27M

          Arsenal bought 4 good players in Torreria, Leno,
          Socratis and Guendouzi and each has been impressive early in there AFC careers but are
          there collective ceilings as players high enough
          to form the foundation of a future EPL winning
          side. I have my doubts, and with the rumored
          transfer kitty available this summer how exactly
          can Arsenal afford to bring in the necessary
          quality needed at CB, LB and winger. Chilwell,
          Lozano, Rabiot(free) and Jonathen Tah would be
          an incredible summer haul and IMHO would
          immediately make AFC genuine EPL contenders
          but would cost a minimum £115M. A number
          Kroenke would never authorize.

          The whole point of this long winded reply is
          that I do agree that Iwobi may not be good enough to feature prominently at Arsenal but
          sadly the club hasnt shown ambition in the
          last 2 windows to upgrade his position and
          quite frankly Arsenal will NEVER spend the
          required funds to acquire a difference maker
          on the wings like Lozano, Pepe, Unger, etc.
          Another Guendouzi will be there ultimate aim.

          1. ACE, I did NOT find your fully well argued post “long winded.” Not in the slightest. It was a welcome fully and rationally argued post full of sound sense and as such , very welcome. What irratites me is when people come on and post about two words, mostly because theyare incapable of thinking and writing more deeply than that. Well said and well written therefore.

            1. JK, thank you for the kind words and am
              glad my response didnt fall on deaf ears.
              Always appreciate your contributions to
              this site and look forward to future
              conversations and debates over our
              beloved Arsenal.

            2. Wa s that a dig at me. Jon ,seeing you know I’m more than capable of writing more than 2 sentences,but I suppose you only see what you want to see don’t you

              1. The honest answer to your question is NO. I wonder what makes you wonder it though! I am always honest as I see things. ALWAYS! I DO THINK YOUR COMMENTS ON IWOBI WAY OVER THE TOP AND NOT WORTHY OF SERIOUS DISCUSSION. Had you instead, pointed out both his good and weak points there would be far more meeting of minds. From many on here, not just from me. Whether he will ultimately be of the quality a better Arsenal side than now will need, remains to be seen. I have distinct doubts, personally. But I believe that if you were honest with YOURSELF, you would think something along these lines, instead of the hatchet job you wrote on a hard working and keen young man. With his largely Nigerian fan club on the one hand and such as you on the other, the only thing in danger is the actual truth!

            3. Jon Fox…
              more then two words:
              you are free to use this forum as a personal selfconfidance booster but it is funny, believe me, reading your posts “from above” ha ha ha you are funny man, keep going… frustration can be erased but not like this.

              1. Your notion that having spent a lifetime in public attending performing arts, public speaking and writing, including theatre and music reviews, I need this site as “a personal self confidence booster” is indeed funny. Hilarious in its INACCURACY , IN FACT!

          2. ACE I’m not saying I disagree with your post but you conveniently didn’t mention that Liverpool sold Coutinho for well over £100 million.

            1. GB, the Coutinho sale was a fantastic piece
              of business by the Pool brass and definitely allowed Klopp the financial flexibility to add such players as Keita, VVD, Allison and Fabinho to a pretty good side. The sale
              and subsequent splashing of cash by Klopp
              also reconfirmed my growing suspicions
              that an incredible disparity existed between
              the proficiency of both ownership groups
              and the men responsible for making the
              decisions at each club. I spent a few
              minutes on transfermarket this morning
              and stumbled upon the following nugget.

              Total £M spent since 2016
              Liverpool—£81M
              Arsenal—£155M

              I concede that Pool did hit the jackpot by
              flogging Barca for £135M for Coutinho but
              its other bits of transfer business that have
              had a monumental impact on where the 2 clubs stand at the present moment A few more examples.

              Pool Player sales:
              Solanke…£19M
              Danny Ings…£22.5M
              Sahko…£28M
              Jordan Ibe….£18M
              Joe Allen…£15M
              Danny Ward…£14M

              £118.5M recouped for six AVERAGE at best
              EPL players.

