Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea Player Ratings and Match Reaction

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Stats are useful in general, but they're not the be all and end all.
xG seems a bit simplistic if they're only considering shots. Just generally from the highlights we looked a lot more dangerous than Chelsea on Sunday.
There was one ball across the box which would have been a tap in, the Chelsea player just got there first but there are fine lines in football - things like that wouldn't be considered but it was us getting in to a dangerous position. Keep doing that and you'll probably score.

Having seen the goal again, not particularly convinced he meant it.

Indeed, one can use them as a general guide but it doesn't give you the full picture compared to you know... watching the game.

things like that wouldn't be considered but it was us getting in to a dangerous position. Keep doing that and you'll probably score

Bet there's a stat for that

[HCZ_Reborn]

Stats are useful in general, but they're not the be all and end all.
xG seems a bit simplistic if they're only considering shots. Just generally from the highlights we looked a lot more dangerous than Chelsea on Sunday.
There was one ball across the box which would have been a tap in, the Chelsea player just got there first but there are fine lines in football - things like that wouldn't be considered but it was us getting in to a dangerous position. Keep doing that and you'll probably score.

Having seen the goal again, not particularly convinced he meant it.

I don’t think it’s just shots that are considered but the types of passes that would lead to shots that would lead to goals, maybe it would look back on a pass like that and look at the instances of players reading the pass well enough to get on the end of it

I’m not saying Chelsea were especially defensive (they weren’t very good at it even if they tried to be) but a lot of the shots we did have where blocked, If I get time I will have to look at the stats for shots blocked this season.


Edit - I did look and we are 5th for having shots blocked behind Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City and Bournemouth

[Mac76]

Having seen the goal again, not particularly convinced he meant it.

Well if not, what was he trying to do? At worst, he directed the header toward the back post in the hope it was either headed in (although in the event no-one was really there) or it went in, so in that sense you could argue it was intended

[Letters]

Well if not, what was he trying to do?

Flick it on, like in the old Bould/Adams days.
Fair play if he meant it, I'm just not sure he did.

[Letters]

Indeed, one can use them as a general guide but it doesn't give you the full picture compared to you know... watching the game.

Pff. Who has time for that?
I'm just raising an eyebrow that our xG was less than 1. It almost implies we were lucky to score a goal.
Just from the highlights it looked like we were clearly the more dangerous team and but for some decent defending and goalkeeping it could have been more convincing.
Which implies xG isn't that good a reflection of the game.

EDIT: And we arguably should have had a penalty. Personally I think it would have been a bullshit penalty, but it's one of those you see given these days.

[Mac76]

Flick it on, like in the old Bould/Adams days.
Fair play if he meant it, I'm just not sure he did.

Flick it on to do what though - go out of play on the far side??

Like I say he would have been hoping to either score or for it to be headed in, so you could say he at least 50% 'meant it'

[HCZ_Reborn]

Its not like anyone is saying it’s a complete fluke, I’m just saying (as a few others are) that the intent seems to be to find someone to head it in at the far post rather than it go in directly. It’s a good flicked header and ironically it could have been one of those that if someone gets a head on it either cannons off the crossbar or hits a Chelsea player or something

[Mac76]

Flick it on to do what though - go out of play on the far side??

Like I say he would have been hoping to either score or for it to be headed in, so you could say he at least 50% 'meant it'

.....................

[HCZ_Reborn]

.....................

What’s your point? You are saying he either intended to score or provide an assist. I can only speak for myself but im saying it’s more likely he was trying to provide an assist, and this is what is meant (and what I believe others mean) by saying I’m not sure he meant it (as in meant to find the net directly himself)

Hard to believe as it might be, not every interaction I have with you or anyone else is intended to be an argument or refutation. Ultimately only Merino will know what he intended to do anyway

[Mac76]

I have a general issue with people casting doubt on players' intention with certain goals simply because the goal was unlikely or difficult (the 'was it a cross or a shot' argument for example) - anyone who's ever kicked a football anywhere will know we all try to do things that are unlikely but we give it a go, professional footballers will no doubt mess about in training and try different things, he didn't look surprised when it went in and for me his intention would have been (let's say it again shall we) either it goes in or someone might be there to head it