Ratings for Arsenal

[Romulus]

gave Mason MOTM i thought he was absolutely superb. at one point he was literally everywhere defending, attacking, tackling, crossing. im so pleased for him.

Kane and Bentaleb were just as good and im loving Dembele playing aswell, hes a monster

 

[Larryjanta]

Bentaleb and Kane unreal!

Verts walker and rose awesome

You missed one boss. Begins with an M. I know you don't rate him but, surely, even you must admit he was incredible today.

 

[lukespurs7]

Unbelievable atmosphere today from first minute to last.

Mason,Kane,Rose,FANS - 10
Walker,Dier,Jan,Bentaleb,Eriksen-9
Lamela,Dembele-8

Amazing effort and passion from the team we were first to every first and 2nd ball and battered them from the first minute to the last they barely sang because they had fuck all to sing about and were shitting their pants for 90minutes...AMAZING just AMAZING.

Only tiny gripes would be Lamela and Dembele using the ball a bit better, Lamela not falling over when he shoots as he could've had 2 goals otherwise and Dembele not always turning round but that's being hugely picky and possibly unfair as both put in a hell of a shift especially Lamela who won so many tackles/interceptions.

Beautiful football, Breathtaking atmosphere, Amazing result, 1-0 down 2-1 up Kane with both, couldn't have written a better script.

Wow! COYS!

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Lloris - 7.5 - Superb when called upon, which was rarely.

Veronghen - 7 - Solid and organised. Worked well with Dier and came forward at appropriate times.

Dier - 7.5 - I like Fazio a lot, but I can easily see why Dier was preferred against a team with a lot of pace and movement, but only Giroud as a target - he's a good striker, but he's not a physical handful. And Dier rewarded his manager with a mature performance, full of good judgment and strength, with only a few dodgy clearances and sloppy passes to mar it. The past 2 appearances, he hasn't looked like a youth player anymore, he's looked ready.

Walker - 7 - Great verve and pace, only caught out positionally twice, although once cost us a goal. A determined display.

Rose - 8 - A great display in the attack and forced a fine save from Ospina. He was never going to win the foot-race for the move that led up to their goal and, otherwise, he defended well. Rose is now showing sustained good form.

Mason - 9 - MotM. Simply everywhere, closing down, pressing, winning the ball countless times, driving the midfield and taking shots at goal. And he didn't let up for the entire time he was on the pitch. A coming-of-age display.

Eriksen - 7 - Calm, organised, involved - more of a cog than a star today, but a bloody important cog.

Bentaleb - 8.5 - Nearly as good as Mason, with a simply superb floated deep cross for the simple-but-sublime winner. Bentaleb's smooth possession-preserving passing reminds me more and more of Huddlestone. It isn't flash, but you'd never want to be without it. It keeps us ticking - his comments about Deschamps and Makelele in his interview this week speak volumes.

Dembélé - 7 - His presence in an advanced position is tactically brilliant and was crucial to the sustained pressure we were able to exert today, but his indecisiveness with the ball is simply infuriating. At one point, after about a half-hour, he was controlling the ball under pressure on the edge of the box and a perfect corridor opened up for him in the Arsenal defence. With only Ospina to beat and the whole goal to steer the ball at ... he took 2 or 3 pointless touches and then got off neither a shot nor a pass. And I knew he wouldn't.

Lamela - 6.5 - His contribution at present resembles that of Aaron Lennon: he occupies two defenders, because everyone now knows that he can beat one man but not two and the opposition double-team him routinely, and he tracks back and tackles and plays a full part in our midfield team play. But none of his creative play ever comes to fruition and he still loses the ball far too often.

Kane - 9 - As someone wrote above, he is starting to look more like a young Shearer than the Sheringham-style player I saw a few months ago. His bullishness has emerged alongside his canniness and the blend is very exciting. His finishes - totally different, as usual - were precise, nerveless and, in the case of the header, world-class. He rose above two markers who are bigger than he is and guided the deepest of deep crosses (a difficult technique) right into the top corner. Simple and wonderful.