              Arsenal
              Ramsey…free (£40M loss)
              Welbeck…free (£15-20M loss(
              Wilshere…free (£20 loss)
              Perez…£4M (£14M) pound loss
              Schez…£11M (starting for Juve, current
              evaluation is probably 3X that sale
              price
              Gnabry….£4.5M ( in and out of the Bayern
              Munich starting lineup, but would
              EASILY be Arsenals best winger
              Evaluation northwards of £30M

              An embarrassing £18.5M TOTAL recouped
              for 6 players, 2 of which would walk into
              the starting 11 if they weren’t imho
              prematurely moved on.

              Its mindboggling how a storied club like
              Arsenal, the biggest in Lindon imho could
              be run so criminally by the likes of Gazidis
              and co. for so many years. They all should
              be tarred and feathered outside the
              Emirates. And it’s no big surprise that Pool
              are in such a healthy position considering
              the collection of talented exec’s they have
              calling the shots over on Merseyside.

              1. Yet another of your fine and well constructed posts Ace. More and more Gooners worldwide are now fully realising the financial disaster that Gazidis was. The damage this smarmy snake oil salsman did to Arsenal will take many years to fully erase.

              2. Damn!!! Ace! On that list, seeing Gnabry makes me cringe so much.
                I questioned why we were letting him go, at his age, only proper winger we had that could make use of the ball and very tricky, sadly he got injured.. and loaned him out, and then we sold him for peanuts.
                Gnabry would be a starter for this Arsenal team, Bayern Munich got him on time, they’re chasing Calum Hudson-Odoi.. if the get him, they have the Robben and Ribery problem solved. Two young and deadly wingers to lead them for years to come, but my dear Arsenal, the way we handle everything at the club is so so poor and disheartening. Transfers being the worst of it

                1. I agree Eddie… Gnabry at Arsenal was looking like Sane, and then … gone!
                  I did not understand why we let him go? That Ramsey can play on the wing? Hahahhaha

          3. @ACE I agree with your comment. Just to add to that, I’d say even though our team is nowhere near acceptable standards yet and is way too unbalanced, the four signings Torreira, Guendouzi, Socratis and Leno are superb value for money I think.

          4. Arsenal
            Auba – £56 million
            Laca – £46.5 million
            Ozil – £42.5 million.

            Arsenal net spend the last 5 seasons: 289.58 million euros.
            Liverpool net spend in the last 5 seasons: 209.24 million euros.

            Facts.
            Not cherry picking and excluding to tell a false story.
            Arsenal can and will spend but the spending in the past along with recouping money on sales has let us down…

            List sales and see what I mean. Liverpool have spent big butt they sold big.

        2. @Dan Kit I SPECIFICALLY say I think Iwobi isn’t good enough to be a starter next season, I call him inconsistent, and yet you STILL say I am a fan who is satisfied with fourth. Is this just because I wont abuse him like you want me to? Ridiculous.

      2. Remove Iwobi and insert Mustafi, Ozil, Xhaka etc. That has being our way as Arsenal fans. We never see anything good in our players. As for Dan, I know is messing with us Iwobi fans. I’m a ?? Nigerian I guess that make me his fan. As a matter of fact I’m a fan of all Arsenal players.

    3. This is the worst rating I’ve ever seen since the history of ratings. How can someone score a wicked volley, put in 100% and still get a 6?

        1. A “WICKED VOLLEY”?
          I don’t believe even YOU seriously mean that comment.
          Let’s be serious about this player shall we.He tries hard.He puts in a shift every game.Does this make him a Premiere League quality player?Of course not.
          The only reason he plays is because we have nobody else who can play wide AT THE MOMENT.Come next season that will change and where will your love child be then?On the bench.AT BEST.Which is where his Volley would have ended up if it didn’t take that deflection

          1. Iwobi has the Arsenal DNA and will keep improving, come next season he’ll add a new dimension to his game and retain his position in the first team unless you or Dan becomes head coach of Arsenal which is rather unlikely.

            And for the record, that volley was a Robin van persie esque volley and was heading for the bottom right corner. it was the deflection that ruined the beauty of it.

    4. Dan your brain is dead. The level of your bias is beyond reason. Iwobi was the second best player in that game behind Koscielny.

  2. The team were just low of confidence, after get beaten by the Manchester teams and the small goal difference against Cardiff

    If they can get a winning streak from the next four matches, Tottenham could be in trouble

  3. Elneny = -5

    Robbed Lacazette a goal scoring opportunity, lost possession several times, too slow to track back in time..

