Tag: Mertesacker

Ramires out-cheats and out-muscles our midfield: just the sort of player Arsenal are missing!

TotalArsenal

Lack of leadership & organisation cost us again – Ramires out-cheats and muscles our midfield

Lack of leadership & organisation cost us again

Once again, we were beaten yesterday by a set-back. Yes it was a blatant foul by Ramires on Coquelin, and yes Mertesacker should have stepped up quicker, and yes Sagna should have been stronger, and yes Szczesny should have been nearer to the goal-line to have a better chance of saving Mata’s fine goal; but these things happen sometimes. Just like it took our defence ages to organise themselves and adjust mentally to what was required after Koz was sent off against Man City last week, Arsenal once again were unable to cope with early adversity on Sunday.

I accept that Mertesacker is a slow turner and lacks pace in general, but I have always felt he was our best defender because of his organisational skills and special awareness/positioning. I have also said on numerous occasions that Vermaelen is not a good captain, but a great first soldier for the team. Against Chelsea we lacked organisation and order, and this was not just down to our CB’s not leading the team.

Both our DM’s were out-foxed and out-battled by the Chavs’ midfield and as a result did not offer enough protection to our defence. But for me, the main culprits are Vermaelen and Mertesacker, the former as the captain, and the latter as the one who simply depends on his organisational skills for being in our defence in the first place.

After we conceded the first goal, Arsenal were all over the place: our shape and discipline were gone, and Chelsea were able to control the ball for large spells without us having any say in it. Wilshere tried desperately to organise things but was in the wrong position to do so effectively.

The second goal, a penalty scored by FF, was a direct result of the lack of discipline and organisation in our midfield. Ramires was allowed far too much space in our box, and Szczesny, who had spotted the danger, had to cover far too much space. The Brazilian danced around him and when the Pole decided to outstretch his long leg, the former decided to cheat and fall over it.

It was never a penalty, but you can see how the referee was fooled by it. But the most important lesson to learn is that our team deals badly with unexpected set-backs, and it has cost us dearly again.

Ramires out-cheats and out-muscles our midfield

Both Diaby and Coquelin were taught a lesson today by the hard as nails and cheating Ramires. I loved the way Coquelin did not give up and put everything into his game yesterday. However, it was also clear that Coquelin has some way to go, and we only have to look at Ramires’ performance to realise what we are missing at the moment. I thought both Ramires and Mata were a class apart yesterday yesterday; by far the best players at Chelsea at the moment.

Mata’s first touch and finish were sublime for Chelsea’s first goal, but there is so much more to his game that stood  out. His positioning and constant movement are simply fantastic, and so are his positional awareness and work-rate.

Ramires’ is also hard-working and has great positional sense, but on top of that he is streetwise and hard as nails. He put fear into Diaby and Coquelin, even though they both did not give into his bullying too much. Both Diaby and Coquelin missed the battle-preparedness of Ramires, and most of all, the experience of the Brazilian. He got away with far too much yesterday, though, as the referee was incredibly lenient towards him, but his overall performance made the difference in the match in my view.

It is hard to put my finger on what exactly makes the difference between the displays of our DM’s and Ramires, but a lot has to do with timing; as in knowing when a hard tackle  has to be made, and when and who to rile of the opposition. We got this in the past from players like Petit and Vieira, and also from the career-self-destructor Flamini.

Many of us agree that we miss a beast of a DM in our team. We need to find a Ramires type as soon as possible: an experienced one, who can also guide Coquelin to the required level.

It also fair to say that we are simply missing ‘beastliness’ throughout the team. We only collected one yellow card yesterday: compare that with the number of cards by MU against the Spuds yesterday, and you know what I mean.

