Spurs 0-1 Arsenal Player rating and Match Reaction

[HCZ_Reborn]

Thought I’d hold off on this until I’d seen more of the game, than the two minute highlight reels produced by Sky Sports.


Raya 8 - Made a really good stop first half, and even with the close shots that were off target, he had his angles covered well


White 5.5 - Think he struggled against Son for pace, and was on too many occasions caught too far forward


Saliba 6.5 - Not one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt, but far from dreadful either


Gabriel 8.5 - Best player on the pitch, physical and made well timed interceptions. Worked his bollocks off, and deserved to score the winner even with the atrocious marking.


Timber 7.5 - Played the more traditional left back role, physically strong. I don’t think the yellow for the foul on Porro was even a foul, yellow probably deserved for grabbing Vicario’s shirt (understandable but not the smartest thing to do)


Jorginho 6 - Looked rusty and was not up to dealing with Spurs’ high press



Partey 7 - Did better slightly further forward but didn’t have that much influence on the game overall


Trossard 6 - Largely peripheral


Martinelli 6.5 - Still suffering from lack of confidence, if he’d actually looked up after being played in he would have surely had an assist, there was plenty of industry from him


Havertz 6.5 - Chances were few and far between for him


Saka 7.5 - Won the corner and took the corner from which Gabriel scored, probably would have been on the scoresheet if Martinelli had looked up and tracked back well and prepared to roll his sleeves up



Subs


Not worth giving a rating too as weren’t on the pitch long enough. There wasn’t really any attacking play to speak of to assess any of these subs


Given that I’d accepted at the beginning that the missing players meant might have to settle for a draw, this was a welcome result. It wasn’t the kind of performance to knock your socks off, but it wasn’t a poor one. What it lacked in star quality, it made up for in work rate and industry. I’m still concerned that it’s too easy to press us off the ball in our third but in this game at least, the space wasn’t there for spurs to capitalise on it.
Spurs did look dangerous at times in the first half, and I think there were two or three decent chances for them, but given their territorial dominance. Two or three chances isn’t a shed load, though we do have to assume that City will be both more aggressive and more ruthless next Sunday.
Having Rice will give us more control in the middle of the park though, it will be about using width better in the absence of Odegaard. But that’s to worry about in five-six days, it’s not even our next game.

[Marc Overmars]

Martinelli’s decision making is so weak. Almost like his legs are too fast for his brain.

Though I do concede his direct running is effective at wearing an opponent down, I just wish he was more of a killer with his end product.

[Mac76]

Martinelli’s decision making is so weak. Almost like his legs are too fast for his brain.

Though I do concede his direct running is effective at wearing an opponent down, I just wish he was more of a killer with his end product.

I think he was useful yesterday, getting in behind spuds adn as you say generally causing them problems, but he's totally lost it in front of goal.

I think for now he's just a player to bring on when teams are tired, and for cup games and easier CL fixtures

It's a shame, the season before last he was my favourite player in some ways

[HCZ_Reborn]

I do hold with the maxim of Form is temporary, class is permanent and I do think Martinelli falls into the latter bracket

I’m not sure how much of it, is drop in form and how much of it is a system that funnels all our attacks through the right hand side. Martinelli frustrates me because he cuts inside too often when what he should do (in my view) is take on the fullback and get in behind the defence which his electric pace makes him superb at


Yesterday was a bit of panic, he wants to score a goal and in a less rushed state of mind he looks up and plays square pass for Saka to tap in. And I think with more time and more confidence he does just that


Trossard? I like him but for me he lacks the raw pace and power to be an immediate starter. He’s technically very good but the game largely passed him by yesterday. I’ve always looked upon him as an impact player rather than a sub.


But equally I’ve no problem with rotating as well. I’d probably start Trossard and Sterling (and maybe even Jesus) against Atalanta

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Martinelli’s decision making is so weak. Almost like his legs are too fast for his brain.

Though I do concede his direct running is effective at wearing an opponent down, I just wish he was more of a killer with his end product.

If you think about it, teenage Martinelli was the exact opposite... his decision making was one step ahead of everyone and only his physicality let him down.

Anyway, I hate to sound Trumpish, but there is something about Brazilian players, especially their attacking players who rely so much on flair.... when they lose form or struggle with their confidence, practically nothing will get them back to their best.
A big generalisation, but its happened too many times to ignore.

Though I made a big song and dance of wanting us to get Mudryk after Arteta & co had identified him, I never really understood why we were willing to spend so much in that position seeing as we had Martinelli who I felt was clearly going to be world class.

Now I look back and just have to give Arteta his props as he had clearly spotted the possibility of Martinelli's decline way before anyone else. In fact I am beginning to believe Arteta has this strange "superpower" of seeing a players decline way before its evident to most people and usually when they are at their peak for us (Torriera, Guendouzi, Tierney, Partey and begrudgingly Ramsdale)...its funny, but he's actually gotten it right too often.

Anyway, I am of the firm belief that we have seen the best of Martinelli in an Arsenal shirt and his agonising decline will continue. I also believe Arteta will get rid very soon and the faster this happens the better for us as its just a matter of time before the market starts noticing and his value keeps dropping.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

As for the match ratings.... I think you guys should only do them when you actually watch the game and not rely on highlights.

Gabriel and Raya were our best players, so that's right. Saliba deserves a good mention too. As for Timber, I'm not sure I was that impressed by him TBH.

In the attack, Trossard and Martinelli were clearly woeful but surprisingly Havertz was actually the closet thing to a leader we had. Despite Saka's assist, I'd say he was easily the most positive attacking player we had out there and his level didn't drop unlike everyone else.

I just hope for the rest of the season I don't have to witness our attack being that dreadful.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

https://www.football365.com/news/ars...ecoglou-doubts

This piece sums up the game pretty well.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Match ratings are my opinion, don’t like them you don’t have to. I don’t much care for your opinion about Martinelli. I think people who try and fit things into a narrative are usually full of shit…our wanting to sign Mudryk had nothing to do with Martinelli. This over generalised nonsense about Brazillian players as if somehow there’s a genetic/cultural predisposition to poor form, is also pretty silly.

[Letters]

Match ratings are my opinion.

You are shitting me!

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

You are shitting me!