It cannot be a coincidence that our four (!) youth team graduates, Kane, Mason, Bentaleb and Rose, were arguably our four best players and were snapping into tackles, closing down, pressing high and attacking every ball fiercely. The North London Derby has a different significance for them.

And what decade is Kane from? You grow up in a local family of Spurs supporters. You sign for your home town club at 11. You play your way into the first team at 21, in place of two expensive imports. And then you score two goals to win your first North London Derby. It's a boys' magazine story from the 1950s. "Living the dream" doesn't quite convey how weird it is to have someone with his background and career pattern becoming a major figure in the 2015 Premiership.

It was a fantastic football match anyway and we dominated nearly all of it. The score could justifiably have been 3-1 or 4-1, but let's not fail to give credit to Arsenal's very organised and aware defending. It took two good finishes to beat them, but FFS, we had 23 shots and they had 7. It was our game. Our day.

 

[Adam456]

Fair

Did you notice how many Gooner players who were marking Lamela when he got the ball? It looks as if he always had at least 2, if not 3, player closing down his space. Not easy to run with the ball then...

Fair point. I remember one point where he had acres of space ahead though and if he had just run as fast as I thought he would have drawn the defender and played Kane in but he seemed slow. Anyway, all fairly minor

 

[Bus-Conductor]

The Quan

OK, it's been a while coming, but I've finally ordered my revolutionary beret. I don't know whether it's going to be a glorious revolution or we are going to end up with great health service but clunking around in 50's cars living in egalitarian poverty but I'm along for the ride.

We finally did something today, in a league game, that I've been waiting for since Wenger arrived, we beat Arsenal properly. I don't just mean deserved to win the game on balance, or made more chances, or edged a good game, I mean we were better in every single way and for 90 minutes. We've outplayed them a few of times before in league games, but not got the result. We've got the result but been awful. We've edged a couple. skanked a couple. But we've never outplayed them with so much panache, so much aggression and tempo. Today we were not just better in every way, we were outstanding in every way.

The most important way was our competitiveness all over the pitch. I'm loving this new aggressiveness to our collective game. Even Eriksen is leaving a foot in.

People have talked about our fitness, and I'm sure this is playing an important role, but I think even more important this season has been the change in our collective attitude. I said earlier in the season, after the Villa game where Mason and Lamela got nasty on Benteke and effectively turned the game, that there is a beautifully nasty competitive streak growing in this team, I see it all over the pitch, in every position almost. Even The aforementioned Eriksen is pressing and tackling.

That team was perfect for me. Football in every area, busy ****edness in every area. Really liked the balance of skills. There are no passengers in this team. Every single one of them stand up to be counted. No hiders. But you then have to apply them, and we did. From the first minute to the last we out worked them, out moved them, out pressed them, out passed them, out footballed them and out fucking scored them.

This was the best game of football we've played for a very long time. The most complete. Maybe even better than Milan away.

From the first minute there was a tempo about our play. We pressed them high and got behind them frequently. And our pressing was cohesive and in swarms. Our passing was progressive and had zip. Unfortunately the final execution was the only thing that spoilt the first half. Rose had an extremely good half and was constantly threatening down the left, getting in behind their defence on three occasions but wasting it with poor delivery. Walker similarly got into acres of space behind their defence and blipped the first man, as he frequently does. These two provide the pace and width and intention, but both suffer from a lack of composure in the heat of the moment. Rose is marginally better than Walker in all aspects, but he must improve his final ball.

It was an utter travesty that we found ourselves a goal behind to an offside, flukey, mishit shot.

I was wondering if it was possible to play with the same intensity in the second half, worried that we may burn out and find ourselves vulnerable to Arsenal's clever, quick brained footballers.

I needn't have worried, although the second half wasn't quite as furious, it was still one sided and we continued to do most of the good things we'd done in the first. Kept working, kept pressing, kept playing.

Mason had a typically frenetic and erratic first 25 minutes, he was tearing around like loon, flying into tackles and when he needed to be composed and play that clever, incisive pass he got it wrong. But he settled and was, from there on in, outstanding. Still covering ground, but making better decisions and helping to dictate the tempo.

