It was all going so well – both United and City drew their matches, Chelsea won and ran away from Spurs for a bit, and we ONLY needed to do well and win.
But, it all goes to s**t when it’s up to us.
With a win on Sunday, we’d be a step closer to getting top 4, in our worst season in the last 20 years, and we’d stop Spurs from chasing the title.
But oh, we remembered we are, in fact, Arsenal, and didn’t do anything.
Anything.
Petr Čech – 8
An unusually high rating for a goalkeeper in a match we lost 2-0, but he is the reason it was only 2-0.
Petr made some fantastic saves (think my commentator had wet pants after that last one in second half). Sure, he was standing still for Kane’s penalty but that’s just Čech being Čech. Plus, he said this after the match which makes him the only hero of the day among Arsenal players:
Gabriel – 5
Gabriel looked good most of the time, and then he gave away the penalty – although I still think Kane dived, but Gabriel helped him a lot – and he put in a Gabrielesque two-footed tackle that earned him a yellow card later on. All the good he did was forgotten, much like with the rest of the team.
Laurent Koscielny – 6
Same as Gabriel, he looked decent most of the time, put in some really good tackles as he usually does, but it was a bit meh all together, collectively, more than individually. No input during set pieces.
Nacho Monreal – 5.5
Shame Nacho couldn’t save us with a goal for the third time in a row. He was not so good against Spurs, struggled to keep track of Kane, especially in second half. No input from him going forward, and it makes me wonder why didn’t Rob Holding start.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6
The Ox was one of our better players in the first half, created some chances and his corners were spot on. He was decent defensively as well, most of the time. He got lost in the second half, with no ideas up front and no chances to do anything.
Aaron Ramsey – 6
Much to everyone’s disbelief, I don’t think Ramsey was any worse than the rest of the team. He had a few chances in the first half and was one of our most active players, but he’ll always get stick because he lost a few balls.
I’m not saying he didn’t, I’m saying we should look at the good stuff as well, and it is true that he was creating chances and shooting at goal – something other players didn’t bother with at all.
Granit Xhaka – 6
What the hell was up with Wenger subbing Xhaka off? He was having a good match, handling the Spurs’ midfielders pretty well without getting booked, and, again, was our key link between attack and defence. We fell apart as soon as he went off. I’m baffled by this sub and can’t understand it.
Kieran Gibbs – 5
I was Team Gibbs when Nacho was off-form in the first half of the season but, I don’t know, he didn’t convince me in the match against Leicester that he deserves to play, and he sure as hell didn’t change my mind against Spurs. Not much going on for him going forward apart from that one really poor shot. I think Nacho would do much better in that position, with Holding as the third centreback.
Alexis Sanchez – 4
Will Alexis finally get the stick he deserves? He has been awful for the last few weeks but he always manages to either score or provide a crucial assist – which is great, don’t get me wrong, but it makes everyone forget how bad he actually is for the team.
It feels like it took half an hour for him to even consider passing to Ramsey. He had some shots, yeah, but they were pointless and poor, and let’s not forget about that handball that could (should?) have been a penalty.
Will someone dare to criticise him or are they all spitting lines about Mesut?
Mesut Özil – 5.5
Speaking of Mesut Özil, they (as in, media and haters who don’t get football) will once again tell you that he went missing and didn’t do anything. He was very present, although he might have not provided crucial passes or assists but maaaybe – I’m reaching for straws here – maybe his teammates were bad and not up for it? Crazy, I know.
Mesut was trying to create something, just like Ox on the other side, and a lot more than Alexis.
Olivier Giroud – 4
Why the hell did he start?! It’s not his fault that I’m giving him a low rating – okay, sure, it is, he’s s**t – but he should not have started in the first place, again.
He didn’t do anything, even though he had a shot (or two even, who counts?). No crosses for him, but he didn’t even fight for the ball as much as I’d like him to. Lying on the floor for too long, not using even those little chances he got. I felt like all other “FFS Giroud” people.
Danny Welbeck – 5
Danny was a welcome sub, although not instead of Xhaka, but he didn’t help in the end. A good few minutes, had a half-chance and little spat with Alderweireld or however it is spelled, but other that nothing.
He did come on when everyone else was dead already, though.
Hector Bellerin, Theo Walcott – 4
Too little too late, not from them, but from the manager.
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