Arsenal v Brentford Player Ratings – No one deserves more than a 7…

Hard to know what to draw from that game to be honest. There was no lack of endeavor from the Arsenal players and it was a significantly more energetic performance than against Everton. Despite having the overwhelming majority of the ball there was a definitive lack of cutting edge and Brentford had the more clear cut chances.

It is only fair to highlight the job that Thomas Frank is doing at Brentford. They were incredibly well drilled and were willing to commit men forward on the counter attack, so there’s a lot to admire there. It is worth noting that they went to the Etihad and deservedly picked up the three points there, so using that as a reference this can be viewed as a point gained.

Here are my ratings

Ramsdale (7)

Made a few important interventions and tried to keep the game flowing with quick distribution, but there wasn’t always outlets because of Brentford’s pressure. Could do very little about the goal.

White (6)

Struggled to contain Mbuemo and Toney, both of whom took turns to attack his wing.  Hasn’t been the same force of late going forward that he had been earlier. Possibly needs Tomiyasu to step in for a breather.

Saliba (6)

Got stitched up beautifully by Toney for the free kick that led to the goal in a demonstration of the dark arts by the forward. Was exposed a couple of times as Brentford missed some clear chances.

Gabriel (7)

He has increasingly become the more dominant partner in the centre of defence as he gets into positions for clearances with great frequency.

Zinchenko (6)

Is an incredibly gifted technical operator but his decision-making left a lot to be desired as he frequently tried to force passes that weren’t on. His tendency is to drift infield which narrows the attack, and causes him to occupy spaces that Xhaka and Martinelli were being fruitful from earlier in the season. The Tierney option offers more width and should be used as a weapon in games like this.

Partey (7)

Possibly not as commanding as usual or incisive but still the most important cog in the midfield. His ability to sense the danger and then his timing in the interventions are a thing of beauty. This was particularly obvious at points where Brentford threatened to counter attack and he managed to somehow get the foot in.

Odegaard (6)

This was a game that cried out for a piece of Odegaard magic to break through the very impressive Brentford rear guard but he just couldn’t find that killer pass. That didn’t stop him delivering his usual effort level and applied himself with typical vigour.

Xhaka (6)

Was largely playing on the back foot despite our huge posession stats. As earlier stated there’s a suspicion that Zinchenko’s inverted role cramps his attacking influence as he doesn’t seem to feature in the box as frequently.

Saka (7)

Produced the one sublime moment that broke through the opposition’s defiant defence. Was constantly probing and kept recycling the attack. Never seemed to lose possession despite the close attention he received.

Martinelli (6)

Another less than stellar performance from our young Brazilian but like the rest of the attack stuck manfully to the effort. The feeling is that he needs an overlapping option in order to find the space to work his magic. Is in danger of losing his spot after Trossards successful cameo.

Nketiah (6)

Ran his little socks off for the cause, chasing down every lost cause going. Had one opportunity that suited him but the Brentford defender made an incredible tackle to prevent him getting his shot off. This type of game is where his predatory instincts were not given the chance to shine because of the quality of the defending.

All in all the team can’t be faulted for effort but Brentford turned in a damn good performance. How do you Gooners rate it?