I don’t mean raw nastiness, but the ability and determination to fight and be very physical when needed; to leave a foot in now and again and rile the opposition a bit; to not just rely on the technical and tactical aspects of our football but also battle for every ball. Wilshere has it, Vermaelen has it, Sagna has it, Giroud has it, but too many don’t have it, and the addition of a traditional DM with some footballing skills, and ideally also, a beast of a CB, would make a world of difference to our team this season.

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No Arsenal team should be called ‘a bit timid’, and no Arsenal team should lack leadership and organisational skills when things are not going our way.

It is time for Arsene to sort it out and he only has ten days left to do so.

Written by: Total Arsenal.

Aus Erfahrung Gut: Podolski and BFG were Arsenal’s first soldiers on Saturday

TotalArsenal

Prior to the North-London Derby (NLD), I posted a blog on how to prepare the troops to go into battle against the Spuds. Having witnessed the unfocussed and disjointed performance by Arsenal against Manchester United only a few weeks ago, I had some doubt with regards to our ability to prepare mentally for the NLD; also taking into account that many of our players had not or hardly played in one.

However, I was totally proven wrong as the team fought like lions all over the pitch.

The attendance of King Henry and a few other great ex-players, combined with the wonderful, joined-up singing of Gooners throughout the stadium at the start of the match, will no doubt have helped tremendously in getting the team totally fired up. But, it was great to see our players playing with fire in their bellies and celebrating our goals like they were not just our players, but also supporters of our beloved club.

The Spuds had prepared well for this game, and hoped that by taking the game to us they would have the upper hand. They were winning the battle in midfield in the first 15 minutes or so, albeit with making fouls every time one of our midfielders received the ball in a bit of space. But, fair enough, the Spuds won more one to one battles than Arsenal did in the beginning, and their 1-0 lead was not totally undeserved.

However, from the moment Arsenal conceded that goal, our heads did not go down but everybody lifted their energy levels and a collective determination to turn it round became clearly visible.

I was especially pleased with the fighting spirit and sheer determination to win this game by our two German Giant Gunners. The expression on the Big F**king Germans face; when he scored the equaliser with a fierce yet well-placed header, totally reflected how we all felt. There was so much Tony Adams in that expression as well!

The same can be said about our other German warrior: Podolski. His corner-flag celebration for the all important second goal, with which he was symbolically putting a marker down for the rest of the game, was just awesome.

Mertesacker had made a mistake – the sort of mistake he will make more often as it is his Achilles Heel – but his determination to make up for it paid off; and more importantly, it set the example for the rest of the team. For me, the BFG has everything to be our captain: vision, hunger, leadership skills, organisational skills, and Arsenal in his blood.

Elliot, a fellow, passionate Gooner I know, who went to the Schalke 04 away game two weeks ago, told me how the BFG came to the away section straight after the game and all the away supporters sang the ‘We have a Big F**king German’ song to him. He was apparently really enjoying it, and I find it rather ironic he would do so whilst being surrounded by many tens of thousands Germans and in his country of birth.

Podolski always works his socks off, despite not feeling overly comfortable in his current position in our formation. He helped out Vermaelen on many occasion and never gave up fighting. His goal was accompanied by an element of fortune, but that is the way it often goes with those who work hard and never give up; and in that respect the Pod’s goal was a well deserved reward. His goal and subsequent full-hearted celebration moved the team and the fans into a happy delirium.

Both, Mertesacker and Podolski played a major part in turning the game round for us; and we are lucky to have two such talented and hard working Germans in our team. Being a Dutchman, I never thought I would say this! LOL. 😛

Total Arsenal.

Last 30 minutes for Wilshere, Giroud or fluid-three, Spuds or Chavs win?

TotalArsenal

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Aaaaaaaaaaah proper football is back again! And what a good weekend of football we can look forward to. The best possible news we could have had, is that little Jack the Giant Killer is fit again. He has arrived in Norwich tonight and with the rest of the first team squad.

Jack or Santi?