I thought this game may come too soon for Bentaleb, but he was superb too, bringing that steely composure. Eriksen, Dembele and Lamela all worked their nuts off, dropping and helping the midfield and defenders when required and all seeing plenty of ball and all making pretty good decisions most of the time.

The two CB's were superb. Both strong, competitive, but both comfortable with a ball at their feet. I think this is potentially the best CB partnership we've had for many, many years.

And then there was Kane. That goal last week against West Brom stuck in my mind all week. I just couldn't remember when we last had a player who scored a goal like that. That little shift and then the sheer power he drilled it with past Foster. it didn't even go in a corner, it was just so ferocious he couldn't move. Then today he pops up in the malaise of a corner scramble and calmly side foots it in, then following a good cross from Bentaleb, hangs like big arian salmon and nods one back into the top corner. He should have played Eriksen in first half instead of shooting, but otherwise this was your typical, all action Kane Performance.

The guy has just evolved into this uber striker in front of our very eyes, it's like watching you're kid grow up in 6 months, he's gone from baby stumbly steps to driving a car whilst doing The Times crossword and reciting shakespear in half a season. Bambi to Steve Austin in a dozen games.

It is impossible to pick out a revolutionary who deserves MOTM more than his comrade from this game, so there can only be one winner, Che Poch. Great team, great tactics, he delivered that rarest of things for a team like us.


The perfect game.


The individual components of the collective:

Lloris - quiet game but when needed was relaible.

Walker - Needed to make more of his opportunities when attacking but a very good game otherwise.

Dier - Excellent

Vertonghen - Should be our captain. Outstanding game.

Rose - brilliant game in all but his delivery in attacking positions. Was feisty, competitive, continually supported the attack. Loved his kicking the ball at Welbeck at HT.

Mason - Slightly erratic but still decent first 25, outstanding last 65. Busy, dynamic and a vital component. Just needs to add that Cabaye-esque incision to his game.

Bentaleb - Steely composure under immense pressure having just got back from the mentalness that is the ACN. Unlucky not to score, great ball for the second goal. Superb game.

Lamela - His decision making has improved. A couple of erratic final moments but overall a very good contribution, dropping in and making tackles in his own box and joining up play continually.

Dembele - Industrious and providing an important conduit, his ability to put his foot on the ball sometimes and not be flustered was invaluable whilst the game was swirling around him. Good game.

Eriksen - Worked hard, pressed well and was involved in everything. His crosses and final ball were a tad disappointing but in every other way was superb. Metronomic even. Almost like a Modric playing 20 yards further up the pitch.

Kane - Thank you development academy. You have delivered us an uber striker. Loving what he's bringing.

 

[stemark44]

I thought Dembele performance was good in parts but I was much more happier when Chadli came on...what does that say?

It says you were wrong to feel that way.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Lloris - 7.5 - Superb when called upon, which was rarely.

Veronghen - 7 - Solid and organised.Worked well with Dier and came forward at appropriate times.

Dier - 7.5 - I like Fazio a lot, but I can easily see why Dier was preferred against a team with a lot of pace and movement, but only Giroud as a target - he's a good striker, but he's not a physical handful. And Dier rewarded his manager with a mature performance, full of good judgment and strength, with only a few dodgy clearances and sloppy passes to mar it. The past 2 appearances, he hasn't looked like a youth player anymore, he's looked ready.

Walker - 7 - Great verve and pace, only caught out positionally twice, although once cost us a goal. A determined display.

Rose - 8 - A great display in the attack and forced a fine save from Ospina. He was never going to win the foot-race for the move that led up to their goal and, otherwise, he defended well. Rose is now showing sustained good form.

Mason - 9 - MotM. Simply everywhere, closing down, pressing, winning the ball countless times, driving the midfield and taking shots at goal. And he didn't let up for the entire time he was on the pitch. A coming-of-age display.

Eriksen - 7 - Calm, organised, involved - more of a cog than a star today, but a bloody important cog.

