Arsenal 4-2 Leicester Player Rating and Match Reaction

**HCZ_Reborn** · 29-09-2024, 06:03 AM

Raya 7 - Nothing really to do, couldn’t do anything about either goal and was largely a spectator beyond that

Timber 7 - Supported Saka getting forward, far more natural at right back than left

Saliba 6.5 - Struggled with Vardy a couple of times

Gabriel 7 - Being a menace from set pieces again

Califiori 6 - Gets forward well, but if Buononotte hadn’t been a dick could have seen red (although would have been harsh)

Partey 6 - Wandering Jew

Rice 7 - Supported the attack well but should be playing at 6

Trossard 9 - Unlucky not to have more than one goal on the day

Martinelli 7 - Goal and an assist but still not quite there

Saka 8 - Got forward often and looked dangerous

Havertz 7.5 - Fortuitous goal, but lots of hard work and unlucky not to have scored before hand

Subs

Nwaneri 7 - Good enough to be starting games

Sterling 6 - Didn’t have enough time to make an impact

Jesus 6 - As with Sterling, although was involved in our 4th goal

Can’t really find massive fault with yesterday, to blow a two goal lead is undesirable but the fact is a team like Leicester is going to get forward occasionally and have half chances, the first goal by Justin is a bit of a fluke and the second is an exceptional volley. And up the other end we have a keeper having one of the games of his life.
Would have been thoroughly disappointing after we’d done the hard work to get through very tough fixtures to drop points today but fortunately we got there in the end.

I think there’s room for improvement in terms of being more clinical and getting the balance right between defence and attack at home. But no one was terrible, and in the end we got the three points we needed and the three points we deserved

**Mac76** · 29-09-2024, 08:34 AM

So you've given Nwaneri a positive comment but Sterling who came on 11 minutes before him "didn't have time to make an impact"

Oh and giving Saliba a 6.5 is absurd, he was generally (and typically) excellent on the day, it would be a surprise if a striker of Vardy's experience and ability didn't continue to give any defender the occasional difficulty

**HCZ_Reborn** · 29-09-2024, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by Mac76

So you've given Nwaneri a positive comment but Sterling who came on 11 minutes before him "didn't have time to make an impact"

Oh and giving Saliba a 6.5 is absurd, he was generally (and typically) excellent on the day, it would be a surprise if a striker of Vardy's experience and ability didn't continue to give any defender the occasional difficulty

I was being generous with Sterling, he was largely anonymous. Where as in the shorter period of time he was on Nwaneri had far more impact on the game

At the risk of explaining how I grade players, especially with defensive performances they get marked down heavily if they make mistakes as mistakes lead to goals. In fairness the lead up to our first goal did start with Saliba fouling Vardy and given how referees are with us at the moment, it wouldn’t have been beyond the realms of possibility for them to have scrubbed that goal because of this.

Then he gave away the foul which led to the free kick from which they scored. It was clumsy. Vardy can be a tricky player to defend against but he’s also 37….the pace he had, has long since deserted him and on another day Saliba would have had in his back pocket for the whole game like a jazz mag on a teenage boy.

6 is my baseline score, you go above that you’ve done better than an average performance and below that and it’s a poor performance. I could see your objection if I’d given Saliba 4 or something silly like that….but 6.5 which was higher than Califiori. Well you’re entitled to your somewhat histrionic opinion, but yeah calling it absurd bit strong but you do you I guess

**Mac76** · 29-09-2024, 10:15 AM

Welk as i've always said 6 is a ridiculous baseline, you wouldn't buy a gadget from Amazon if everyone gave it 6/10, you'd probably only do so if it was at least a 7

**HCZ_Reborn** · 29-09-2024, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Mac76

Welk as i've always said 6 is a ridiculous baseline, you wouldn't buy a gadget from Amazon if everyone gave it 6/10, you'd probably only do so if it was at least a 7

Almost as ridiculous as comparing a product review with player ratings

**Mac76** · 29-09-2024, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Almost as ridiculous as comparing a product review with player ratings

Everyone in the universe except you regards 6/10 as a measure of anything to mean 'not good enough' - "a 7 out of 10 performance" is even something of a cliche to mean "perfectly fine, not exceptional'

**HCZ_Reborn** · 29-09-2024, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Mac76

Everyone in the universe except you regards 6/10 as a measure of anything to mean 'not good enough' - "a 7 out of 10 performance" is even something of a cliche to mean "perfectly fine, not exceptional'

You’re doing that thing again, when you think you’re adding substance to your argument by asserting that you’re speaking for anyone but yourself. You clearly missed your calling as a Fox News analyst

You give me the distinct impression that you’ve never seen most player ratings on either website or newspapers where six is usually the barometer for average/ok/nothing special and 7 or above is good.

But if you want to keep arguing about this till the heat death of the universe, especially when my player ratings (your querulous objections not withstanding) have been long established, you go for it and I’ll enjoy Sunday lunch