Arsenal vs City Player Ratings and Match Reactions

[HCZ_Reborn]

Raya - 4 - What the hell was he playing at today, so fortunate not to have cost us


White 7 - Wasn’t tested as much by Foden as he might have been by Greallsh, but solid anyway


Saliba 9 - Had Alf Inge’s boy in his back pocket


Gabriel 8 - Maybe the less lauded of a great centre back pairing, but no less important


Zinchenko 5 - Didn’t cause too much grief apart from opening ten minutes


Jorginho 7 - Gave away silly yellow card early on but after that was tidy and efficient


Rice 8.5 - Great goal-line clearance, as game went on his confidence grew and he didn’t allow City to build any momentum


Odegaard 7 - Didn’t really have chance to do much as attacking options were limited, but certainly didn’t hide as he has done in the past


Trossard 6 - Subdued, picked up a knock in the first half.


Nketiah 5 - Sorry but just not good enough


Jesus 6.5 - Gvardiol kept him quiet



Subs


Martinelli - 7 - Looked a bit rusty after three weeks out but was our best attacking outlet and seemed appropriate therefore he got the goal albeit with huge deflection


Tomiyasu - 7 - He’s a useful player to have, keeps things tidy defensively


Partey - 7.5 - Gave us some extra legs near the end


Havertz - 7 - Kept attack alive for Martinelli to score


Not a classic game, not a classic performance but a result that is utterly invaluable. Our mental block against City is ended…and we did so by putting out their fire. Did it help that De Bruyne wasn’t available to them, well yes as much as it helped them that Saka wasn’t available to us.

I haven’t especially enjoyed this season, certainly not the football or the tactical setup. But the setup today whilst not always easy on the eye was absolutely the right one. We really neutered them.

I was in no doubt before this game that Saliba and Gabriel are the best centre back pair in the premier league, today has only reaffirmed that for me.

Hopefully our fearless leader takes today as a lesson of what can be achieved with such players with a solid game plan.

And I accept that I had it wrong about our lineup today. I think Jorginho was an experienced head today, and possibly if we’d started Partey we’d have run out of steam to build any momentum late in the game.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Additional:

What a bell end Michael Oliver is. It’s not even the fact that he nor VAR team gave Kovacic a straight red. You’ve seen them given, you’ve seen them not given. I think you slide in like that studs up you should go, but depends on the referee whether you get away with it…it seems.

What did it for me, was that that awful thug a couple of minutes later, far more cynically than the foul on Odegaard, just chops down Rice.

Bissouma was sent off yesterday for spurs, and the first yellow was in my view deserved but far less heinous than what Kovacic did in not learning his lesson and Oliver just dismissed out of hand any thought to sending him off. Kovacic should have gone for a combination of those two fouls…and he just let it slide.

[Marc Overmars]

Tactically spot on. You’re not going to beat a team like City by playing them off the park, you just have to adapt.

We’ve suspected for a long time that our defence is a lot stronger than the statistics suggest and that was proven today. With the right game plan we can get the big results even when things aren’t clicking up front and this result was the most significant in years.

I have concerns about how scruffy things are at the other end of the pitch but hopefully that comes in time. For now let’s just enjoy this win because it’s been a long time coming.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Your ratings would have been ok if you hadn't rated Odegaard over Jesus. I mean yes Jesus did give away a lot of sloppy passes and couldn't really conjure up something special to test the keeper, however he was the only one who remained a constant nuisance for City's defenders and ably deputised for Saka, especially since Trossard was not at the races today. Odegaard on the other hand was pretty anonymous till the middle of the game when Citeh finally allowed us to play a bit.

Anyway, a great win that I struggled to see happening without Saka, so I'm pretty chuffed with the way things played out. However this would have been a whole different game if Rodri or KDB had started so we still owe Anthony Taylor a pint.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Your ratings would have been ok if you hadn't rated Odegaard over Jesus. I mean yes Jesus did give away a lot of sloppy passes and couldn't really conjure up something special to test the keeper, however he was the only one who remained a constant nuisance for City's defenders and ably deputised for Saka, especially since Trossard was not at the races today. Odegaard on the other hand was pretty anonymous till the middle of the game when Citeh finally allowed us to play a bit.

Anyway, a great win that I struggled to see happening without Saka, so I'm pretty chuffed with the way things played out. However this would have been a whole different game if Rodri or KDB had started so we still owe Anthony Taylor a pint.


De Bruyne possibly, not so much convinced with Rodri. Our attacks were limited with or without Rodri so he wasn’t so much a factor. De Bruyne is the best midfielder in the world when fit, and has had quite the habit of being the player that causes us misery so definitely helped not to have him in their team. But Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Haaland were more than enough quality on the pitch and we neutralised them so that can’t be underestimated I feel.

[Letters]

Just seen the highlights. Raya is worrying me. I think he’s worrying everyone tbf. It’s not good for a defence to have a ‘keeper behind them they can’t trust. Ramsdale should be starting.

Massive result. As I said in the other thread, you can’t win the title in the first 10 games but you can certainly rule yourself out of it. Last year it was a big red flag when they beat us at The Emirates. You don’t lose to your biggest rivals at home and win the title. At best it’s rare. So that result is a massive psychological barrier overcome

:dance:

[WMUG]

Still haven't quite come down.

Atmosphere was fantastic, even before the goal.