Bentaleb - 8.5 - Nearly as good as Mason, with a simply superb floated deep cross for the simple-but-sublime winner. Bentaleb's smooth possession-preserving passing reminds me more and more of Huddlestone. It isn't flash, but you'd never want to be without it. It keeps us ticking - his comments about Deschamps and Makelele in his interview this week speak volumes.

Dembélé - 7 - His presence in an advanced position is tactically brilliant and was crucial to the sustained pressure we were able to exert today, but his indecisiveness with the ball is simply infuriating. At one point, after about a half-hour, he was controlling the ball under pressure on the edge of the box and a perfect corridor opened up for him in the Arsenal defence. With only Ospina to beat and the whole goal to steer to ball at ... he took 2 or 3 pointless touches and then got off neither a shot nor a pass. And I knew he wouldn't.

Lamela - 6.5 - His contribution at present resembles that of Aaron Lennon: he occupies two defenders, because everyone now knows that he can beat one man but not two and the opposition double-team him routinely, and he tracks back and tackles and plays a full part in our midfield team play. But none of his creative play ever comes to fruition and he still loses the ball far too often.

Kane - 9 - As someone wrote above, he is starting to look more like a young Shearer than the Sheringham-style player I saw a few months ago. His bullishness has emerged alongside his canniness and the blend is very exciting. His finishes - totally different, as usual - were precise, nerveless and, in the case of the header, world-class. He rose above two markers who are bigger than he is and guided the deepest of deep crosses (a difficult technique) right into the top corner. Simple and wonderful.

It cannot be a coincidence that our four (!) youth team graduates, Kane, Mason, Bentaleb and Rose, were arguably our four best players and were snapping into tackles, closing down, pressing high and attacking every ball fiercely. The North London Derby has a different significance for them.

And what decade is Kane from? You grow up in a local family of Spurs supporters. You sign for your home town club at 11. You play your way into the first team at 21, in place of two expensive imports. And then you score two goals to win your first North London Derby. It's a boys' magazine story from the 1950s. "Living the dream" doesn't quite convey how weird it is to have someone with his background and career pattern becoming a major figure in the 2015 Premiership.

It was a fantastic football match anyway and we dominated nearly all of it. The score could justifiably have been 3-1 or 4-1, but let's not fail to give credit to Arsenal's very organised and aware defending. It took two good finishes to beat them, but FFS, we had 23 shots and they had 7. It was our game. Our day.

If you can find me a NLD where Lennon has seen the ball 38 times, made 3 tackles and 3 key passes I'll upgrade your "like" to a "winner".

Good write up though. If I was giving it to a player, I think I would have gone for Mason too.

 

[CowInAComa]

There are young players in our squad, Kane, Bentaleb, Dier, Mason, Eriksen to name 5 who will go on to play at the very very top of the game.

We need to make sure they do so wearing our shirt.

Ridiculous that a midfield of such youth totally dominated Arsenals to the point they tried to park the bus. (and massively failed)

 

[StockSpur]

Starting to warm to Bentaleb, he's nasty, hard tackling and he doesnt give a fuck, I like it.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

There are young players in our squad, Kane, Bentaleb, Dier, Mason, Eriksen to name 5 who will go on to play at the very very top of the game.

It occurs to me that if anyone's career is going to benefit from Hodgson's presence at today's match, it is likely to be Eric Dier's ... or even Ryan Mason's.

He knows all about Kane already. Dier looked like an experienced pro today and Mason was the best player on the pitch.

 

[Dannyspur]

Special Mention for another worldy from Hugo, becoming so commonplace that we tend to pass them off as just another save.

