It's a mee MARIO

Lyon v Real 11/2 Champions League

Lyon

Hugo Lloris - 8 - The French Number 1 made a flurry of saves to keep his team in the contest in the first half, and was outstanding throughout.

Dejan Lovren - Inc. - The Croat had started well by saving his teams skin on two occasions early on. He was unlucky to go off with an injury in the first half.

Bakari Kone -6.5 - Did an admirable job filling in for Lovren and looks young and useful.

Cris - 6.5- Used every bit of his experience to minimize the havoc that Real's three headed monster was wreaking in Lyon's half. Things got easier as the game progressed.

Mouhamadou Dabo - 6 - He did an admirable job playing left back, (assuming that he is indeed right footed). Extremely unlucky to see a penalty given against him when it appeared Ronaldo had already lost control of the ball.

Anthony Reveillere - 5 - Tidied up his play in the second half, but was caught out on a number of occasions throughout the evening. Benzema had plenty of space to roam down the left hand side, and he was embarrassingly nutmegged on two occasions.

Kim Kallstrom - 5 - For a man that is famous for his left foot, he hardly was able to showcase it because he rarely found the ball at his feet. His delivery on set pieces was spotty as well.

Maxime Gonalons - 5.5- Showed a willingness to tackle, but was gotten the better of by Ozil among others on several occasions. He will be eager to get back to standard Ligue 1 opposition.

Bafetimbi Gomis - 6 - Cast in his familiar, lone European figure, Gomis was predictably starved for service and struggled to make the most of what precious little he was given.

Yoann Gourcuff - 5.5 - Woeful in the first half, looked well off the pace of the game and a shadow of the player he was at AC Milan. He started to come into his own as the game got into its later stages, but couldn't convert Lyon's best chance of the game.


Honorato Campos Ederson - 5 - Never looked like he would get the better of Lasanna Diarra, and confirmed as much when he reverted to some shameless Latin tactics to try and win a penalty. He will also be looking forward to getting back to Ligue 1.

Jimmy Briand - 7.5 - Easily Lyon's most lively player in an attacking sense. He seems comfortable on both sides of the pitch and must have made Real and Pepe nervous at times. Couldn't direct his header away from Casillas or it would have made for an interesting final 10 minutes.

Real Madrid

Iker Casillas 6 - Not the most convincing display from Iker, but he extended his record long shut-out streak and still looks to be one of the best in the world.

Sergio Ramos - 7 - If anyone lets him play right back again, they ought to be committed to an insane asylum. The proverbial shackles and responsibility that playing central defender impose on Ramos make him twice the player and half the liability he was at right back.

Pepe - 5.5 - Didn't have much to do on this evening, but isn't always the most convincing with his unorthodox style of defending. His positioning is suspect and he is asking for trouble at times.

Fábio Coentrão - 6.5 - Couldn't tell if he injured himself, and too bad if he did, because he looks like a hell of a left back. Apparently he can play elsewhere, but that has to be his best position. Showed a great sense of spacing and seemed to have a good understanding with Ronaldo down the left.

Lassana Diarra - 9 - I seem to recall him playing a bit of right back in his Chelsea days, (presumably under Mourinho). If this was his audition he stole the scene, providing just about everything you could want from a right back and then some. Oh, and switched over to left back after Coentrao went off like it wasn't no thing.

Xabi Alonso - 7 - Not his most memorable night, but you can see why he's so important to them. He is shockingly accurate with his long balls and is probably the key to Real's success.

Sami Khedira - 4 - It isn't entirely clear what his role in the team is supposed to be, and that was reflected in his play. He is supposedly supposed to be a defensive midfielder although he doesn't really strike me as a robust tackler. He picked up his play in the second half, but looked to be the chink in Real's armor in the first.

Ángel Di María - 5 - I like what Di Maria brings, but he was atrociously wasteful and responsible for the implosion of about six promising counter attacks. He is entirely too predictable in trying to get the ball onto his left foot and everyone knows it.

Mesut Özil - 8 - His first half was incredible, passing like he has eyes in the back of his head. There may not be a better CAM in the world right now apart from David Silva. The only part of his game that needs work is his finishing as he showed with a laughably tame effort on Lloris.

Karim Benzema - 8.5 - I thought he was outstanding and he rewarded the managers faith in him with a solid performance. Might have scored with his left foot if not for Lloris, but you like to see him playing with this kind of confidence.

Cristiano Ronaldo - 8.5 - He really can amaze you like no body else. I can't remember a free kick making a louder sound hitting the back of the net than his first half screamer. He could have been awarded a ten if he had maintained his energy and eagerness throughout the ninety, but he went missing for long stretches in the second.

Lyon verdict - Tony Parker and Zidane won't be that impressed with the French display on this evening. It wasn't that long ago that Real would dread the visit to Lyon, but the gulf in the team's abilities was more than evident on this occasion. I'm sure they are a different team domestically, but they looked outclassed on this evening.

Real verdict - I'm not sure if Mourinho knows what his best 11 is, but this has to be close. The reliability of Coentrao and Diarra at fullbacks gives Real an edge that their going to need in La Liga. As much as I hate to say it, I don't see a team more poised for champions league glory this year than Real.

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