Will he play or won’t he, and could he even start tomorrow? It is unlikely that Jack will start, but it could well happen. Santi played almost the entire game against France on Tuesday and might need some rest. Wenger has to consider Cazorla’s fitness as he will definitely need him in Wednesday’s all important CL game against Schalke 04. That is a must-win game for us, as a loss or even a draw would give the others a chance to catch up on us, where a win would get us close to qualification for the next round. Norwich is of course also a must-win game, so Arsene has a difficult decision to make tomorrow.

I reckon Arteta and Ramsey are a given in the starting eleven against Norwich, and it will be either Coquelin or Santi to start. If the former starts then Ramsey will probably play in the ‘hole’ position. I reckon there is still between 10-20% chance Wenger might surprise us all and starts with JW10. I go for Santi to start and JW10 to come on for the last 30 minutes or so.

Giroud or fluid-three?

Will Arsene start with Giroud again, as he did against West Ham? The extra height of Giroud will be very welcome during set-pieces; when we are attacking, as well as when we are defending. I am so pleased OG scored that goal against Spain: it is exactly what he needed and I expect him to play with a lovely lightness of being tomorrow. He came on as a late substitute, so is very fresh and yet full of confidence, which bodes well for Arsenal.

On the basis of this, I would say Giroud will start. However, a fluid three of The Ox, Gervinho and Podolski is also a strong possibility. The latter is a lot harder to defend against for Norwich. Especially Gervinho and Podolski function really well in this system with already nine goals between them in all competitions.

The Ox looked really good against SM, and his confidence seems very high at the moment. I am not sure how fit Gervinho is, but travelling to, and playing in Africa must take a bit out of him. Therefore, I reckon he will start on the bench, as we will also really need him against Schalke midweek.

I will go for Giro, The Ox and The Pod up-front tomorrow. All three are full of confidence and only played a few minutes as late substitutes during the week.

Defence

Although Big Per could probably do with a break tomorrow, I reckon Arsene will need to play him against Norwich. We need as much consistency as possible in defence at the moment, and especially in away games it is too dangerous to give the likes of Djourou – who also travelled a long way midweek – or Miquel a chance. The rest of the defence pick themselves at the moment.

My predicted formation for tomorrow is:

Manone

Jenkinson – Mertesacker – TV – Santos

Arteta – Ramsey

Cazorla (60 min) – JW10 (30)

The Ox – Giro – The Pod

Spuds or Chavs?

What is the best outcome for Arsenal? It is a no-brainer for me: Spuds to win. The gap with the Chavs is too big and we know our North-London neighbours are totally capable of giving away a lead again, however big that might be.

A lot of people believe the Chavs have a very strong team, but I am not convinced yet. It is definitely a good team, but they have not been properly tested as yet. Arsenal made it so easy for them by gifting two very soft goals at the start of each half, which meant it only became a proper game at the end of the second half. Fair enough, Chelsea did not allow us to dominate our midfield for most of the game and were able to punish us severely for our mistakes.

But Arsenal have a decent chance to do well in the PL this season and a win for us, whilst the Chavs get beaten, is just what we need tomorrow.

COYRRG!!

Total Arsenal.

Has Big Per Mertesacker got the potential to become an Arsenal legend?

TotalArsenal

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What a difference a season makes.

From the start I have been a big fan of Per Mertesacker, but it is fair to say that his first season in England, and for Arsenal, had ups and downs. He started to finally settle in around January this year, but then came that game on a dreadful pitch in Sunderland on 11th February, when he suffered ligament damage that kept him out for the rest of last season.

That injury was a big blow to Arsenal’s chances of winning something, as we were eliminated from two cup competitions – the CL (Milan) and FA cup (Sunderland) – in the space of a week.

In previous posts, I have already eulogised about Mertesacker’s ability to read the game so well, to be in the right position almost constantly, and to intercept the ball so easily with his long, Frankfurter legs.

Then there is his enthusiasm and camaraderie: he is a real team player and professional, and in my view a natural leader – who will end up being our captain rather sooner than later.

