Chelsea V Arsenal Player Ratings 10/28

Chelsea

Petr Cech - 4 - Not the Czech's best day by a long way. Had his defense to thank for the most part for the 5 goals, but could have bailed Chelsea out and given them a lift if he had kept one of the three saveable goals out. He unfortunately wasn't up to the task.

John Terry - 6.5 - Certainly not blameless, but Chelsea's only defender to put in what might be considered a reasonable defensive effort on the day. Capped off his perfect first half of glorious long balls by forcing past Mertesacker to bundle home from a corner. His unlucky slip was probably karma for him being such an arsehole.

Branislav Ivanovic - 4.5 - Uncharacteristic performance from the usually bullish Serbian. Was hardly involved in the game and when he was it was to allow an Arsenal player in behind him for a clean look on goal. Perhaps is better suited to right back where he can see the game in front of him.

Ashley Cole - 5.5 Epitomized the tale of two halves of Chelsea on this day. Excellent in the first, hardly putting a foot wrong, only to have it all come crashing down. Theo was clearly the victor in their mini-contest. Ten men went to bed!


José Bosingwa - 4.5 - Did not look interested in doing any kind of defending what so ever, and this kind of performance leads one to question just what type of mindset Villas-Boas is instilling in his team. Also failed to provide his usual support bombing forward down the right, not that they really needed it.

John Mikel Obi - 5 - Looked comfortable in the early stages, but failed to really get into the game. He is presumably out there to disrupt his opponents passing through the midfield which he obviously was unable to do. I'd be surprised to see him start their next game.

Frank Lampard - 6.5 - Popped up in trademark fashion to grab his goal, and distributed adequately. Played some nice balls early in the game over the top to leave Arsenal gaping. Faded as the game went on though.

Ramires - 7 - Not his best game, but you can see why Villas-Boas can hardly leave him out of his side. He is all over the field, willing to mix it up, and can be an attacking threat as well. Never knew he had the bottom teeth braces until today.

Juan Mata - 8 - He looks a handful, and poised to do well in England. In the mold of his former Valencia teammate David Silva, the crafty little lefty was clearly Chelsea's danger man going forward. You wonder if Premiership defenders will adjust to the little Spaniards the next time they see them. Cracker of a goal too.

Fernando Torres - 5 - Conspicuously absent from the cornucopia of attacking play that Chelsea offered on the day. Should have gotten an assist if not for the woeful Sturridge, but still needs to be far more involved. You thought he might thrive with Mata's service and Drogba not on the pitch, but it wasn't to be.

Daniel Sturridge - 4- He's been scoring out of his mind so far this year, so he was probably overdue for a stinker. That being said, he really did make just about every wrong decision that he could on this occasion, and couldn't get the ball in the net despite the best efforts of Andre Santos to clear a path for him. If he has only a decent game, the score might have been 6-5 to Chelsea.

Arsenal

Wojciech Szczęsny - 6 - Maniacal to come out like he did and fortunate to only see yellow when Rob Styles would have sent him off for sure. Otherwise a solid performance and not at fault for any of the goals.


Laurent Koscielny - 7 - After the circus that was the opening 10 minutes, Koscielny turned in another stalwart performance at the back. It's almost as if he plays that much better because he knows he has to chase down all the long balls because his running mate is unable to.

Per Mertesacker - 4.5 - This was actually a step in the right direction for the big German, if only two of the goals weren't ENTIRELY his fault. On most days, this would have cost his team all three points, and he can count himself lucky that his physical ineptitude hasn't stolen the headlines once again.


Johan Djourou -5 - Comedic in the first ten minutes. He looked like a schoolboy who had never played organized football before, cluelessly allowing Ashely Cole to coast in behind him. Settled down after that, but is a long way from Bacary Sagna.

André Santos - 3.5- Some pundits might forgive his defensive lapses for his goal and tackling improvement in the second half. I simply cannot. His first half performance should be sold as a tutorial video titled, "What you have to do to be subbed off at halftime." I can't even go into specifics. But thank goodness from Arsenal's point of view that Wenger stuck with him, because he improved tremendously in his defending as the game went on and finished well when Song picked him out. Could it be that he plays better when he's tired?


Mikel Arteta -5.5 - Ho-hum. In an action packed game, he was uninvolved in most of the key moments. Could have been tighter to Lampard and Mata on several occasions, but was reliable as ever with his passing and is looking more and more at home in the Arsenal midfield.

