Arsenal 1-1 Man City - Player ratings and Match reaction

[HCZ_Reborn]

Raya 7 - No chance with the goal


Timber 7.5 - Whilst his substitution was tactical, i think he actually played really well both defensively and offensively


Saliba 6 - Ball watching and not tracking the run of Haaland


Gabriel 6 - Why was he so high up the pitch for their goal, although that is part of the tactical bum drizzle. Midfield imodium means everyone having to push up more


Calafiori 6 - Feel like he’s too often involved in our attacking play, not a slight on him but again more an observation of our attacking limitations


Zubimendi 5 - Cunt, i’m sorry but he’s been a fucking disappointment since coming here.


Rice 6 - Tried really hard but it was all industry, very little quality


Merino 4 - I think seeing the fucker score a hat-trick against Turkey has convinced Lego hair that he’s something he’s not


Trossard 5 - Really out of his depth as a starter in a fixture like this


Madueke 7.5 - Can someone explain to me why he was brought off for a peripheral and clearly not fully at the races Saka


Gyokeres 6 - I’m sorry but i said it, this wasn’t the guy to buy to break teams down. Like Martinelli he will thrive only when there’s space



Subs

Eze 7 - An understatement to say he offered us more than Eugene Levy


Saka 7 - Not bad considering he didn’t seem fully fit, but it was ridiculous taking Madueke off for him


Nwaneri 6 - Not given enough time to make an impact


Martinelli 8 - I think his goal illustrated what so often we lack, individual brilliance. To lob Donnarumma was an inspired act…and it feels to me that players are too constrained in a football by numbers system


Mosquera N/A - Brought on to defend a free kick



This was worse than the home game against PSG, a) we created more in that game and b) we had the excuse that we didnt have the attacking talent we have now.

I really struggle to think Gyokeres is the answer for us, i think as i said last week he could be very good to help us seal wins when we take a lead in games. But when you compare him to Haaland a player that despite City’s limited ambition was a constant threat, i’m sorry but you see a player that looks every bit like one playing championship level football just over two years ago.

Would Sesko have been the right choice? No i think Amorim’s awful tactics can’t disguise the fact that the guy looks utterly peripheral in games. Maybe it’s reflective of Liverpool having a much more fluid attacking system but Ekitike feels like the one we should have gone for.

But maybe i’m being harsh because we are playing a way that simply is not suited to him. And let’s be fair it would be more desirable all round to change the system or eject the individual who insists on that system.

Also is it just me or does anyone else think Saliba is just not the player he was a year or so ago. I think the young lad Mosquera has been far more impressive this season. Frankly if he goes to Real Madrid for big money at the end of the season, it really won’t be a tragedy in my eyes.

Eze sucked arse against Athletic Bilbao but frankly i think he is more likely to offer more through the centre than Odegaard, and maybe Odegaard knowing his place in the side is no longer secure might bring better performances from him when he does come back.

Letters called this a stay of execution, and whilst it shouldn’t be it i think will be. By that i think Arteta will have the opportunity to atone for the let’s face it five points he’s thrown away this season. Whether he will see this as a sign to go to the drawing board (it wouldn’t be the first time when he’s tinkered and fucked up) or whether he will see it as a vindication of his anti football…remains to be seen

[Marc Overmars]

Stupid to bench Eze at Anfield and also today, shows where Arteta’s head is at with these kind of games. Clearly doesn’t have enough trust in his players.

No idea why Trossard started and lasted as long as he did too.

Just weird. Boring and quite fed up really. If this ends up in a league title or CL I’ll be stunned.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Arteta has got some cheek in the press conference saying to reporters nobody asked him about the midfield for the midweek game.

Why did you change it at half time then?

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Arteta has got some cheek in the press conference saying to reporters nobody asked him about the midfield for the midweek game.

Why did you change it at half time then?

What makes me happy is that everyone is saying the same thing, the same way everyone warned him last season to go and buy a striker if he was serious about competing.

It really does feel like we're coming to the end of an era of people singing needless praises of him and now everyone is questioning his credentials, like they should have after the two failed title challenges IMO.

[HCZ_Reborn]

What makes me happy is that everyone is saying the same thing, the same way everyone warned him last season to go and buy a striker if he was serious about competing.

It really does feel like we're coming to the end of an era of people singing needless praises of him and everyone questioning his credentials, like they should have after the two failed title challenges IMO.

I don’t think he got loads wrong in 23/24. We won 16 games out of 18, I think anyone questioning his credentials would have been no different to questioning Klopp’s credentials in 2019 or 2022. The fact was City were better than us and i don’t think any coach could have overcome that

It’s the failure to build from that 28 game winning league season that means he now should be questioned. City nor Liverpool are better than us currently and we are squandering our potential. We all agreed that we had regressed last season and now we see that this wasn’t purely down to injuries…nor it seems outrageous referees (I note that Bernardo Silva wasn’t sent off today when being a petulant dick when already on a yellow, good i’m glad it would have been silly…but when Oliver decided it was utterly necessary to send off Trossard a year ago makes you think)

[Mac76]

This is one of those times when player ratings are irrelevant, it was all about the lineup and tactics, which were a total fail

Arteta out

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I don’t think he got loads wrong in 23/24. We won 16 games out of 18, I think anyone questioning his credentials would have been no different to questioning Klopp’s credentials in 2019 or 2022. The fact was City were better than us and i don’t think any coach could have overcome that

It’s the failure to build from that 28 game winning league season that means he now should be questioned. City nor Liverpool are better than us currently and we are squandering our potential. We all agreed that we had regressed last season and now we see that this wasn’t purely down to injuries…nor it seems outrageous referees (I note that Bernardo Silva wasn’t sent off today when being a petulant dick when already on a yellow, good i’m glad it would have been silly…but when Oliver decided it was utterly necessary to send off Trossard a year ago makes you think)

I'm not sure about the statement that no coach could have overcome Citeh in those 2 years, especially in the first tittle challenge (though I do accept we were pretty green then).