This season, the fans have finally warmed to the big fabulous German and his praises are being sung by more or less all the faithful and football critics alike.

But there is something else I have noticed about big Per recently, and this is the stuff that we, the supporters, value highest of all: he genuinely seems to care with all his heart.

To cure the dull feeling of no proper football during the seemingly endless interlull, I watched some of our recent games again. I especially enjoyed re-watching the game against ManCity, and also our goal-fest against the Saints. I knew that big Per had played very good games from a technical and tactical point of view, but whilst watching them again, I also noticed how he was totally involved in the game and lived every moment of it.

I recently read again a description of a character in ‘A Suitable Boy’ by Vikram Seth, which made me somehow think of our German Giant: ‘He was a man who had attained tolerance and calm without losing his zest’.

There is something very calm and disciplined, and even neat, about Per’s performances: these are all characteristics we easily associated with German (working) culture, and Mertesacker does not disappoint one iota in that respect.

But there is also a real beast in Per: not the mean, slayer, sort of beast, but more like a beast which is fuelled by the passion to win and get the very best out of himself. Per Mertesacker has a zest for football, a zest for winning, and he fully lives the game.

During the games against ManCity and Southampton, there were three moments for me that epitomised this zest for winning:

Firstly, early in the game against Southampton, big Per came forward for a corner. The ball ended up outside the box and when it was played back in, big Per was allowed a free header. He was a fair distance from the goal and the angle was not great, but he managed to get the ball on target, albeit not hard or placed enough to trouble the Saints’ keeper. He then ran back towards our box and after a few seconds he let out a primal scream, accompanied by a wild/crazy look, indicating great annoyance with himself for not making more of that chance. I loved that moment: it showed he really cared with his whole being.

Secondly, just after Koscielny had scored the equaliser, City attacked our box and big Per tried to prevent a corner. It was obvious he was not going to get that ball, and I think he knew; but he still flung his full body towards the by-line in a desperate attempt to not let the ball pass the line. For me, Per did this purely to set an example to the others: keep fighting for every ball – there is no place for complacency or to rest on our laurels! Once again, I loved that moment: that is exactly what a winning mentally is made of.

Then finally, there was the moment when Gervinho missed that late, late chance to steal all the three points against MC, when he freed himself up so cleverly, only to blast the ball over Hart’s goal. Mertesacker turned away with great disappointment because the ball did not go in. That was not only the disappointment of the player; it was also the disappointment of a fan – of somebody who really loves winning more than anything else.

And these are exactly the reasons I believe Big Per Mertesacker has great potential to grow into an Arsenal legend: he has got everything needed to gradually find an eternal place in our football hearts.

Total Arsenal.

Vermaelen Caught between Bould-dozer and Wenger-Wings

TotalArsenal

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What has happened to our defensive discipline in the last few games? Arsenal started the season so well-organised in defence; conceding just two goals in our first five PL games. But with Vermaelen and Koscielny all over the place against Chelsea, and the Lion of Flanders bombing forward like a total nut-bum whenever he feels like it, it is difficult to say whether Arsenal have made progress or not.

Vermaelen’s kamikazes have been rightly criticised by the majority of the fans. His attacking endeavours against Olympiakos and West Ham – mostly late in the game when we were already ahead, seemed unnecessary and left us vulnerable at the back.

I cannot imagine Steve Bould feeling very comfortable with that, but I have no doubt that TV5 is simply acting on instruction. I guess the theory is to keep attacking in order not to invite pressure on our defence, and by going for a two (or more) goal-lead rather than closing up shop, we have a better chance to finish the game with all three points in the bag.

Bould-dozer has been asked by Wenger to sort out the defence this season, and in order to complete his task successfully, he will surely have doubts about defending a lead with risky attacking football late in the game.

