Arsenal: Keep Calm and Carry On! -Thoughts and Ratings From City Defeat

Arsenal fell to a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon, here are the thoughts and ratings of ‘Lloyd the Gooner’.

In the first half ignoring the sending off we didn’t defend properly anyway. And can you imagine Vieira allowing City the run of the midfield even with ten men? We lacked leaders and organisation.

Wenger is a theorist not a tactician. With ten men we should have held on with a rigid back four for the remainder of the first half and tried to keep it at one nil so that we had something to aim at in the second period. We went recklessly forward and City made it two nil and we had a real problem. In the second half the players had to have a go and what a difference it made but two goals behind was a mountain and we couldn’t climb it.

On days like this you look for players that fight for the shirt that they should be proud to wear. In this regard there were good signs from Gibbs, Wilshere, Ramsey when he came on, Vermaelen in the second half, and Sagna, in particular. Here are my ratings:

Szczesny 6. Arguably could have done better for the second goal.

Sagna 7. Took a while to get going then showed the warrior side of his game that has been missing so often recently.

Vermaelen 7. Sloppy on Milner’s goal. The defence was dreaming and he is the skipper after all. In the second half he did at last show that he can be leader. He demonstrated some decent one on one defending too.

Koscielny. No mark. Poor decision to commit a foul on Dzecko in the box. Firstly, his positioning was all wrong; secondly the keeper is always in with a chance, so give him that chance. Mind you, was it an obvious goal scoring position for Dzecko? Personally, I think it was and if it had been the other way round I would have wanted the pen and the red card.

Gibbs 8. Excellent again for the most part. He has made massive strides defensively. He really locked down his part of the pitch and then found time to go forward. He was at fault in part for one of the goals but this is a player.

Diaby 6. Great to see the big man back. A real mixed bag of rustiness and the physical presence we need. It’s down to his body and the medics now. Here’s hoping!

Wilshere 9. The Wilshere of Barcelona was back. He is a man now and given the right support he can dominate games for us. Ok the mark is on the generous side but he had seventeen months out of the game! In a few months he has found his game and nobody is more relieved than Roy Hodgson.

Cazorla 6. Nowhere near his best. He does need a rest and he will probably get it during the Swansea game.

Oxlade Chamberlain: No mark in the circumstances.

Walcott 6. No service that counted but worked hard throughout. The lone striker role is a tough one for him given his size but Arsene will not play a two up front so watch this space.

Podolski 5. Very poor. Made a few forward thrusts but he is no Pires. Eddie McGoldrick anyone?!

What were your thoughts from the game? Get involved in the comments section below.