Alex Song -7.5 - Much like Ramires of Chelsea, Song was willing as ever to play his terrier style of a holding midfielder and stick his nose into trouble and come out with the ball. He played the pass of the afternoon to play in Santos for the second Arsenal goal which really opened up an already porous game.

Aaron Ramsey - 8- This was one of the better performances in the young Welshman's career. You can see why he is already captain of his country with his adeptness on the ball and understanding of runs and passing. Deserved the goal that he got a few weeks ago at White Hart Lane.

Gervinho - 6.5 - Blew his customary early chance a la Adebayor, but did well to tee up RVP for Arsenal's vital first when it looked like Chelsea could have been up 4-2 at halftime. He is just a tad soft at times for the premiership which might be a worry.

Theo Walcott - 9- When Theo plays up to his potential, they're few better. He's always going to be the fastest man on the field, and you know Arsenal fans are delighted every time he gets the best of Cashley.

Robin Van Persie - 8 - That left foot of his is something else. He did well to dribble past Cech to get Arsenal's 4th, and the 5th and his third that he lashed past the hapless Czech was the cherry on top.

Chelsea Verdict - There wasn't the typical attitude from the players you'd expect against Arsenal and whether that's a product of off the field incidents, complacency, or European football is anyone's guess, but it carried over into the crowd, providing an almost surreal atmosphere. Their defense was pedestrian allowing Arsenal to waltz all over them. They must have been expecting to hammer the gunners considering recent history, but Villas-Boas might have to shoulder some of the blame for what has to be his worst loss as Chelsea manager.

Arsenal Verdict - They must have been thanking their lucky stars not to see Didier Drogba, but it was looking like a "here we go again" when Mata evened the game at 3 with ten minutes left. In typical Neo-Arsenal fashion, they don't win with defending and it was their counter attack that put the game beyond doubt. This team couldn't be considered Bergen County League title contenders, much less Premier league title challengers with a defense such as theirs.

Yama Hama, It's Fright Night

These two Arsenal fans can't bear to watch Mertesacker's "defending" either.

thanks to Niko for the gallery

Man City v Man U Player Ratings

Man City 6 v Man United 1

Player Ratings 10/23/11

Man City

Joe Hart 6 – He saved what came at him and could do nothing with Fletchers wonder strike.

Micah Richards 8 – Dominated his matchup against supposedly the best LB in the world. His speed, quickness, and sheer power make him unstoppable to handle when in attack, and impossible to beat when in defense. A couple years ago, he became a very good young RB. Last year, he became the best English RB. This year, he is becoming the best RB in the entire Premier League. Next year- the best RB in the whole world? Sorry Alves you better watch your back.

Joleon Lescott 6.5 – Intelligent and decisive defending from the English international. With the way he has been playing this year it looks like the elder Toure will find it extremely difficult to find time on the pitch.

Vincent Kompany 7 – Rock solid as always. He has become such a good defender 1 on 1 that opposing players barely even try to take him on anymore. Rooney tried once or twice but was as unsuccessful as every other player before him this year.

Gael Clichy 7 - Another City defender that had an excellent game. His crossing is still poor but to neutralize Nani for the entire game is something very few players have been able to do in the last couple years. It looks like him and Kolarav will be switching off at the LB position depending on the opposing teams RW and tactics.

James Milner 8.5- His best game since his controversial switch from Aston Villa last year. He worked his socks off like usual and was extremely intelligent in possession from start to finish. His two assists showed the class he possesses and with Nasri’s weak showings in the past month, I would not be surprised if Milner starts over him in their vital away game at Villareal coming up next week.

Garreth Barry 6.5 – Did what was asked from him and was solid all the way around. He never wasted position and protected the back four brilliantly.

Yaya Toure 6.5 – Similar to his CM counterpart, he did what he needed to do and made the game easier for his teammates. Got better as the game went on.

David Silva 9 – He is simply unstoppable when on this form. His class oozes in every touch and seems a step ahead of every other player on the pitch. He fully deserved his goal and his ball to Dzeko for City’s final goal was from the heavens.

Mario Balotelli 8.5 – In one week, he has gone from the insane manchild who burns his house down to Man City legend. (ok maybe he is still insane but w/ performances like this who cares?) His first strike was perfection and his touch, speed, and strength forced Evan’s red card altered the game dramatically. Why always me?