But what is Wenger’s role in all of this? Although Arsene will really want a tight defence – which manager wouldn’t?! – he will also want Arsenal to play attacking, attractive football: to keep its identity. He will also have noticed that except for the goal-fest against Southampton at home, we were simply not scoring enough goals in the fist five games.

Something needed to change, and I reckon Vermaelen finds himself now caught between the Bould-dozer’s need for defensive discipline and Wenger’s desire to play attacking, heavenly football. He is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

In the last two games, we have seen a lot more involvement of our defence in our attacking moves. Gone seems the tight defensive discipline where only one of our four defenders – mostly one of our Full Backs – would go out to support our attack. Gone, seems the conservatism of the CB’s to focus on defending first and for all.

We all got the biggest shock of the season so far, when we conceded two super-soft goals from set-pieces against the Chavs. It just felt that overnight we lost our magic and we were back at the Arsenal defences of ‘recent old’. I reckon a lot had to do with the managers’ decision to keep Mertesacker on the bench. Big Per has made incredible progress in his second season at Arsenal, as his organisational, game-reading and natural leadership skills have all come properly to the fore, and Arsenal appears to be lost without them.

Vermaelen and Koscielny are similar CB’s. They remind me of Gallas, Kolo Toure and Martin Keown: energetic, adrenalin-driven, high levels of stamina, aggressive, strong in the air and on the ground, good tacklers, with good timing and good ability to go forward from a defensive position, if and when there is space for it. Every team needs a CB like this if it wants to be successful.

Mertesacker, on the other hand, reminds me of Sol Campbell, and to a certain extent of Tony Adams:  he is calmer, and has a strong ability to organise his defence and keep discipline. Good in the air and on the ground, but clearly not the quickest turner and not the fastest defender. His reading of the game is so exceptional, though, that he will seldom find himself in a position where his weaknesses are exposed, and can subsequently be exploited by the opposition. Every team also needs a CB like this if it wants to be successful.

I have no doubt that Mertesacker will play a pivotal role this season, and our ability to win something will hinge disproportionately on him staying fit, most if not all of the season.

Mertesacker’s continuous selection will also allow Vermaelen to keep bombing forward, and keep both Bould and Wenger happy at the same time. The German has the ability to organise the defence, including one or two deeper laying midfielders, in such a way that the gaps left behind by the Belgian are appropriately covered.

There is a delicate balance to be struck between defensive discipline and attacking football, and one of the most interesting developments to watch this season, is how Bould and Wenger will work together to achieve it.

Let’s hope we end up with a Bould-dozer kept in the air by Wenger’s heavenly wings!

Total Arsenal.

Arsenal did not lack belief but shooting boots and the BFG’s defensive organisation

TotalArsenal

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For once, I am not agreeing with Gary Neville’s main conclusion in his Daily Mail article titled: ‘A lack of belief is all that separates the London rivals’.

No doubt, I am not the only one who needed 24 hours of reflection and a bit of distance from football in general, to somehow overcome the unexpected setback of losing to the Chavs on Saturday.

Our disappointment is not so much in the fact that Arsenal lost to the Southern Oilers, but much more in the manner in which we did it. After the game on Saturday, the initial, overriding feeling for many Gooners was deflation: expectations had been high before the game, but circumstances conspired against us and Chelsea proved to be stronger than we thought they would be.

But who would have thought Arsenal would lose out to the Chavs by handing them not one, but two of the softest goals in such a crucial match? It was a big shock to the system and boy did it hurt.

However, on reflection – and I would like to apologise in advance for the use of so many clichés in a couple of sentences – there is every reason to treat this game as a bad day at the office. The key thing is to learn from our mistakes, and especially, to shake off that feeling of disappointment and brush it all away with a fantastic performance against Olympiakos on Wednesday. The show must go on, and there is no time, as Andrey Arshavin put it so beautifully once: ‘to indulge ourselves in melancholy and self-pity’.