 

[JimmyG2]

Lloris........8......Not much to do, otherwise higher Gives confidence to back line.
Wallker......7.....Getting there. Best game back.
Dier..........7+.....Deservedly trusted. Sound and composed.
Verts........8.......Liking the new Jan. Growing in stature by the game.
Rose........8...... Another good game . Offers vital width. Pity about the goal.1st choice now.
Mason......8..... .Sloppy first 15. Made up for it with tenacity. Like sand at a picnic: everywhere
Bentaleb...8.......Fine game. So strong: so young.
Eriksen.....7+.....Low key but essential to the flow and movement.
Dembele...7......Could be so much more effective with his head up.
Lamela.....7......Moving the ball quicker and less of the gimmicks. Tireless.Just what the Head Coach ordered.
Kane........9......If he's not in the England squad Roy should be sacked. Redknapp's free.
Love the boy almost like my own. Strength skill, work-rate and goal touch.

Poch and crowd 10. Both inspirational. Chelsea and Arsenal who'd have thought it.

 

[THFCSPURS19]

I think the main factor, which I could see coming, was that our players wanted it more. You can't buy passion.

 

[Strikeb4ck]

I'm giving MOTM to Mason solely because he epitomized everything you would want from a player in the NLD. He wanted it more than anybody on the field, and it showed in his play. He wasn't always perfect, sometimes he missed passes, sometimes he stumbled around - but he was everywhere, tackling, passing, moving, making/exploiting space, giving orders. Fantastic.

Kane brilliant too of course.

Whole team played well, the only way you win a game like that in the NLD is if the team raises their level and fights hard.

Dominated from start to finish.

 

[iluvsteffenfreund]

You missed one boss. Begins with an M. I know you don't rate him but, surely, even you must admit he was incredible today.

I actually thought he was awful first half. Ramsay ran off him far too easily and he gave it away time and time again. However 2nd half he was more combative and grew into the game so credit where it's due. I was calling for him and lamela to be replaced at ht but both produced a great shift 2nd half.

 

[iluvsteffenfreund]

I loved how walker ran ozil the other way today. Ozil really didn't fancy doing that and walks showed just how quick and how fit he is. Said to the guy next to me that we would win it last 10 we look so fit and strong, first to every 2nd ball and so much energy. Big hats off to the gaffer

 

[kaz Hirai]

10s and 9s for everyone. Amazing team effort, never seen arsenal under pressure for an entire game except against the likes of Barca in their prime.

Was surprised to see Danny welbeck ghost past rose so easy for the goal, rose isn't slow. But still a woeful shot turned pass leading to a goal that was offside anyway was all they could muster and a speculative long ranger

Great great work all over the pitch

 

[sparx100]

The Quan

OK, it's been a while coming, but I've finally ordered my revolutionary beret. I don't know whether it's going to be a glorious revolution or we are going to end up with great health service but clunking around in 50's cars living in egalitarian poverty but I'm along for the ride.

We finally did something today, in a league game, that I've been waiting for since Wenger arrived, we beat Arsenal properly. I don't just mean deserved to win the game on balance, or made more chances, or edged a good game, I mean we were better in every single way and for 90 minutes. We've outplayed them a few of times before in league games, but not got the result. We've got the result but been awful. We've edged a couple. skanked a couple. But we've never outplayed them with so much panache, so much aggression and tempo. Today we were not just better in every way, we were outstanding in every way.

The most important way was our competitiveness all over the pitch. I'm loving this new aggressiveness to our collective game. Even Eriksen is leaving a foot in.

People have talked about our fitness, and I'm sure this is playing an important role, but I think even more important this season has been the change in our collective attitude. I said earlier in the season, after the Villa game where Mason and Lamela got nasty on Benteke and effectively turned the game, that there is a beautifully nasty competitive streak growing in this team, I see it all over the pitch, in every position almost. Even The aforementioned Eriksen is pressing and tackling.

That team was perfect for me. Football in every area, busy ****edness in every area. Really liked the balance of skills. There are no passengers in this team. Every single one of them stand up to be counted. No hiders. But you then have to apply them, and we did. From the first minute to the last we out worked them, out moved them, out pressed them, out passed them, out footballed them and out fucking scored them.

This was the best game of football we've played for a very long time. The most complete. Maybe even better than Milan away.

