Player Ratings And Reviews: Arsenal (Home)

[macstar]

once again i think Loftus Cheek is wasted in that position.....

[carter]

Frustrating that was. Scoreline makes it look like we gave it a go and first half and we didn’t at all. Far too much respect shown and any club outside the top 6 always fancy getting points out of Arsenal at home. Something Arsenal aren’t known for is winning second balls and scraps, especially when your in a relegation battle we should be winning those battles.

Hodgson got the tactics and approach all wrong first half. Thought it was shite from Newcastle last night to not even give it a go against City at home and that’s exactly what we did first half. Second half we started off exactly how we needed to and scored from it and looked like scoring again straight after.

Speroni kept us in it first half should have been 2/3-0
Kelly isn’t up to it as a right back which isn’t the blokes fault cos he’s a centre back
Tomkins is our best defender easily
Dann did ok
Schlupp is improving massively. I’ve actually hated seeing him play for us and thought Schlupp meant sh*t in German but he has been really good recently and the reason he is so vulnerable and targeted is because Loftus-Cheek can’t do the defensive side on the wing
Townsend glad he got a goal hope he continues to kick on
Cabaye we always get worse when he goes off
Luka didn’t think he was great tonight and is having a rough season
Loftus-Cheek is completely wasted as a winger
Zaha just moaning all night and a poor performance. Best thing he does is beat a man and put the ball in the box. He did it for the goal but he continues to try and beat the same man 3 times
Benteke did the lamppost impression tonight again. I’m a big fan but I’m starting to dislike him. Good clearance for Arsenal’s second

[Eagle Kneevil]

It's weird that Andros is getting loads of MOTM votes from people noting that Benteke got no service.

[AJ]

Originally Posted by 917L

How on earth was Speroni our best player?

Should have done far better for the 1st goal

He saved us a number of times, but the first goal he pushed straight to the Arsenal player, 2nd he got to the ball and pushed it into the net, third goal he stopped, had to continued he may have got to the ball before Sanchez. I dont blame him as i don't think he could do any better. We just need a better goalkeeper, we have seen countless better keepers save better chances from our players. Nothing new, but it needs to be addressed asap.

[Pikie Punisher]

Originally Posted by jhc

They were much too good for us tonight.

Let's just hope they play as well at West Bores on Sunday, or will have one of their off days there? Would be bloody typical!

[Worksop Palace]

I don’t think anyone would argue that we need a new keeper

But I don’t have Jules at fault (solely anyhow) for any of the goals tonight

[Chris K]

I think Townsend deserves far more from our support than he gets. He runs his Bollocks off for us

[desperado]

A game that wasn't as close as the score suggests

Probably Arsenal's best away performance for some time. They bossed the first half and we troubled them only in short spells. We never gave up and scored two goals at home again for the seventh game in succession

We didn't have enough quality to put them under sustained pressure and made mistakes and wrong choices at both ends of the pitch

Speroni 4, Kelly 4, Tomkins 7, Dann 5, Schlupp 5, Townsend 7, Milivojevic 5, Cabaye 6, Loftus-Cheek 5, Zaha 7, Benteke 5.
Subs: McArthur 5, Sako 5, Fosu-Mensah 5

[Langers]

How did we lose that? Glad I’m not an Arsenal fan.

Long drive home to chew it over.

[Thefunkymonk]

Originally Posted by Chris K

I think Townsend deserves far more from our support than he gets. He runs his Bollocks off for us

HE does.. and took his goal well. But he was so wasteful in possession tonight. Opportunity to cross but kept trying to beat his man. Same with wilf

[Penstone Eagle]

6/10 team performance, can't turn it in for 20 minutes in a game and expect a result. Dreadful first half performance apart from Cabaye.

[switchboard]

Speroni 7 - Kept us in it, we need a new keeper but thank God Jules is in at the moment, really don't think he could do much more for the first goal and his saves in the first half meant we still had a fighting chance

Kelly 6 - Tried his best but up against a far better player
Dann 6 - Neither Centre back played great today
Tomkins 7 - 1 more than Dann purely for scoring
Schlupp - 6 - You know he is always there but not really sure if he brings much to the table

Cabaye 6 - Meh
Luka 7 - Is always around the ball getting stuck in
Andros 7 - Glad he finally scored but that cross at the end was bad
RLC - 6 Flashes of brilliance but we need someone in who can graft in midfield, too much of a luxury player in games like these

Benteke 4 - Needs a rocket up his arse
Zaha 7 - Did his best again, much better on the wing where he can hurt people

[Mr Palace]

Thought they deserved it but we had a great opportunity at 1-1 as we were flying at that point. At least we carried on till the end and we almost got an equaliser but for a poor Townsend cross.