Having watched the game again on Sunday evening – the first time I could bring myself to it – I can categorically say now that Arsenal might have lost the game, but at no point were we inferior to Chelsea.

In my post on Saturday, I highlighted the importance of winning the battle of midfield, and as expected, we started with Ramsey on the right in midfield, in order to give us more balance. Chelsea’s midfield of five: two deeper laying midfielders and three attacking midfielders, made life difficult for us. They successfully disturbed our passing game and did not allow us to dominate the midfield, and as such, it is fair to say they won the midfield battle.

However, and this is very important to emphasise, Arsenal was more successful than the Chavs in getting themselves in front of the Chelsea box. Diaby’s enforced departure was a blow, and who knows what would have happened if he had played the full 90 minutes. And although Ramsey was nowhere near as influential as the Frenchman had started to be, Arsenal still managed to get more often than them in promising positions throughout the game. Unfortunately, other than Gervinho, nobody had put their shooting boots on against the Chavs.

During the first half both teams were equal, but we had to chase the game once we gifted Chelsea the lead. After conceding an unnecessary free-kick – Vermaelen, our captain, did not set the right example this season once again – we conceded the softest of goals for which Koscielny was mainly, but not exclusively, to blame.

We had to chase the game after that, but gradually we worked hard towards a deserved equaliser. Gervinho’s movement, first touch and finish were of the highest order and, as a result, we were right back in the game again.

During the second half we started well, but another catalogue of mistakes in quick succession – first Arteta by losing the ball unnecessarily in midfield when Vermaelen had committed himself forward, then Vermaelen by being unable to stem the danger without conceding a free-kick, and finally by Koscielny and Mannone, and the rest of the team, for not dealing effectively with Mata’s innocuous-enough execution of it – let to our second gift to the Chavs.

In top-football a team will not get away with conceding two utterly self-inflicted goals like Arsenal did, and that alone is why we deserved to lose on Saturday.

But, once again, Arsenal managed to get to the Chelsea box on a number of occasions after that second blow, and we created enough opportunities to get at least a draw out of the game: both Cazorla and Giroud should have been more clinical with their chances. Chelsea was happy enough to play on the counter after our double gifts, and you cannot blame them for it.

I say it again though: at no point did the Chavs outplay us: never were we inferior, and although they had periods of dominance of the midfield, it was Arsenal who was the most effective in getting in and around the Chelsea box. It was much more a case of us losing the game than Chelsea winning it, and although this hurts badly initially, the good news is that we can improve significantly on defending set-pieces over the next few weeks. And I am convinced we will.

I have also no doubt that Mertesacker will be our first-choice CB from now on, with either Koscielny or TV as his partner. We cannot do without his discipline, and his ability to read the game and organise our defence – so much has become clear this weekend, if it was not already. He is the true leader in our defence and the sooner we recognise that the better.

As a football commentator and analyst I rate Gary Neville very highly, and he makes a lot of sense in his Daily Mail article about our game, but I don’t agree with him that we lacked something as lofty as ‘belief’ in our team’s ability to win something on Saturday.

What Arsenal lacked on the day was the earthly tangibles of Mertesacker’s ability to organise our defence and a pair of proper shooting boots for Cazorla, Giroud and the Ox. Luckily, it is all already there for us, and soon we will be back to winning ways.

Keep the faith fellow Gooners and bring on the Greeks!

Total Arsenal.

Man City – Arsenal: in-depth player ratings

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What a great team performance by Arsenal on Sunday!

Here are my individual player ratings:

Mannone:

He was at fault for the goal, although if he had stayed on his line, he would not have been able to save Lescott’s header anyway. He did, however, misjudge the flight of the ball. Fine saves from Aguero’s and Dzeko’s shots on target. He acted calm and professional with all that was thrown at him throughout the game, which is very impressive for someone with so little PL experience: 7.5.