Sergio Aguero 7.5 – He makes the game look so easy and for an attacker his work rate is second to none (ehmmm Tevez where are you?). His quality and speed on the counter was constantly on show and his simple finish for City’s third was never in doubt.

Subs

Edin Dzeko 7.5- He came on in the 70nth minute and scored two goals and set up a third. Normally, there is not much else you can say besides that but this game was a little different. He missed two other glorious chances and it looks like he will be riding the bench behind Ballotelli for City’s next big matches.

Nasri/Kolarav- NA

Man United

David Da Gea 5.5- For letting up six goals at home, he did not have a bad game. He had no chance on City’s first four goals but he could have saved the last two. He had a couple good saves that kept the score line from being even worse.

Chris Smalling 5- Was slightly at fault for City’s second goal but didn’t really put a foot wrong anytime else. He seemed outnumbered throughout and he couldn’t do anything in the 2^nd when City were running rampant.

Rio Ferdinand 5- Simply put, he is getting old. He didn’t have a bad game by any stretch but it is becoming painfully obvious that with the pace he lacks, he is now just a pretty good CD. He needs his colossal defensive partner back and soon. It is worth noting that before Evan’s red card, he looked very solid and assured.

Jonny Evans 2.5- Oo how I would hate to be in his shoes right now. Due to Sir Alex deciding Vidic wasn’t fit enough to start such an important match, Evans was put into the fire, and he simply couldn’t handle the heat. With little pace, intelligence, and strength, he is not good enough to play against the top teams and it showed today. Balotelli beat him way too easily and his tug which forced his sending off was one of the easiest red cards calls a ref will see all year.

Evra 4- A bad week for the mercurial Frenchman. He alleges racist claims towards Suarez and then gets dominated by Richards. His positioning was once again weak and his usual bombarding runs forward were thwarted from start to finish. His throne of best LB in the world is officially over and until he gets his head straight, Abidal should be starting over him for the French national team.

Nani 4.5- Showed a few glimpses of his quality but had an unusually quiet game today. He never seemed to get the ball in a dangerous position to take his man 1 on 1 and should not have been surprised in being substituted off midway through the 2^nd.

Fletcher 5- Yes his goal was sensational and maybe his best ever but what else did he offer? The answer is nothing. He couldn’t protect his back four, didn’t offer any decisive passes, and had less energy than usual. Since his sickness from months back, he hasn’t been the same player.

Anderson 4.0- He was lucky not to have been sent off and to have not given up a penalty. He couldn’t handle Silva in defense and didn’t offer much in attack. With Scholes retired, Cleverley injured, and Carrick/Fletcher not getting any better, he must step up for Man U to win the title. If he doesn’t, then Man U are going to have serious issues in the center of the park against the top teams.

Young 5.5- Had a very bright start where it looked like every time he touched the ball something good would happen. However, after the first 20 minutes, Richards had the best of him and Evra, and he couldn’t improvise anything of importance. Yes he possesses the skill to win a match all on his own, but his lack of upper body strength makes him pretty useless against a strong RB.

Rooney/ Welbeck 5.5- I put them both together because they essentially had the same game. They both worked their tails off and showed glimpses of their skills, but they were starved of the ball in dangerous positions and couldn’t create any real dangerous attacking threat.

Subs

Jones 5- Slotted in as RB and couldn’t do anything to stop the rampant City side.

Chicarito 5.5- Nice setup for Fletcher’s wonder strike. Should be starting again by the next match.

Ref 8- Had total control over the game and got the most important decision, the Evan’s red outside the box, correct. Could have given a penalty to City when Anderson clashed into Richards in the box but you very rarely see those types of penalties given.

Old Trafford Fans 3- After City scored their first goal, it seemed to take the life out of the United fans. I have never seen the Theatre of Dreams so quiet for such a big occasion and it was fairly obvious that the United fans are not used to being second best. Extremely disappointed in their presence today but hey at least they’re not racist.

Cesc Unleashes Hair & His Inner Spainard

Cesc does look and act visibly more Catalan these days...

You might have missed it amid all the Manchester Derby Day Thrashing that was going on, but if you get the chance head on over to footytube in the sidebar and watch the extended version of the Sevilla Barcelona highlights. This is a game that I wish I could show to every knobhead who thinks soccer is stupid because "nobody ever scores." The game finished 0-0, and was one of the better you'll see.