  4. AMN gave the ball away too many times in really dangerous positions. for such high rating. He looked very good going forward, but his passing can be extremely poor at times. He has to sort that out if he want’s to play in central midfield, because passing accuracy is key in that position.

    I’d give him a 6, as a quality team would have punished his mistakes.

    1. unfortunately he slows the game down and is not a confident passer … another player to go out on loan for a season to gauge whether he really is any good the verdict is out so far for me … couldnt see an 8 star performance here though frankly he was not the worst

      1. His style of play is just not suited for fullback nor the wings hence why I keep insisting that he’s played at CM to develop or not be played at all.This guy earned the respect of Pogba at Old Trafford.His going out on loan should mean we can’t give him game time not to judge whether he’s good enough.Everytime he’s been played at CM He’s hardly ever had a bad game.There was even a game at Southampton(16/17) where he played DM and bosses their midfield.If only he was paired with Torreira who knows what could happen.I even remember that surfing run he had through midfield against Newcastle last season which actually showed once again that he’s a CM.I for o e don’t rate him at any other position and I believe he wasn’t the MOTM.

    2. Yes, I agree he made lots of mistakes but anytime Maitland-Niles has been called upon at CM He’s looked impressive.I remember in the Europa(17/18) how he’d look average average at fullback then Wenger would change his position at times to CM and then he becomes a totally different player.He even bossed the Man Utd midfield which included Pogba and was the MOTM.I rate him higher than Guendouzi because imo he’s better and can do almost everything.Hes physically very ready and to me should be the one to be partneribg Torreira in that midfield.The guy has it all.He just needs the right mentality and proper coaching to fully exploit his potential.

  5. This Arsenal squad needs an experienced manager who all our players will look up to. It’s very hard for Emery to coach people like Auba,Laca, and Ozil who have already made a name for them selves. Hence the reason for young hungry players which is too big a gamble for the EPL. We need proven quality and also to keep the ones we have whilst making them happy. Our young guns like iwobi are not all bad but when the manager bench senior players asking kids like Niles to bear the burden then the fans will turn on them.
    We need our senior players so we can blame them whilst the young ones get a chance to express them selves.

      1. It’s not up to fans to decide who the next manager is. Fans job is to commend the board if we are happy or let them know our concerns if are not simple.
        What does it matter who I like. Will I be given the opportunity to interview my pick. The management have a job to do likewise fans. And am not sure as a fan picking a manager is my duty that’s just a waste of my time. But I do want to cheer my team on with the same passion and pride that I used to do before. And I miss beautiful football because it at least fill you up with thrills after a bad game like against city instead we played worse.

        1. Haha! It’s not up to the fans to decide who the manager should be? Same way it’s not up to the fans to decide who the new players should be? That doesn’t stop fans from listing the players they want. Admit it, you don’t have a clue who you want to replace Emery because there is simply no worldclass manager out there who would accept this Arsenal job with the mediocre squad and transfer budget available to him. Kick out Emery and it is the likes of Arteta who will be in and I doubt he will do any better.

          1. Quantic Dream, you are wasting your time with Jah son and his ilk. They have an agenda in which rational thougjt has no place. I support people having an opinion, but you have to be able to back it up with a reasoned argument. They are the reason I am leaving this site in case their lack rational thought is contagious. I repeat again:
            “Sometimes it is better to stay silent and be thought a fool, than open your mouth and confirm the fact.”

  6. Damn!!! Ace! On that list, seeing Gnabry makes me cringe so much.
    I questioned why we were letting him go, at his age, only proper winger we had that could make use of the ball and very tricky, sadly he got injured.. and loaned him out, and then we sold him for peanuts.
    Gnabry would be a starter for this Arsenal team, Bayern Munich got him on time, they’re chasing Calum Hudson-Odoi.. if the get him, they have the Robben and Ribery problem solved. Two young and deadly wingers to lead them for years to come, but my dear Arsenal, the way we handle everything at the club is so so poor and disheartening. Transfers being the worst of it

  7. Eddie, BM also have Coman and are
    rumored to be interested in Pepe this
    summer.
    I remember when Gnabry scored and ran
    circles around Swansea City a few years back
    at the tender age of 17 or 18. He was Easily
    MOTM. Unfortunately I believe he was injured shortly thereafter and Wenger refused to give
    him a serious look in the first team when he
    returned to the 1st team. A few loans spell
    later, after excelling at Verder Bremen I believe
    Gazidis and Wenger inexplicably decide to
    cash in for the ridiculous sum of £4.5M.
    WTF? And Arsenal, sans Sanchez tenure
    hasn’t fielded a player with the Germans ability
    to consistently attack from the wings.

