Just Arsenal News

As the season comes to a close, I feel it may be time to give your Arsenal player ratings for the season (I don’t want to think about tomorrow’s game to be honest!) It’s been a funny old season, with some players starting poorly and improving, some just not performing and some playing very well. Others have been wildly inconsistent.

Anyway, feel free to disagree, but here are my ratings for the season. Unless someone bangs in two hat-tricks for the Gunners in the last games, I doubt they will change. .......Read the full article here

Lacktustre Arsenal get the victory – Player ratings by NS.

With Gareth Bale FC winning just before kick off, Arsenal knew a victory was essential.

My first can of beer had hardly finished fizzing on opening as Theo Walcott scored. We were relaxed. What a nice feeling a goal in 20 seconds gives you!

Sadly, the players seemed to relax too. Thankfully, due to good defensive play from Koscielny (again) and Mertesacker, we were never in any real trouble. Monreal started well, but ‘ol’ twitcher’ put Andros Townsend on the right side an Nacho struggled at times with him. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal player ratings by NS

Reading turned up with a new manager and new hope. After 11 minutes, it was clear that their hope was over. Arsenal dominated from the first whistle and never looked back. We were in second gear and never in trouble. Many gooners (including this one) wanted to see Rosicky given more game time. Before this game he’d played under an hour of Premier League football. He started and was probably our least effective player in a forward position. I believe this was due simply to the lack of game time. .......Read the full article here

Hello Arsenal diehards! Here is my after-match player ratings after the Villa game…by AM

Szczesny – 6/10 – he did save us on certain balls in first half but has weak concentration sometimes…

Jenkinson – 8/10 – great fighting spirit, matched Agbonlahor for speed…

Mertesacker – 6/10 – lacks speed of reaction at times…

Vermaelen = 7/10 – nice defensive display from our captain…

Monreal – 7/10 – still lacks speed to switch from attacking role to defending, several times he was taken by Weismann but has good composure and decisive passes…

Diaby – 6/10 – good work in midfield but still lacks game fitness… .......Read the full article here

Wenger did the right thing by resting key players for this game. Indeed most of us praised the lineup when it was announced – we were simply unlucky. However, Podolski, Walcott, Cazorla and Wilshere are our most potent players and at least one of them should have started. It is a very disheartening result going into the week where we face Bayern Munich. Player ratings follow:

Szczesny: Was largely untested until the goal where he parried to the onrushing Kazim-Richards. Should he continue with these inconsistent performances, he really could find himself on the bench next season. 4/10 .......Read the full article here

Reading 2-5 Arsenal Match Ratings by AH

Szczesny – 7.5 – Couldn’t do much with either goal as both were scored as a result of lapses in defence. Unlucky not to get hold of the ball for the first goal we conceded but Adam Le Fondre rounded Szczesny well to finish.

Sagna – 7.5 – Solid performance from Sagna, wasn’t at fault for either of the goals conceded and he held his position well throughout, whilst also helping out in attack.

Mertesacker – 7 – Not one of the German’s strongest games of this season with several lapses in communication with teammates as well as some sloppy passing. However his positioning was good and he made several interceptions, meaning that although it wasn’t his best game he still deserves a relatively good rating. .......Read the full article here

What Went Wrong? By Twig

After the midweek game against Montepellier, I had said that I was far from impressed. The team was static, lacked pace and had no penetration. The two goals we scored in the second half only masked what was otherwise a very mid-table performance. This is one of the slowest, most cumbersome Arsenal sides I’ve ever seen. Unless Walcott, Wilshere, Diaby or Arshavin (if you go by his masterclass against Reading) are playing, the team has no cutting edge and seems too laboured and ponderous. We’ve witnessed the same performance again today against a very average Villa side. Anyway, let’s analyse the performance of the following players: .......Read the full article here

Arsenal v Coventry player ratings by AH

Martinez 7 – A solid debut for the Argentinian. Not much he could do about the goal and he was unlucky not to keep a clean sheet. His handling and kicking was good and he looks like a very promising keeper.

Angha 7 – Looked nervous at times but who wouldn’t be when making your Arsenal debut. Angha quickly settled through and looked quite solid throughout.

Djourou 7 – The skipper for the match and he put in a worthy display. Not his greatest match but he won most of his ariel battles and was decent on his tackling. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal played City to a hard fought draw in Sunday’s clash. by TS

Here are my ratings for each player. As usual, feel free to argue.

Vito Mannone: Produced a good save from Aguero early on and later from Kompany, but then again, he was left floundering when City scored. Not the best game for the Italian. 6/10

Carl Jenkinson: One of Arsenal’s best players. Has improved dramatically this season so far. Nullified Sinclair effectively in the opening half, and ensured Clichy was unable to offer his side much in attack. Went forward with ease and even created a glorious opportunity for Podolski to score. 8/10 .......Read the full article here

Arsenal On The Up. Fantastic F.A. Cup Tie by Lorenzo Sallows

Drawn against another Premier League side and coming after a torrid spell of form, emotions were sure to run high. The match did not disappoint. I have been more than negative in my approach to Arsenal these past few weeks but, like all fans, I warm after a win.

For the first half, Arsenal played a traditional flat, unintelligent game, lofting balls into the penalty area, hoping for the best. Numerous corners were won and squandered and a poor defensive display from Per Mertesacker gifted Aston Villa the lead. Without the presence of Mark Albrighton and Charles N’Zogbia, Villa lacked the required pace to pressurize Arsenal’s flanks and instead opted for success via set-pieces and counter attacks, Robbie Keane’s good touch distancing the two sides. .......Read the full article here

One of our Guest Posters, AFC Chazza, was at the Wigan match last night, and wants to give his Player Ratings to see if fellow Gooners agree with his comments. Over to you Chazza…

Arsenal Player Ratings v Wigan

Szczesny: 6.5- solid performance from the current number 2. Not really challenged, but handled the few Wigan half chances well.

Eboue: 6- looked dodgy in the opening minutes vs. Moses, but after Moses was injured there was no threat from the right, and so Eboue had little to do. Didn’t see a lot of him in the opposition half however. .......Read the full article here