Good teams, in any sport, have the tendency to bring out the best in their opponents. Fabrice Santoro comes to mind here for some reason, but in any case, when you're playing Barcelona, you know you better be at your best. Every match they play must feel like a cup final to their opponents, and this regular league game at the Nou Camp might have been the best match I've seen this season, I'll look forward to seeing what Mr. Ball has to say about it tomorrow.

If goalless draws aren't your thing, at least watch this game to see what certainly has to be one of the best performances you'll ever see from a goalie. The previously unknown (to me) Javi Varas might have had the game of his young life whilst putting up hockey-like numbers with 13 saves. None more exhilarating than his final one when he guessed correctly to justly deny Messi a stoppage time penalty. Not that it wasn't a penalty and that Sevilla didn't lose their shit like any good Spanish club would when a decision goes against them, but it was simply the fact that Varas wasn't meant to be beaten on this night.

This game should also be required viewing for anyone who still thinks the Premiership is better than La Liga. Bollocks and British Media I'm afraid are what's behind that false rumor. Sevilla, (correct me if I'm wrong la liga aficionados) aren't exactly known for their defense, which is all the more reason their refusal to concede was so compelling. Maybe I'm just a sucker for road-underdogs, but as a defender those are the kind of games that you remember for the rest of your life and tell your grand kids about. "oye pedro, recuerdas cuando ganamos un punto en el camp nou? si, como no me recuerdo!"

Marseillie v Arsenal Champions League Group Stage

These were not the scenes on this evening at the Stade Veldrome as reconstruction caused capacity to be limited to 30,000 and make the match appear on Television as if no body was there. Europe!


Player Ratings

Arsenal

Wojciech Szczęsny - 6 - He had precious little to do all evening, and apart from a near repeat of last year's carling cup disaster with his compatriot koscielny, it was a routine night. He's shown the tendency now to stray a little far from his six yard box on occasion though.

Laurent Koscielny - 7.5 - He was a rock at the back, covering tons of ground, and winning everything in the air. His life will get a lot easier when Vermaalen returns.

Per Mertesacker - 5 - If you watch him play, it almost looks as if he himself isn't convinced that he should be out there. He didn't have the worst game in the world, but was left for dead by Remy and others on several occasions and just simply does not possess the requisite speed to play center back at this level.

André Santos -4- - I'm not sure Arsenal fans realize how good they had it with Gael Clichy. Santos is clearly comfortable going forward, but he also clearly has his PhD from the Brazilian Academy of Defending. How lazy can you be, honestly? I'm not sure if he's out of shape or he just figures none of the millions watching will notice how poor his marking is. Gibbs must be preferred to him.

Carl Jenkinson - 6 - This was a positive learning lesson in the young career of Jenkinson. Fans might have been frustrated for his insistence on the first time cross, but he is a limited young lad who is just trying to hang with the big boys, so you shouldn't blame him for playing to his strengths.


Alex Song - 7 - After his atrocious early hiccup he turned in another vintage workmanlike performance that you can't say enough about. He time and time again bails out what is otherwise a rather frail outfit with his tireless running and closing down. When you put yourself in harms way as often as he does, we might owe him a bit of margin for error as he could have gifted Marseille a goal on two occasions this evening.

Mikel Arteta- 6.5 - It was a nice and tidy game for the Spaniard who is doing an admirable job filling the gaping hole left by a certain other Spaniard in arsenal's midfield. His premiership experience is proving valuable and he has shown a welcome willingness to win the ball back on occasions. You'd like to see him play a few more incisive final balls though.

Tomas Rosicky - 6 - Similar to Arteta, he had a nice clean game and made a few timely tackles on occasion, although he faded a bit in the second half. I fear his best years may be behind him however, two years with niggling hamstrings will do that to you I suppose.


Andrei Arshavin - 4 - Call it disinterested or whatever you like, but something is clearly not right with Shava. You're willing to forgive his ludicrous backheels when he's scoring goals and running at people, but not when he's giving the ball away routinely. Something needs to change, quickly.

Theo Walcott -5.5- He is such an asset solely for his pace, that you always want to have him out there even when he isn't at his best. Probably had the best chance of the game fall to his feet and couldn't convert. Wonder what he would look like playing as a striker.

