Arsenal 1-1 Brentford Player rating and match reaction

[Chippy]

We can keep top 5 with mostly draws if needs be, the priority has to be the CL, this is a huge oppprtunity and he needs to pick every PL lineup with that in mind

The Liverpool game is the only one where we really need to try to win, to set us up for competing with them again next srason

There's some value in 2nd but it's way way way below winning the CL

I am thankful that CL qualification has been extended to five clubs. We have gone from title contenders to sweating on the other teams chasing us down to get top four. Not good.

[Mac76]

Yeh, I'm sorry but for me it seems like we are happy to plod along in the league now to focus solely on the CL. That's inexcusable IMO based on where we should be at at this stage of the process.

You're all being ridiculous IMO, we have quite a few players either injured or just coming back from injury, we've a chance to win the biggest trophy in international club football which we've never won before and you're arguing over the lineup for a home game v a mid-table side which we just have to draw to stay in a decent top five position.

I should be the one who's annoyed as i pay to go to the games, but I'm completely phlisophical about it and with one or two exceptions, mostly the inexplicable decision to start Martinelli when we could have played Sterling, I'm just relieved Arteta has learnt enough not to thrash all our key players into the ground, especially after his 'over my dead body' nonsense

I think he realises patience wil run thin soon and so he really needs to get the CL over the line if he can

If we can stay in the CL to the point where we can't fall out of the top five I hope and expect we're literally fielding the under-18s in every league game if that's what it takes - apart from anything else I would like to see academy players given more minutes here and there in case we've more MLSs or Sakas to unearth

[HCZ_Reborn]

I disagree with aspects of both points of view, I think Arteta is actually for once rotating probably the right amount. I think it’s clear Rice would have been rested if not for the injury sustained by White in training.

I think sacking off the league and playing under 18s would be just as much of a poor idea as playing a completely full strength team. I think Martinelli probably needs game time, and given he didn’t start against Everton I really don’t think it was that harmful to start him for both Real Madrid and Brentford. I’m simply not convinced the champions league can be treated as a seperate entity to the league. Plus I think Saka showed that there’s a balance that needs to be had, between making sure he’s not run into the ground again and giving him enough game time to build up his confidence and match fitness.

I think for what it’s worth, as I said on the match thread that having gone to the game myself that many fans were as you say philosophical….disappointed with the result but enjoyed the performance. I’m not sure that they’d have felt that way if we had played the kids and lost by several goals….plus that’s the kind of thing that can get you heavily fined by the FA or the premier league.

I’m certainly not saying this as an Arteta stan but in terms of who he’s putting out there, I think he’s probably got the balance right

[IBK]

I take all the points about rotation and our priorities lying elsewhere, but I felt disappointed by yet another draw on Saturday - having been deservedly in front - to an opposition that had only 2 shots on target and an Xg of....0.19. And we created less after MLS; Timber; Odegard and Saka came on than before.

For me Arteta was all over the place with his subs. There was no pressing reason to bring MLS, Odegard or Saka on, and I do not really understand why they weren't fully rested. Starting Partey in a physically demanding LB role when he has racked up more minutes recently than almost any other Arsenal player and he was so key against RM was a risk IMO, and I hope that his injury wasn't serious. While I understand more taking Rice off, he still played 75 mins, and Merino was expected to pick up playing in his place when he has been playing up front. It was as though Areta did not know whether to twist or stick, and his subs disrupted what had been a decent performance from most of the understudies - with the exception maybe of Nwaneri. For me there was no reason to leave us with 10 players by the end when Jorghino - one of our best players on the day - got injured.

Getting a bit sick of all these draws...but onto Wednesday we go.

I praised Arteta for his player management against Everton. Not so much on Saturday.

[Mac76]

For me Arteta was all over the place with his subs. There was no pressing reason to bring MLS, Odegard or Saka on, and I do not really understand why they weren't fully rested. Starting Partey in a physically demanding LB role when he has racked up more minutes recently than almost any other Arsenal player and he was so key against RM was a risk IMO, and I hope that his injury wasn't serious. While I understand more taking Rice off, he still played 75 mins, and Merino was expected to pick up playing in his place when he has been playing up front.

Part of the problem lies with Arteta's historial reluctance to widen the overall experience of the squad, hence in this type of scenario he can't turn to, for example, Kabia or Butler-Oyedeji instead of Saka et al because he wouldn't even give them minutes when we were 7 goals to the good against PSV, so if he wants to change a game he's stuck with the usual suspects.

But I'm surprised you complain at his bringing them on given you also express disappointment at not winning the game.

I didn't like Partey at RB (for it was there that he was played, not LB...) but we're slightly stuck for alternatives given the above plus injuries.

That's why for me it's playing Martinelli that stands out - we have an obvious alternative in Sterling yet he wasn't used to rest Martinelli, who instead nearly had his leg broken in what should have been a red-card tackle (and would no doubt have been if it had been the other way round).

