Player Analysis and Ratings Vs Villa

By 1970’s Gooner

It was a game Arsenal needed to win so as to finally take advantage of Chelsea’s indifferent form as of late. And the boys looked hungry and determined to get all three points.

It wasn’t until Wenger made two significant substitutions that Arsenal began to pass the ball quicker and in more penetrative positions.

Fabregas who replaced Denilson added trickery and more incisive passing. He added the goals of course…

But the other substitution was also important in my mind. For a start Walcott replaced Eduardo who was again disappointingly ineffective.

Walcott also added width which stretched the pitch as he drew on to him Villa’s left back. This left more room for Fabregas and Diaby to roam.

Almunia

Didn’t have much to do and on the occasion he had to he managed to palm the ball away from Agbolanhor as he was close to turning it in five mnutes from the end. 7

Sagna

Kept Downing quiet and also went forward combining well with Nasri. He looks fresher than a few games ago when he looked in need of rest. 7

Traore

I was very relieved when the news came out that he was fit enough to return to the left back position. Silvestre is a real liability as a left back (and as a central defender too).

I would much prefer Sagna to play left back and Eboue brought in at right back if the need arises again.

Traore looks the part now. He is strong, fast and tenacious and what a marvelous cross field ball he made to Walcott which resulted in Arsenal’s second goal.

Wenger will really have a big problem when Clichy and Gibbs return. 7

Gallas

He looks rejuvenated with Vermaelen partnering him rather than Toure. He is stronger and much more determined in the challenges this season. He nearly scored today but Friedle saved from close range. 7

Vermaelen

He wasn’t going to let Agbolnahor or any of the Villa forwards get the better of him. You could sense that all game personified by the chase against Agbolanhor from which he came out a winner. 8

Song

Another strong performance from Arsenal’s anchor. Dominated midfield with his strength, close control and tenacity. His passing however was not up to his usual standards giving the ball away too often. 6.5

Diaby

He has managed to dispel that part of his game that got us all so frustrated last season. That which saw him hold onto the ball too long, draw too many defenders on him and then lose it.

Now he is far more sensible. He wins the ball and then if he doesn’t see the space to exploit he passes short to a team mate. Simple football means great performances and this is what we got today from this awesome football player.

He also scored a wonderful third to cap a fantastic performance. 9

Denilson

He is another that got us all debating last season as to his footballing abilities. But at 21 he has improved so much this season chipping in with vital goals (eg vs Hull) and becoming much more efficient in his ball retrieving and passing. 6

Fabregas

Enough said. He was magnificent today for 28 minutes scoring two great goals. He is a much more direct and efficient player this season. He knows when to pass, when to shoot and which positions to take… 10

Eduardo

Another disappointing performance from Eduardo. He gets into very dangerous positions but fails to convert. He did it against Hull when he turned into the box beating his man with only the goalie to beat. He repeated almost the same move today with the same outcome.

I believe that he is still afraid of picking another injury which makes him rush his shots or be reluctant to go for 50 50 balls. Unless he shakes this fear off he will never be the same player again.

I think he should be dropped for the next game and Walcott (or even Eboue) brought in on the flank. 4

Arshavin

Had a better second half. He was meeting the ball far more effectively in the second half something which he was failing to do in the first.

Villa compressed the space around him so he had litle room to manouvre.

He also suffered due to Fabregas’s absence in the first half as Cesc is able to play him in far more easily than Song, Denilson or Diaby. 5

Nasri

He was more of a peripheral player today which is strange as with the absence of Fabregas from midfield he should have been doing more of the playmaking. 6

Walcott

Provided much needed width when he came on and he looked fresh and more with it today than in his previous outings. Of course he can do that much better when he comes off the bench with the opponents tired.

Once he recovers his fitness he will have a very important role to play this season. Provided the assist for Fabregas to score the second with a very precise pass into his path. 8


Man of the Match: Cesc Fabregas

Wenger’s switch of half time talk wasn’t the only one that inspired Arsenal’s win at Anfield

By 1970’s Gooner

It was a game of two halves really. In the first Arsenal played well under par with Liverpool playing more forcefully and closing the space in midfield very well, not allowing room for Fabregas and Co to weave their magic. They created chances, scoring just before the interval.

In the second half Arsenal played more as a team, managing to put passes together in the more advanced positions and getting more forward on Sagna’s side. The own goal did wonders for the confidence as much as it dented Liverpool’s.

But besides the half time dressing room hysterics by Wenger what actually worked equally well on the pitch was the switch of positions in the second half between Nasri and Walcott.

This switch created more space on the right as Nasri tended to come inside more rather than hug the touch line. I think this should not be overlooked.

It was Nasri who drifted inwards and crossed low to a position where the ball should be put: Between the goalkeeper and the central defenders. I do not think that Walcott would have done that. Not the way he was playing tonight.

What also worked in this move was Walcott’s presence in the middle of the box forcing the mistake by Johnson for the own goal. He drifted in the middle from the left as Arshavin himself drifted back into midfield to collect the ball and pass it to Fabregas.

Wenger’s inspired switch also did the trick again for Arsenal’s winner.

It was Walcott’s presence in the middle of the box challenging for Fabregas’s cross which put the defender under pressure thus allowing the ball to travel to the little Russian demon.

Arshavin had momentarily stayed leftish as Walcott found himself in the centre forward position anticipating Fabregas’s cross who had found space on the right hand side of the pitch, again.

Something which would not have occurred had Walcott not made the switch with Nasri in the first place.

And the rest is history as they say…

How Arsenal could play without Song, van Persie and Walcott and still beat Stoke

By 1970’s Gooner

If Arsenal are to have a good chance of beating Stoke (yes Stoke at the Emirates) then two team selections will prove vital.

The first one has to do with whom to play in the front man position.

Will Wenger continue to be stubborn and insist that Eduardo is the front man to make up for van Persie’s loss?

He made the choice to play Eduardo against Sunderland and the boy was awful.

Wenger insisted to play him again against Chelsea when it was so obvious that if he couldn’t cut it against Sunderland’s central defenders he certainly wasn’t going to cut it against Terry and Calvalho.

Again Eduardo was awful.

Wenger has two options. The first one is to select the only other available player that can play in that position and that is Arshavin. In my opinion he would hold the ball under pressure much better than Eduardo has done up to now.

The unfortunate thing is that Walcott will not be available as he could have taken up Arshavin’s position on one of the wings.

In this case then Eduardo or even Eboue could be moved to one of the wide midfield positions. The other would probably be filled by Nasri who was rested in midweek and has shown improving form since coming back from his injury.

If Wenger sticks to his guns and goes for 4 3 3 then I hope that he keeps Ramsey on the bench as he didn’t have a good game against Manchester City and brings Eboue in the middle.

Almunia

Sagna Gallas Vermaelen, Traore

Eboue Fabregas Denilson

Nasri Arshavin Eduardo

Wenger’s other option would be to change formation and play 4 4 2 by giving Eduardo support in the front by playing Arshavin next to him.

This is to my mind a more viable option when taking into account the type of players left standing in the Arsenal squad.

This switch would also solve Wenger’s other major selection problem for Saturday.

Song’s forced absence could prove as big a problem as van Persie’s and by playing 4 4 2 instead of 4 3 3 does away with the need to play two more defensive midfielders.

In this case Denilson and Fabregas will be the two central midfielders with Fabregas assuming his old familiar role of the deep lying midfield playmaker.

In a 4 4 2 formation my team selection would therefore be as follows:

Almunia

Sagna Gallas Vermaelen, Traore

Eboue Fabregas Denilson Nasri

Eduardo Arshavin


I would go for 4 4 2.