Robin Van Persie- 7- Enjoy him while he lasts Arsenal fans, because he's long overdue for that annual ankle sprain, muscle problem. He's sure turning in some solid performances at the moment though, and I hope more than anyone that he stays healthy. It's only history that isn't on his side.

Subs -

Djourou- Arsenal certainly didn't lose anything when he came on for the injured Jenkinson. He did have an extended run a CB last year, so he should be comfortable.

Gervinho - Looked useful, seems to be comfortable with his role as a support winger/striker.

Ramsey - Right place, right time, tidy finish.

Marseille

Steve Mandanda - 7 - Steve-o! This rating might be a little inflated due to him executing the biggest punch I have ever seen in a competitive match. It almost flew to the halfway line. Kudos, but Lloris really flew by you, huh?

Nicolas N'Koulou - 7 - He was the Koscielny to Marseille's Mertesacker. Really solid performance, and kept RVP in relative check.

Souleymane Diawara - 4 - Provided several head-scratching moments and sliced clearances. Somewhat redeemed himself when he headed off the line, but he made way too many mistakes for a centerback.

Jérémy Morel - 5 - Although they never amounted to anything, most of Arsenal's attacking was coming down the right-hand side where he was supposedly defending. Provided a few decent crosses but nothing of consequence.

César Azpilicueta - 5.5 - Hardly heard his fun-sounding name called all night, might be owed some credit for the ineffectiveness of Arshavin.

Alou Diarra - 6.5 - Solid game from the French international, he had better be preferred to old man Toulalan next summer.


Benoit Cheyrou - 6 - His trusty left peg couldn't find the killer pass, but he put in a good shift and was active throughout.


Lucho González - 5 - For a man with such a reputation that was a rather inconspicuous performance. Maybe its the new haircut, but I think I like the old Lucho back in his Porto days.

Andre Ayew - 5.5 - He proved that he knows how to draw a foul, and often times win a card, but you'd have like to see more end product from the talented Ghanian.

Loïc Remy - 5.5 - Surely he's had better nights, but was largely starved for service in the first half when Marseille had the better of their chances.

Mathieu Valbuena - 5 - You had to like his ambition, and his constant involvement, but the final ball was too often unforgiveable, and he will need to play better in Europe if he wants to keep his place in the national team.

Subs

Gignac - Lively when he came on, could have used twenty more minutes.

Arsenal Verdict - Having themselves been on the wrong end of so many late goals, this will no doubt be a glorious flight back to London having stolen points and now sitting comfortably atop the group. With their domestic hopes essentially dashed after a few weeks, it will be interesting to see if Arsene can channel his team's efforts towards Europe, but it's still plain as day that Arsenal are missing two or three key players.


Marseille Verdict - They will feel extremely hard done, and it is a harsh result, but all is not lost as Dortmund emphatically lost in Athens which means they are still nicely poised to progress. Deschamps will be kicking himself for having not attacked more, and I'd expect them to come out guns blazing in the reverse fixture.

MOTM - Koscielny

10/2/11 Arsenal @ Spurs : This Time It's Personal

Arsenal


Szczesny- 6 - Another solid performance for the young Pole behind what is quickly becoming the worst defense in the premier league. His rating would be higher, and he’ll tell you he should have saved Walker’s shot, but that knuckling swerver was just too wicked for Wojech.

Sagna – 5.5 – Was caught out of position for the first goal, but provided his usual support on the right flank and delivered his token well-shaped crosses when he could. Bale's explosion after he went off was testament to his abilities as a defender. His broken leg couldn’t have come at a worse time for Arsenal, and his experience in a critical position will be sorely missed.

Sidenote* - Sagna is just the latest victim of the old “not enough room in between the pitch and the advertisements ploy” to be seriously injured. The only ground that is worse than Shite Hart Lane in this respect is Craven Cottage and it is a wonder that these things don’t happen more often. Just as it never ceases to amaze me how they let all the photographers sit so close to the baseline in the NBA under the basket while million dollar athletes are forced to trod over them like IEDs at full speed practically begging for an awkward landing wrist break. Someone should eliminate these stupid little subtleties because it would not be that hard.

Mertesacker, - 1.5 – where to start with this trainwreck. There isn't that much more to say after that performance. It was painfully obvious that old Per is carrying about 3 sacks too many to be quick enough for the premier league. His physical ineptitude is almost to the point where it’s hard not to empathize with him. At least Wenger has now answered every middle aged white man’s question of “I wonder what it would look like if I tried to play center back in the prem?” He’s 2 meters tall and he didn’t win a single header all day, what more do you need to know!