From the first minute there was a tempo about our play. We pressed them high and got behind them frequently. And our pressing was cohesive and in swarms. Our passing was progressive and had zip. Unfortunately the final execution was the only thing that spoilt the first half. Rose had an extremely good half and was constantly threatening down the left, getting in behind their defence on three occasions but wasting it with poor delivery. Walker similarly got into acres of space behind their defence and blipped the first man, as he frequently does. These two provide the pace and width and intention, but both suffer from a lack of composure in the heat of the moment. Rose is marginally better than Walker in all aspects, but he must improve his final ball.

It was an utter travesty that we found ourselves a goal behind to an offside, flukey, mishit shot.

I was wondering if it was possible to play with the same intensity in the second half, worried that we may burn out and find ourselves vulnerable to Arsenal's clever, quick brained footballers.

I needn't have worried, although the second half wasn't quite as furious, it was still one sided and we continued to do most of the good things we'd done in the first. Kept working, kept pressing, kept playing.

Mason had a typically frenetic and erratic forst 25 minutes, he was tearing around like loon, flying into tackles and when he needed to be composed and play that clever, incisive pass he got it wrong. But he settled and was, from there on in, outstanding. Still covering ground, but making better decisions and helping to dictate the tempo.

I thought this game may come too soon for Bentaleb, but he was superb too, bringing that steely composure. Eriksen, Dembele and Lamela all worked their nuts off, dropping and helping the midfield and defenders when required and all seeing plenty of ball and all making pretty good decisions most of the time.

The two CB's were superb. Both strong, competitive, but both comfortable with a ball at their feet. I think this is potentially the best CB partnership we've had for many, many years.

And then there was Kane. That goal last week against West Brom stuck in my mind all week. I just couldn't remember when we last had a player who scored a goal like that. That little shift and then the sheer power he drilled it with past Foster. it didn't even go in a corner, it was just so ferocious he couldn't move. Then today he pops up in the malaise of a corner scramble and calmly side foots it in, then following a good cross from Bentaleb, hangs like big arian salmon and nods one back into the top corner. He should have played Eriksen in first half instead of shooting, but otherwise this was your typical, all action Kane Performance.

The guy has just evolved into this uber striker in front of our very eyes, it's like watching you're kid grow up in 6 months, he's gone from baby stumbly steps to driving a car whilst doing The Times crossword and reciting shakespear in half a season. Bambi to Steve Austin in a dozen games.

It is impossible to pick out a revolutionary who deserves MOTM more than his comrade from this game, so there can only be one winner, Che Poch. Great team, great tactics, he delivered that rarest of things for a team like us.



The perfect game.


The individual components of the collective:

Lloris - quiet game but when needed was relaible.

Walker - Needed to make more of his opportunities when attacking but a very good game otherwise.

Dier - Excellent

Vertonghen - Should be our captain. Outstanding game.

Rose - brilliant game in all but his delivery in attacking positions. Was feisty, competitive, continually supported the attack. Loved his kicking the ball at Welbeck at HT.

Mason - Slightly erratic but still decent first 25, outstanding last 65. Busy, dynamic and a vital component. Just needs to add that Cabaye-esque incision to his game.

Bentaleb - Steely composure under immense pressure having just got back from the mentalness that is the ACN. Unlucky not to score, great ball for the second goal. Superb game.

Lamela - His decision making has improved. A couple of erratic final moments but overall a very good contribution, dropping in and making tackles in his own box and joining up play continually.

Dembele - Industrious and providing an important conduit, his ability to put his foot on the ball sometimes and not be flustered was invaluable whilst the game was swirling around him. Good game.

Eriksen - Worked hard, pressed well and was involved in everything. His crosses and final ball were a tad disappointing but in every other way was superb. Metronomic even. Almost like a Modric playing 20 yards further up the pitch.

Kane - Thank you development academy. You have delivered us an uber striker. Loving what he's bringing.

Great post BC.

 

[Larryjanta]

I actually thought he was awful first half. Ramsay ran off him far too easily and he gave it away time and time again. However 2nd half he was more combative and grew into the game so credit where it's due. I was calling for him and lamela to be replaced at ht but both produced a great shift 2nd half.

Ah, you're a fool, but a loveable one