Arteta did brilliantly with his subs, the game changed completely after they came on.

Before that, we were doing the horseshoe of death in our own box :doh:

Getting Havertz on meant the long ball became an option which was badly needed because we just weren't beating their press.

[Letters]

Just a shame it took you 4 hours to get home because HS2 isn't a thing, amirite? ;)

[IBK]

Found the match uncomfortable to watch, as I kept expecting the inevitable Citeh goal to dash our (mostly) excellent solidity at the back. Was in delerium when we actually scored, and stranegely felt quite calm after this, as City offered very little.

For once a game where we did not let ourselves down by gifting them a goal - although we came close.

In hindsight, Arteta's starting 11, tactics and subs spot on. To neuter Citeh like that - with or without Rodri and KDB is very impressive - and speaks to the evolution of Arteta's tactics and quality of our players. Amazing to be able to bring on subs of that quality!

Raya had a worrying first half. I will give him a pass because we won and he was clearly nervous playing probably the biggest game of his career? My main frustration is that we know he has now become one of those Arteta players who will get favourable treatment from the manaer while others don't.

Nice to see Havertz get an assist.

Let's now build on this achievement. A very nice feeling for players and fans to take into the Interlull!

[WMUG]

Just a shame it took you 4 hours to get home because HS2 isn't a thing, amirite? ;)

:lol:

I'm actually with my parents this week. Still took a while because the bus was on diversion <_<

[HCZ_Reborn]

Found the match uncomfortable to watch, as I kept expecting the inevitable Citeh goal to dash our (mostly) excellent solidity at the back. Was in delerium when we actually scored, and stranegely felt quite calm after this, as City offered very little.

For once a game where we did not let ourselves down by gifting them a goal - although we came close.

In hindsight, Arteta's starting 11, tactics and subs spot on. To neuter Citeh like that - with or without Rodri and KDB is very impressive - and speaks to the evolution of Arteta's tactics and quality of our players. Amazing to be able to bring on subs of that quality!

Raya had a worrying first half. I will give him a pass because we won and he was clearly nervous playing probably the biggest game of his career? My main frustration is that we know he has now become one of those Arteta players who will get favourable treatment from the manaer while others don't.

Nice to see Havertz get an assist.

Let's now build on this achievement. A very nice feeling for players and fans to take into the Interlull!

Completely agree with what you’ve said, there’s nothing quite like 12 defeats in a row to a side to give you zero confidence even when you whilst not in control seem to be nullifying the opposition.

And it’s only in hindsight you can look back and say, yeah Arteta got it right…he clearly had a game plan and it worked

I also agree with your remarks in regards to Raya, and definitely if Arteta has decided on him to be the number 1 you hope that his antics in the first half are an outlier rather than a sign of what’s to come. I was open minded to him even though I like Ramsdale, but I really haven’t seen any evidence of him being any better and I think Ramsdale can feel rightly aggrieved.

I remember years ago thinking it was harsh on Eboue when we bought Sagna, but it only took a few games to realise that he was a massive step up, but this not been the case with Raya.

And yes, this is exactly the kind of result you want going into the interlull. A result that makes you excited and impatient for more Arsenal games.

[Mac76]

I agree Arteta got things right on the day yesterday including, unusually, the subs

Ofc he'd got things wrong massively before by playing Saka at Bournemouth

elsewhere, as everyone says, Raya was poor yesterday and this is now a test of Arteta's claim that he will chop and change goalies

If Raya starts the next game then we know (as most people suspect) that it was BS and Raya is there to stay regardless

[Letters]

Arteta was full of praise for him, which I guess is OK in public. But he really shouldn't be first choice after that performance. That one where he got closed down and on another day it would have ricocheted into the net :doh: He looked so nervy on the board. I heard he was better second half.

[WMUG]

https://v.redd.it/l7b3b4dol1tb1/DASH_360.mp4?source=fallback

:d

[Mac76]

Another thing - I thought Havertz made himself quite useful when he came on yesterday and it might be that's the best way to deploy him (if we must) - later on in games when everyone is slowed down to something more like his pace and his height gives us an outlet

[mandela8]

Just seen the highlights. Raya is worrying me. I think he’s worrying everyone tbf. It’s not good for a defence to have a ‘keeper behind them they can’t trust. Ramsdale should be starting.

Massive result. As I said in the other thread, you can’t win the title in the first 10 games but you can certainly rule yourself out of it. Last year it was a big red flag when they beat us at The Emirates. You don’t lose to your biggest rivals at home and win the title. At best it’s rare. So that result is a massive psychological barrier overcome

:dance:

It's a little more nuanced than that though.

Raya was horrible with the ball yesterday. Let's agree on that.

But a CM partnership of Delneny Rice and Jorginho is absolutely horrifying for whoever has the ball. The only option available in most possessions is to go backwards, because of where they play and the limited space the create.

Raya doesn't have the option of passing backwards. With those in CM Arteta should accept the ball needs to go longer more often.

[mandela8]

Was also great to see Partey back and perfectly demonstrate the difference in level he is to Rice and (even moreso) Jorginho.

When he picked the ball up in the center of the pitch he had simple options to his left, right and behind him. Rice and Jorginho take those options 100% of the time in that exact situation. Partey actually gets his head up and plays a much more difficult pass right onto Tommy, at the edge of the box, leading to the goal.

That's the difference.