Song, 6.5- Had a rough first twenty minutes or so, but then settled into the game and was the only player in an Arsenal shirt that looked like he halfway knew how to defend. He kept Adebayor in check for the most part, and showed his improvement going forward this year by setting up the fist goal. He did about as well as one could considering his partner in central defense is an early candidate for Wenger's worst signing ever.

Gibbs; 6- Another decent but frustrating performance from the youngster. The potential is clearly there, and maybe he would be better suited to play left-mid. But until then, he has a long way to go to fill the boots of Gael Clichy, certainly from a defending standpoint.


Arteta,5.5- provided the much-needed calming, veteran presence at times, but just as often was not effective with his delivery which is generally his main strength. He was willing to get physical at times, but he will need to be far more aggressive if Song is going to continue in defense.

Coquelin, 7.5- Unbelievable first half. Faded a bit in the second, but that was to be expected. He certainly looked a different player from his debut at Old Trafford, A definite upgrade from a certain Denilson.

Ramsey; 3.5- His momma probably told him they’ll be days like these, and at least he can say he scored at the lane, but Arsenal would have been better served if he had stayed home and played with himself. His decision making was especially poor, he had several dangerous giveaways, and he’s another that can’t wait for Wilshire to get back and take some of the load off his shoulders.

Gervinho,-6 Has adapted to the speed of the English game well enough, should have put Arsenal up 1-0, appears competent enough to play on both flanks. Will prove to be a good signing after its all said and done, but his doubters might wonder if he's a bit toothless in front of goal.

Walcott 6– Showed the confidence to cut inside and take a shot on with his left foot on a couple of occasions. He wasn't terrible, but the expectations around Theo for him to walk on water make it such that every time he doesn’t, it feels like a disappointment. This was another one of those games.

Van Persie, 7 - he had an unconventional, yet decent game. Winning headers and showing his more physical side, he turned Kaboul a couple of times and should have set up the opening goal if not for Gervino dragging his shot wide.

Subs -

Arshavin - Remember how good he was at Euro 2008? Seems like a long time ago...

Benayoun - Never really convinced at Liverpool, hardly got a game at Chelsea, looks pretty useless at Arsenal.

Jenkinson - Poor, Poor Carl Jenkinson. He's got some rough games ahead of him.


Spurs

Friedel;7 Like a bottle of wine, this old goalie just gets better with age, and he didn’t put a foot wrong all match.

Walker –7 Showed his strength and ability as a defender in the first half. Deserved his goal with a viscous right footer.

Kaboul,5.5 - Gave us glimpses of good Younes and bad Younes. He's certainly not shy about throwing his weight around either.

King, - 5.5 He was mostly absent for huge chunks of the game, but I suppose that’s what one might have come to expect from the former England international. Is he fully fit?

Assou-Ekotto;5 He was guilty of allowing Walcott too much space, but got away with it. Largely uninvolved in proceedings.

Parker, 6.5- much like alex song, he started wobbly, and then settled into the game. Showed where he is at his best in closing down the inexperienced Ramsey on several occasions.

Modric, 4.5- hasn’t looked up to scratch yet this season. Wasn't involved as much as you'd expect. Could it still be a hangover from all the transfer talk?

Van der Vaart, 6 - He looked a little hefty coming into the season and is begging to pick up another hamstring injury. Great finish on the goal though.

Bale -8.5- Scary. I would be having nightmares all week if I was a right back and I knew I was playing tottenham. What he did to Jenkinson in the last 15 was almost comical. Oh, and he’s got a shot on him too boy, tell you what…

Defoe,5.5- You never know what you're gonna get from Jermaine. He held the ball up well enough, but could have been more clinical in the final third.

Adebayor 7 – Excellent in the first half. Add him to the long list of strikers that loves to play against Arsenal. Might have set a personal record for fewest lazy offsides in a game with only 4. Seems to fit well enough at spurs and alongside Defoe.




Arsenal Verdict - The fact that they can't defend is the worst kept secret in the footballing world. They'd almost be better served to keep the game level until late on due to their inability to hold a lead. Solid performances from Szczesny and Coquelin are positives for Wenger to take, but his insistence on not buying a third legitimate central defender will plague Arsenal until he does, and this is inevitably going to be a painfully long season for Arsenal.