Big issue for me is Benteke who was abject again. He just doesn't want it enough and isn't showing any quality. I thought he was very poor. And Kelly. Why did Hodgson play him over the faster and better TFM? An unbelievable decision given he was up against Sanchez. Roy again doesn't know how to change formations during the game which is a shame. It was crying out for three in midfield for us.

Oh well, at least we look like a team now. Sign 3-4 players and we will probably be ok. New strikers are a must.

Speroni - 6 - a couple of very good saves. No complaint on the goals.

Kelly - 4 - destroyed all game. Why did Roy play him over TFM? It was a horrible mismatch.
Schlupp - 4 - one of the worst defensive peformances I've seen. He can't defend. He let them in every time. But then he did some great things going forward. Strange player.
Dann - 6 - thought he was ok but not sure who was to blame for the third goal.
Tomkins - 7 - thought he was very good at times.

Cabaye - 5 - off the pace and wild in the tackle. No great loss when he went off as he wasn't at his recent high standard.
Luka - 6 - solid performance.
Townsend - 7 - great finish. At last! Didn't have a great game but always works so hard.
RLC - 5 - ineffective and wasted many good chances. Still, he's not a left winger. But Roy continues to play him there.

Wilf - 7 - such a threat and his assist for the Townsend goal was class.
Benteke - 4 - awful. No movement. Added nothing and yet he wonders around as if he's a superstar. Genuinely baffled by him tonight.

Subs
Sako - 7 - excellent. Loved his effort and he put in some great crosses.
McArthur - 5 - thought he was off the pace.
TFM - 5 - wasn't great but should be starting.

[Penstone Eagle]

Originally Posted by Thefunkymonk

HE does.. and took his goal well. But he was so wasteful in possession tonight. Opportunity to cross but kept trying to beat his man. Same with wilf

Yep. Beat your man and cross the ******* ball.

[Gregz41]

Good 2nd half performance after a passive 1st half. Arsenal were very good for large portions of the game with Ozil and Sanchez really turning it on. Wilshere was also excellent.

2nd half we always carried a threat and on another day we could have maybe got something from the game.

[Thefunkymonk]

Originally Posted by Penstone Eagle

Yep. Beat your man and cross the ******* ball.

I feel sorry for bloke infront f me.. must of screamed that about 19 times tonight. So wasteful. And then when the balls did come in they were hitting the bloke 10 Yards from them

[Penstone Eagle]

Originally Posted by switchboard

Speroni 7 - Kept us in it, we need a new keeper but thank God Jules is in at the moment, really don't think he could do much more for the first goal and his saves in the first half meant we still had a fighting chance

Kelly 6 - Tried his best but up against a far better player
Dann 6 - Neither Centre back played great today
Tomkins 7 - 1 more than Dann purely for scoring
Schlupp - 6 - You know he is always there but not really sure if he brings much to the table

Cabaye 6 - Meh
Luka 7 - Is always around the ball getting stuck in
Andros 7 - Glad he finally scored but that cross at the end was bad
RLC - 6 Flashes of brilliance but we need someone in who can graft in midfield, too much of a luxury player in games like these

Benteke 4 - Needs a rocket up his arse
Zaha 7 - Did his best again, much better on the wing where he can hurt people

I find your comments about Luca quite incredible, him and RLC are not up to it.

[16eagles]

When is Sakho back because Tomkins and Dann not up to it the latter isn’t even premier league anymore.

[Thefunkymonk]

Originally Posted by 16eagles

When is Sakho back because Tomkins and Dann not up to it the latter isn’t even premier league anymore.

Tomkins was quality. Dann not so. Kelly was awful imo.

[aj4england]

Was shouting throughout second half for Kelly to be subbed by Fosu , had Roy done this much earlier we would have had a point minimum .
Roy you were one dimensional tonight , you need to be proactive and show a bit more tactically . Frustrating . We are tiring as a team , not the intensity we need for long enough . A new Midfielder or two badly needed along with a striker . Tomkins quality .