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

[HCZ_Reborn]

Creativity and one touch, fast passing football.

Our transition is still pathetically slow and I stand by that it directly leads to teams being able to get back with 11 men and defend against us.

See the problem is i’m not convinced that we have many players capable of fast, one touch football. I think we underestimate what a specific technical skill it is because of the profile of players we had under Wenger like Rosicky, Ozil, Hleb, Bergkamp and Pires etc

Eze? definitely not. He is probably a better dribbler than most of the others around him but never seen the quick pass and move.

Nwaneri?, Saka?, Dowman possibly. But that’s the only three i could say maybe about

[HCZ_Reborn]

I'd love to see Enrique or Zidane here.

They would win stuff with this squad.

I think you might want to dig a little deeper into how Zidane was regarded at Real Madrid

Basically he coached like someone might coach using football manager, just stuck what he thought was the best team and sent them out there…often without a game plan.

Enrique? well i think that’s a case of where he has moulded a team of very young players. I don’t think he would just take a squad of players he hadn’t chosen himself and make world beaters out of them

[HCZ_Reborn]

I think a top manager would want to restructure the side

Get a new goalkeeper in, replace the inverted full back nonsense with at least one or two wingbacks

Sell off Zubimendi, Norgaard and Merino, put Rice back at 6 and buy a proper box to box midfielder


Sell off one of Gyokeres or Havertz and bring in a proper striker who can make things happen.


Probably sell off Odegaard as well and make Rice captain.


Then and only then might you come close to the type of football you are after


I think too many of us have mistaken an expensive side of high value with a well balanced side. It’s anything but, we have too many centre backs and water carrying midfielders

[Letters]

The cult of Arteta is out in force on Twitter today

Refusing to engage with the substantive issues and more complaining about the double standards of sky about how they criticised us for parking the bus with ten men a year ago but praised Ming the Merciless for it yesterday

Yes so what, what’s that relevant to

Why do you keep going on Twitter?
I mean, do what you want of course but it being a cesspit where fringe views are spouted is not exactly news.
The cult of Arteta’s doesn’t exist outside it, I don’t think it’s representative of most Arsenal fans who are mostly Arteta Out although most add the caveat “if we don’t land a big trophy this season”

[IBK]

I'm going to get caned for this, and it's not even as though I haven't come to the conclusion that Arteta won't make us champions.

But the anti Arteta crowd is as as 'cultist' as the pro crowd that they are so disparaging of. Arteta's record against the 'big teams' over the last couple of seasons is better than any other EPL manager's. He is the first manager ever to avoid defeat in five consecutive league matches against Pep Guardiola.

I think it is valid to point out that Guardiola was not criticised last season for only just saving a point against a low block Arsenal at their place last season, while Arteta was pilloried for his negative tactics in that game. This time around Guardiola is not subject to the same level of opprobrium for trying to hang onto a point (we were trying to hang onto 3 at their place) by ceding more possession and territory than Citeh have ever done before.

The reason it is valid is that it is evidence of an Anti Arteta agenda. Again, it's fair enough to point out that we now have a very deep squad - and quite rightly pressure and expectations on our manager are heightened because of this. But there was a lot more leeway given to Pep last season who really only lost 1 key player - and had a similarly deep squad otherwise that finished 3rd.

The way some are talking, you would think we were mid table - or that our failure to win the league last season was down to tactics rather than an almost unprecedented injury crisis affecting key players for almost the whole season.

We have played 5 games - and sit second, having dropped 5 points - 3 of which were dropped in the hardest league fixture we will have to play. Our new signings will take time to bed in, and we have been without Saka; Havertz; Odegard and Saliba in key ties.

I have made my own feelings known about our negative tactics, and stand by this, but let's have some perspective here...

[HCZ_Reborn]

Why do you keep going on Twitter?
I mean, do what you want of course but it being a cesspit where fringe views are spouted is not exactly news.
The cult of Arteta’s doesn’t exist outside it, I don’t think it’s representative of most Arsenal fans who are mostly Arteta Out although most add the caveat “if we don’t land a big trophy this season”

I do think you set out a bit of a strawman response. I don’t think at any time i’ve ever suggested that Arteta cultism accounts for a majority of the fan base.

I do think it is a larger minority than you seem to think it is though

As for Twitter, it is a cesspit but also if you get past the algorithm of doom mungering effluence that drug addled Safa throws at you…you still have access to a more heterodox variance of opinion and in many ways more complete information than you’re likely to get most other places.

Plus the alternative is blu sky. i think id slit my wrists after two hours, Twitter (no not X) might be a grimy hellscape, but it’s not a smug reality avoidant echo chamber the way blu sky is

[HCZ_Reborn]

I'm going to get caned for this, and it's not even as though I haven't come to the conclusion that Arteta won't make us champions.

But the anti Arteta crowd is as as 'cultist' as the pro crowd that they are so disparaging of. Arteta's record against the 'big teams' over the last couple of seasons is better than any other EPL manager's. He is the first manager ever to avoid defeat in five consecutive league matches against Pep Guardiola.

I think it is valid to point out that Guardiola was not criticised last season for only just saving a point against a low block Arsenal at their place last season, while Arteta was pilloried for his negative tactics in that game. This time around Guardiola is not subject to the same level of opprobrium for trying to hang onto a point (we were trying to hang onto 3 at their place) by ceding more possession and territory than Citeh have ever done before.

The reason it is valid is that it is evidence of an Anti Arteta agenda. Again, it's fair enough to point out that we now have a very deep squad - and quite rightly pressure and expectations on our manager are heightened because of this. But there was a lot more leeway given to Pep last season who really only lost 1 key player - and had a similarly deep squad otherwise that finished 3rd.

The way some are talking, you would think we were mid table - or that our failure to win the league last season was down to tactics rather than an almost unprecedented injury crisis affecting key players for almost the whole season.

We have played 5 games - and sit second, having dropped 5 points - 3 of which were dropped in the hardest league fixture we will have to play. Our new signings will take time to bed in, and we have been without Saka; Havertz; Odegard and Saliba in key ties.

I have made my own feelings known about our negative tactics, and stand by this, but let's have some perspective here...

Oh far from a backlash i largely agree with you. I think both sides take a maximalist approach (and online ecosystem gives you a dopamine reward for being closed off and absolute in your arguments).

Arteta’s record against the top sides + the fact that we are now hard to beat is to my mind one of the saving graces. The way i look at it though, we’ve gone from one extreme to the other…going from entertaining but being soft, to being hard but being dull to watch.

His overall win, draw and loss record especially in the last three years has been pretty good, as is the fact that we’ve won more games away from home than any other team in that period. It’s just that he’s reached his glass ceiling in my mind, and this whole way of conflating being critical of Arteta with being Anti Arsenal, and that fans should get behind the team. Football has never worked like that, fans aren’t unquestioning clapping seals.

[Letters]

I do think you set out a bit of a strawman response. I don’t think at any time i’ve ever suggested that Arteta cultism accounts for a majority of the fan base.

You keep mentioning it as if it’s a significant view that should be taken seriously.
It isn’t and it isn’t. And it’s typical internet black and white nonsense.
Arteta is either flawless and should not be questioned, or he’s a clueless idiot who has literally no idea what he’s doing.
Neither are true. Neither are common opinions. Neither lead to any meaningful discussion.

[Mac76]

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.

in the pub afterwards there was a noticeable change from people trying to cut him some slack to being a bit impatient at what's happening - he's really got nowhere to hide with that squad

[Mac76]

This is bullshit. .

the FA Cup wins clearly meant something.