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I disagree with aspects of both points of view, I think Arteta is actually for once rotating probably the right amount. I think it’s clear Rice would have been rested if not for the injury sustained by White in training.

I think sacking off the league and playing under 18s would be just as much of a poor idea as playing a completely full strength team. I think Martinelli probably needs game time, and given he didn’t start against Everton I really don’t think it was that harmful to start him for both Real Madrid and Brentford. I’m simply not convinced the champions league can be treated as a seperate entity to the league. Plus I think Saka showed that there’s a balance that needs to be had, between making sure he’s not run into the ground again and giving him enough game time to build up his confidence and match fitness.

I think for what it’s worth, as I said on the match thread that having gone to the game myself that many fans were as you say philosophical….disappointed with the result but enjoyed the performance. I’m not sure that they’d have felt that way if we had played the kids and lost by several goals….plus that’s the kind of thing that can get you heavily fined by the FA or the premier league.

I’m certainly not saying this as an Arteta stan but in terms of who he’s putting out there, I think he’s probably got the balance right

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I take all the points about rotation and our priorities lying elsewhere, but I felt disappointed by yet another draw on Saturday - having been deservedly in front - to an opposition that had only 2 shots on target and an Xg of....0.19. And we created less after MLS; Timber; Odegard and Saka came on than before.

For me Arteta was all over the place with his subs. There was no pressing reason to bring MLS, Odegard or Saka on, and I do not really understand why they weren't fully rested. Starting Partey in a physically demanding LB role when he has racked up more minutes recently than almost any other Arsenal player and he was so key against RM was a risk IMO, and I hope that his injury wasn't serious. While I understand more taking Rice off, he still played 75 mins, and Merino was expected to pick up playing in his place when he has been playing up front. It was as though Areta did not know whether to twist or stick, and his subs disrupted what had been a decent performance from most of the understudies - with the exception maybe of Nwaneri. For me there was no reason to leave us with 10 players by the end when Jorghino - one of our best players on the day - got injured.

Getting a bit sick of all these draws...but onto Wednesday we go.

I praised Arteta for his player management against Everton. Not so much on Saturday.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Part of the problem lies with Arteta's historial reluctance to widen the overall experience of the squad, hence in this type of scenario he can't turn to, for example, Kabia or Butler-Oyedeji instead of Saka et al because he wouldn't even give them minutes when we were 7 goals to the good against PSV, so if he wants to change a game he's stuck with the usual suspects.

But I'm surprised you complain at his bringing them on given you also express disappointment at not winning the game.

I didn't like Partey at RB (for it was there that he was played, not LB...) but we're slightly stuck for alternatives given the above plus injuries.

That's why for me it's playing Martinelli that stands out - we have an obvious alternative in Sterling yet he wasn't used to rest Martinelli, who instead nearly had his leg broken in what should have been a red-card tackle (and would no doubt have been if it had been the other way round).

Martinelli needed the game time (though in hindsight it didn't improve him at all).

He is and has always been a confidence player. If you noticed against Real, he was hardly successful beating his man. However when he noticed this early on, he chose wisely to concentrate more on ball retention and trying to get into spaces when his marker was off. It was one of the most matured performances from him I'd ever seen.

I am guessing the plan was give him simpler opposition that he'd be able to beat and maybe even get a confidence goal, but playing him next to Trossard neutered that.

As for not taking the league seriously, most teams that win the CL still do well in their leagues. We can count on one hand in the last 3 decades teams that won the CL and decided to treat most of their league games with levity.

Its not an all or nothing as there is no guarantee that a fresh team, without a winning streak in their league will be confident enough to overcome adversity and win the top trophy. History shows us its usually the other way round.

[Letters]

I am thankful that CL qualification has been extended to five clubs. We have gone from title contenders to sweating on the other teams chasing us down to get top four. Not good.

Not really. We're 9 points ahead of 5th place. We've lost 3 games all season, it seems highly improbable we'll lose 3 more now.
The title has been gone since late Feb. The CL is still improbable but after the first leg feels slightly more plausible.
I don't think we will win the CL and this season will therefore be a disappointment, but given we are still in it it is absolutely right that we prioritise it.
I'm a bit frustrated we didn't win on Saturday but it honestly doesn't matter.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Not really. We're 9 points ahead of 5th place. We've lost 3 games all season, it seems highly improbable we'll lose 3 more now.
The title has been gone since late Feb. The CL is still improbable but after the first leg feels slightly more plausible.
I don't think we will win the CL and this season will therefore be a disappointment, but given we are still in it it is absolutely right that we prioritise it.
I'm a bit frustrated we didn't win on Saturday but it honestly doesn't matter.

I read today there was a 0.1% of you winning the league. Still too high for my liking