Spurs Verdict - Although Arsenal dominated possession and were the better team for the larger part of the game, the outcome was never really in doubt. Their superiour squad depth has to lend credit to the pundits who deemed this game "the changing of the guard" of North London. Should be an interesting battle with Liverpool for the coveted fourth spot.

Deyan Man City Vs Bayern

Bayern Munich 2 v Man City 0 Player Ratings 9/27/11

Overall Verdict- A game which was fairly even in the 1st half turned into a stroll in the park for Bayern in the 2nd. Bayerns late goals in the 1st allowed them to dominate possession in the 2nd and take a stranglehold on this group of death. Besides the brilliance of Joe Hart, City were extremely disappointing all over the pitch and are now in a perilous position to make it out of the group stages.

Bayern
Neur 6.5- Dealt well w/ the little he had to deal with.
Boateng 8- Fantastic defensive display for the former Man City man, specifically the goal saving tackle on Aguero in the 2nd.
Van Buyten 7- Very solid performance but truthfully he didn’t really have to do much today w/ City looking so raged. Had a nice header which led to the 2nd goal.
Lahm 6.5- Made the game difficult for Silva and allowed Ribery to do his thing in front of him.
Rafinha 6.5- Didn’t allow Nasri any room throughout.
Shweinsteger 7.5- Slow start but dominated the game as it went on. Had some blistering shots from outside the box that Hart did well to parry. Was in complete control for the entire second half.
Dias 7- Solid all the way around. Protected the defense like a CDM should and never allowed City’s potent attacking threat anytime on the ball.
Ribery 9- Best player in the first half. Best player in the 2nd half. Is he back to his pre World Cup form as one of the best offensive players in the world? Yes def. He looked unstoppable everytime he was on the ball, never seemed to waste possession, and is a force to deal with when in full sprint. His upper body strength really impressed me and his stunning strike led to the 1st goal.
Muller 7- Some nice crosses from the right wing in the first half and had a solid all-around performance.
Kroos 7- Tidy in possession and fantastic delivery on set pieces.
Gomez 7.5- Right place right time for both tap-ins. Has overtaken Klose and Inzaghi in becoming one of the best goal poachers in the world.
All subs N/A- Game was dead and buried when they came on.

Man City
Hart 8- Fantastic game for Englands true #1. The fact that both of Bayerns goals came directly after diving stops from Hart showed how hard he was to beat today. The scoreline was flattering to City solely because they have this world class keeper.
Toure 4.5- Weak comeback performance today. You can tell he has barely played this year based of this weak showing.
Kompany 6.5- Another solid performance from the Belgium. The only outfield player for City that played up to par.
Richards 5- Extremely disappointing today. For a man in such good form, he looked helpless against the fantastic Ribery and offered little in attack.
Clichy 5- Lacked much going forward and in defense.
Barry 4- Looks out of his element sometimes when he goes against such strong opposition. He is a decent passer w/ no speed, little strength on the ball, and weak tackling. Yet for some reason he seems like an automatic starter for City and England. After his weak showing today and De Jong coming back from injury I hope Mancini drops him for the Manchester derby coming up.
Yaya 4.5- Didn’t offer anything today.
Silva 6- City’s best attacking player and had his worst game of the season. That pretty much sums up how disappointing City were today. He showed his class and surprisingly had some nice slide tackles but didn’t offer the invention and break through passing he normally possesses.
Nasri 4.5- If he is fighting w/ Ribery for the starting LW spot on Frances national team then he has no chance. Couldn’t get going today and he needs to step up his game quickly if Man city want to get to the knockout stages.
Dzeko 5- Had some nice linkup play in the first half but lacked conviction when in or near the box.
Aguero 5- Frustrating game for the Argentine as he seemed to be chasing the ball for most of the match as Bayern dominated.
Subs- Kolarav 6.5- Looked dangerous when he came on and had one nice cracker that Neur did well to save.
Milner, De Jong 5.5-Could never seem to get possession of the ball.
Refs 7- Great game but didn’t get a good replay of the 2nd goal to see if Gomez was offside or not.
TEVEZ -9 - He gets paid over $300,000 a week and refuses to come on in the 2nd. He is a disgrace to soccer and the perfect example on what is wrong with the game these days. Players and agents have too much power and something needs to change. He will never play for Man City ever again so the question lies- where is his next stop? Hmmm Madrid???