    1. I really remember his performance against Swansea that day. Away from home as well I think. I really thought he’d get more game time, and yet another player sold on the cheap! I think Gnabry unfortunately came through when Wenger was obsessed with Walcott, and Ramsey on RW, and was that when we also had the great Gervinho as well?

  8. So Aaron Ramsey is British highest earner now after signing a pre contract with Juventus to earn 400k per week, and someone please tell me he’s not good for us to be a squad player?? Someone tell me Juventus would pay him such amount only to put him on the bench??

    1. Eddie, Having lived in TURIN from 1978 to 2000 and supported Juventus FC for most of that time Having
      watched some of the greatest footballers and most charismatic managers of that time I can assure you that Juventus management have not bought Aaron Ramsey to sit on the bench. They have in my experience of Juventus always have a footballing reason when they sign new players,they don’t waste money on non starters.

          1. The Sanchez fiasco has to be the worst of them all! You reject £60 million, after letting your star get down to his last 12 months of his contract, then accept only around £20 million only 6 months later (Miki cost Utd around £30 million, but after flopping, and having a low resale value, I’d say his value at the time of the swap was only around £20 million). What made it even more ridiculous, was that Wenger used Sanchez sparingly in those 6 months! If you’re going to keep your star man, then use him for every bloody minute!!!!

            Catastrophic mismanagement from Wenger and Gazidis!

      1. Pat I’m well aware of that fact, I’ve said it on here before that anyone who thinks Ramsey will be on Juventus’s bench is delusional. I also pointed out how he’s going to fit in perfectly knowing he’s upgrading from playing alongside Ozil-Iwobi-Mhiki-Lacazette and PEA to playing alongside Ronaldo-Dybala-Mandzukic and Douglas Costa, he’s not going to struggle to fit into that team. Good kick to him, he played his card well, and is lucky

      1. Sue it’s scary isn’t it? I’m surprised as well, 400k per fvcking week, this is a player we are letting go for free, really if we see him as useless, what exactly did Juventus saw in him that they had to pay that sort of amount?

        1. I’m gobsmacked Eddie! I know players that leave on a free get a big signing on fee, but 400k a week on top of that is just crazy!! I bet he was rubbing his hands together when he saw that!!
          I wonder what Ronaldo is on then???

          1. Sue, Ronaldo is roughly on around 530k per week… Ramsey will be the league’s second highest earner.
            Lol.. I’ve been talking about upgrading from our players to the likes of Ronaldo and Dybala, talk about the upgrade in salary too!!

  9. If arsenal sells one of Auba, Laca or Ozil before bringing another Superstar through the door I think we will sign another until Emery goes. Now can we actually win anything or even make the top four consistently with a squad full of half decent players like Suarez. I think what most fans underestimated was the love players had for Wenger. Emery doesn’t command the same respect as yet.

  10. Ramsey! Ramsey! Ramsey all over the internet if this is true then he only needs to stay fit until the summer so where does that leave us. Kmt what a mess I guess Wenger and kreonke is to be blamed.

  11. I wonder who will replace Ramsey in the summer! Is it D.Suarez? That would mean Ozil is still in the manager’s plans. Or maybe D.Suarez replaces Ozil and we get a totally new player. Will be interesting to see who we get with our £40M budget.

  12. Your ratings are very much in line with my own.At the risk of being slagged off I have yet to be convinced that Torreria will make it as a defensive mid in the physically demanding EPL.His form has certainly dropped off during the past 6 weeks.As for Mustafi, I do not understand why Emery did not trust Mavroponas to play against a relatively weak side like Huddersfield.From what I can gather the young Greek is highly thought of by most of the coaching staff?.

  13. Ramsay officially signs for juve. Maybe a cup as a parting gift? He likes a good cup win.

    On the match I would give man of the match to Koscieny

  14. I just want clarify something ken. fa cup as a whole when we won it is worth £13,693,500. but arsenal only got £3,397,500 as winners. please get your facts right before posting thanks.

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