Arsenal’s first Premier League game of the season ended in a frustrating 0-0 at the Emirates. Arsenal controlled the match but failed to take their chances, of which there were quite a few. Cazorla was the stand-out player, while Diaby and Gervinho also had decent games. Hopefully this will be a platform on which we can build in the next few games against difficult opposition, including Stoke, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City.
Szczesny 6 Very little to do bar a couple of simple saves in the first half. After just four minutes, McClean got through but Szczesny stayed tall and kept his legs together to block the shot. Think he touched the ball once in the second half.
Jenkinson 6.5 Supported attacks pretty well, providing a couple of dangerous crosses for Podolski and Giroud. His inexperience shone through at times with a few stray passes, but he didn’t have much defending to do. More tests will be needed to see whether or not he is an adequate back-up for Sagna.
Mertesacker 6 Again, not much to do, but whatever he did was good. He made a handful of decent interceptions and was dominant in the air. His aerial prowess actually created a chance for Walcott at the other end of the pitch. Perhaps was a bit flat-footed to allow McClean the one-on-one with Szczesny.
Vermaelen 6 Our new captain looked composed on the ball and had little to do defensively. Maybe his new responsibility stopped him from pushing up too much, because his positioning was sound.
Gibbs 6 Didn’t support Gervinho as much as Jenko did on the opposite side. His pace stopped a few of Sunderland’s attacks before they could develop.
Diaby 7 Passing was sharp and his driving runs were a joy to watch. Didn’t get injured, which is a positive.
Arteta 7 Typically quiet and kept the ball moving. Sat in the middle of the pitch pretty well and dictated the play alongside Santi. Him and his compatriot seemed to have a good understanding with plenty of fast passes between the two of them.
Cazorla 8 A good debut. His first touch is sublime, he has pace and his shot isn’t bad either. He attempted 77 passes, with 72 of them finding a teammate – 93.5% pass completion is very impressive for a player in such an attacking role behind the centre forward. He set up a superb chance for Giroud with a clever run and disguised pass. And the rumours are true; he is very short.
Walcott 5 Not particularly poor, but didn’t impose himself on the game. The few times he got the ball, he did fine. There were a couple of great runs, but he needs to do it more often if he wants regular game time ahead of Podolski, Gervinho, Arshavin and Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Podolski 5.5 Like Theo, he didn’t get too involved in the game. He was often crowded out by Sunderland defenders and had to come deeper and deeper to receive the ball.
Gervinho 7 An interesting game from our winger. He was the most lively player on the pitch bar Cazorla, but his end product was lacking. He made mazy runs and often beat the full back, but then his pass or shot wasn’t always what he wanted. But I still believe he will be a key player this season – one of the few in the squad who can make things happen.
Substitutes
Giroud 6 A couple of opportunities but obviously everyone is talking about the big miss after Cazorla’s wonderful pass. It’s a shame because he could’ve made a name for himself in the first game as a super-sub.
Arshavin n/a A few nice touches and a few wayward passes – what we’ve come to expect from the Russian.
Ramsey n/a Not enough time to impact the match.
Solid ratings all round. I wish Podolski could have earned a higher rating, but in all honesty he had very little to work with.
Very pleased with Gervinho today – part of me wishes he wouldn’t put his head down and do it all alone, but in truth, it gets painful when the players over-pass, so I’m pleased with any player who tries to grab the bull by the horns and attempt something. If he can convert his chances, he could be a special player.
Thought Arteta was brilliant, as he was in most of our games last year, and was probably the major reason we controlled the play.
I think you’ve overrated Diaby’s performance, which was pretty quiet overall. He tried, but I don’t think he’s an adequate replacement for Song because his passing doesn’t probe the opposition enough. IMO he has a part to play in the squad but he hasn’t found it yet, and you can’t expect him to do that immediately considering how little football he’s played.
I also think Gervinho’s lively performance has been overrated because he’s done everything in the game except make chances. Excellent pace and confidence to beat their fullbacks, and there was a time where he chased back and prevented a chance for a Sunderland player, which sticks in the mind, but unless he can improve his decision-making in front of goal, we’re going to find it tough to make chances as a team.
I think ordinarily Wenger would prefer to start Podolski on the left and Giroud up front, and I think we would be much more creative under those circumstancesl. Podolski is better when he has the freedom to move around and combine with other players. He did ok, but seemed stuck in that CF role, which limited his ability to make runs and combine. I think fitness concerns for both these attackers prevented Wenger from making this selection from the start.
Overall the back 5 outfield players (including arteta) did a great job in ensuring Sunderland couldn’t get any counter attacks going, but we looked short on ideas at times. Cazorla looks a quality signing, but can’t be expected to do it all immediately. That said, had Giroud finished that chance, we’d all be talking about how Cazorla’s class won us the game. Shame.
Also, Jenkinson’s rating is too high imo. As you said, he didn’t have too much to cope with defensively, and he got forward well, but his crossing was very poor today. He’s shown he can do better, so it’s not a worry particularly, but it has to be said that he didn’t have a good game. 60466