Also Klopp's credentials couldn't have been questioned because he'd actually slayed his dragon in Bayern, who were far more fearsome in the Bundelsliga than Citeh is in the EPL.

Anyway, what I meant is Arteta hasn't achieved anything special when you consider all the time, backing and money invested in him.

If it had been any other top manager (who had a track record of success), the media would have savaged him far more than they've done all these years.

Like Henry keeps repeating, its 6 years and we've had One proper trophy and One final ?? That's winning one out of 20 plus chances

Look at the way the media regularly savages the various Man U coaches (and some actually won things)...Arteta has for far too long been treated with kid gloves, and I'm happy people are now hitting him where it hurts and questioning most of his decisions.

[Letters]

It really does feel like we're coming to the end of an era of people singing needless praises of him and mow everyone is questioning his credentials, like they should have after the two failed title challenges IMO.

That's pretty harsh.
The first title challenge was completely unexpected. We ran out of steam and got mown down by the City machine, but no-one expected us to challenge that season.
The season after we pushed City to the last day and as HCZ said while we wobbled at Christmas, which ultimately cost us, the response to win 16 out of 18 was fantastic. I don't really feel we could have asked much more.
Last season is the first year where I think questions definitely should be asked. We didn't do the right things last summer and while the injuries were a factor the lack of a proper striker was definitely one too and with City dropping off the title should have been ours. The fact we didn't even challenge Liverpool wasn't good enough. But the injuries did make some excuse for Arteta. That excuse doesn't exist now. We have a squad that should be able to challenge on all fronts. I'd suggest it's a bit too early to definitively declare we won't but there are definite alarm bells and Arteta's cautious nature is costing us. Given the tricky fixtures so far I don't think results have actually been that bad, but the general feeling is they could and should have been better had we been more aggressive
Definitely last chance saloon for Arteta this season.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

That's pretty harsh.
The first title challenge was completely unexpected. We ran out of steam and got mown down by the City machine, but no-one expected us to challenge that season.
The season after we pushed City to the last day and as HCZ said while we wobbled at Christmas, which ultimately cost us, the response to win 16 out of 18 was fantastic. I don't really feel we could have asked much more.
Last season is the first year where I think questions definitely should be asked. We didn't do the right things last summer and while the injuries were a factor the lack of a proper striker was definitely one too and with City dropping off the title should have been ours. The fact we didn't even challenge Liverpool wasn't good enough. But the injuries did make some excuse for Arteta. That excuse doesn't exist now. We have a squad that should be able to challenge on all fronts. I'd suggest it's a bit too early to definitively declare we won't but there are definite alarm bells and Arteta's cautious nature is costing us. Given the tricky fixtures so far I don't think results have actually been that bad, but the general feeling is they could and should have been better had we been more aggressive
Definitely last chance saloon for Arteta this season.

Like your last paragraph says, we're actually not in a bad position after extremely difficult fixtures.

It's 10 points out of 15, and 4 points out of 9 from games where we could have drawn all 3 and people would still consider it a success (United, Pool and Citeh). It's one less point from the same fixtures IIRC.

Also these horrible games came early so they can't even stop momentum or a deep run.

However, almost no one who has watched us believes we're up to the task, or should I say, showing signs of being capable to change the narrative, despite the huge investment and the grace period given to this manager.

Everyone is saying the same thing pretty early again, they're not seeing signs that we're ready to push on and now their are no external factors to blame, not one single one !

[HCZ_Reborn]

I'm not sure about the statement that no coach could have overcome Citeh in those 2 years, especially in the first tittle challenge (though I do accept we were pretty green then).

Also Klopp's credentials couldn't have been questioned because he'd actually slayed his dragon in Bayern, who were far more fearsome in the Bundelsliga than Citeh is in the EPL.

Anyway, what I meant is Arteta hasn't achieved anything special when you consider all the time, backing and money invested in him.

If it had been any other top manager (who had a track record of success), the media would have savaged him far more than they've done all these years.

Like Henry keeps repeating, its 6 years and we've had One proper trophy and One final ?? That's winning one out of 20 plus chances

Look at the way the media regularly savages the various Man U coaches (and some actually won things)...Arteta has for far too long been treated with kid gloves, and I'm happy people are now hitting him where it hurts and questioning most of his decisions.

And what exactly had Arsenal won by way of major trophies in the 15 years preceding Arteta’s appointment

City had the best player in world football in Rodri as well as a goalscoring machine in Haaland, i agree with you that we collapsed in 2022-2023, but i think the following season had nothing to do with being green.

You simply have to look at the points accumulated by City after their defeat to Villa and say we couldn’t compete with that.
I remember saying at the time that my conditions for not seeking Arteta to leave at the end of the season was to be competitive in the title race right up to the end of the season which he was.

The sad fact of the matter is that more than likely Arteta despite his stubbornness/control freak tendencies could go to one of the big clubs like Bayern, Real, Man City or PSG and succeed, it’s not guaranteed but despite my frustration with him and even now the media highlighting his flaws…

That’s not because he’s special, it’s because it’s easier to succeed at those clubs. Arsenal don’t have a recent track record of success, it took Liverpool 30 years and many rebuilds to get where they are. The fact is Arteta even if he goes at the end of the season has built up a solid enough reputation for himself and not totally undeservedly….a lot of other coaches might have crashed and burned despite the cash injection. I just think he’s taken as far as he can, and getting us over the line needs to be placed in someone else’s hands.
Slot has proven you don’t need to be anything special, that sometimes less is more and unlike Arteta doesn’t need to micromanage