Jenkinson:

I must admit I had my doubts whether he would be ready for the first team at the start of the season, but boy has he been good until now! At the start of the game he was not tight enough on Aguero, allowing the Argentinean to have an unchallenged shot on goal (which Mannone saved well). After that, he had a solid, energetic, fighting performance, both in defence and upfront; including a fine ball in for Podolski at the halfway point of the first half. 8.

Koscielny:

He started rusty, with a couple of wayward balls from defence into the midfield. However, as the game went on we saw gradually the return of the Koscielny we rated so highly last season. Towards the end of the second half, he had simply become unbeatable with a fighting performance and desire to win of the highest order. He took his chance to score our only goal as a proper striker, and his strike could easily turn out to be vital towards the end of the season. Absolute phenomenal second half: 8.5.

Mertesacker – Man of the Match:

Unbelievably good performance: his positioning is just so good. He sniffs out the danger before anybody else and was so many times at the right place at the right time. He brings calmness to the team I have not seen since the departure of Sol Campbell: an absolute rock in every aspect: 9.

Gibbs:

Once again, a committed and energetic performance by Gibbs. Especially during the start of the game, we saw again that the most important area for him to work on is putting in accurate crosses and passes, once he has done all the hard work to get himself in a promising position on the left wing. But his defensive work was very good today and he made a very fine and crucial block on Aguero at the start of the second half: 7.5.

Arteta:

A very fine, yet often less visible performance by our Basque Beast. He does the simple things so well and reads the game with great expertise. Just like Mertesacker did in defence, Arteta brought calm and shape to our midfield. He also made a few fine passes today, notably the one to Gibbs in 13th minute with which the young Englishman should have done better: 8.

Cazorla:

Cazorla simply conducted our attacking efforts during most of the game today. He plays with such ease and composure and always with a smile on his face. His vision/ability to see attacking pictures/options in front of him is fantastic, and this combined with his technical ability, makes him a joy to watch. He made David Silva look pedestrian in comparison at times. He had a number of shots on target, and the one in the 82nd minute could/should have been a goal but Hart saved brilliantly: 8.5.

Diaby:

Abou had a good game, especially in the first half. His added physical strength and impressive timing were a necessity in this game, and he helped out our defence many times. He did not contribute as much going forward this time, but there was less need for it, as Ramsey was effectively an extra midfielder in our team. I thought he collaborated really well with Arteta: 7.5.

Ramsey:

Aaron had a fantastic first half and second part of the second half. At the start of the second half he lost the ball a few times unnecessarily, and he did seem a bit tired. However, his general performance was fantastic. His through-ball to Gervinho in the 16th minute was exquisite, and he made many positive runs and passes. He oozed confidence and was calm and full of desire, and he worked his socks off. His energy, drive and composure in the last 25 minutes of the game was vital for us in terms of turning the game round: 8.

Podolski:

In this game, Lukas was less dominant and ‘present’ compared to previous ones. He worked hard enough and helped out our defence a lot, but there was not the usual goal-threat coming from him this time: 7.

Gervinho:

I thought he worked unbelievably hard today but lacked a bit of composure to end up on the score-sheet once again. Including today’s game, he scored three goals in his last three games and that is very impressive. Today, he could and possibly should have added another goal to his tally, but it was not to be. At the end of the game, he showed some fine footwork with his undoubtedly very tired legs at the edge of the MC box, which got him in a prime shooting position. Unfortunately, he misplaced his shot horribly, and he also did not see that Giroud was in a perfect position to score the winner. But, at least he made the runs and got himself in dangerous positions regularly, and his all-over contribution to the team was immense: 7.5

Please note:

As a general rule, I don’t score substitutes unless they have had at least 30 minutes on the pitch. If it’s less than that, I don’t believe it is possible to judge a player’s performance fairly/accurately.

 

What do you make of my ratings, and would you like to add some of your own observation? …. Be my guest!

 

Total Arsenal.