Villa Arsenal Post Match

[Richard E]

They didn’t give us any room and we couldn’t work out what to do about it. Bailey and Traore showed exactly why they are both on the bench.

[Vegas]

Insipid. Never heard the home crowd so quiet. Thought Cash was excellent, Mings and Konsa OK, rest pretty poor except Watkins who was shocking - Ramsey also worse than most.

I think the big problem is we haven’t got a midfield. So we’re trying to play out from the back but don’t have the technique to bus out properly, and up bouncing one touch passes back to the centre backs then try again. Only Cash looked purposeful in possession.

[LukeJames]

We need a forward that can hold it up, unfortunately the only one we have on our books can't play 2 games for us without breaking himself.

[Richard E]

Highlight of the match was the chicken tikka naan beforehand, and even the naan was a little disappointing.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

A truly wanky, scrappy, scruffy performance. Arsenal have a plan, we looked as if we couldn't even spell it.
 

[AV82EC]

Well that was a touch disappointing all round if we’re honest. Lacked any sort of urgency or pace in the first half and whilst it was marginally better second half we were utterly clueless in breaking them down. Anyway scores on my doors:

Martinez - 7 absolutely fine couldn’t have stopped the shot and otherwise very solid.
Cash - 7 MOTM good display again going forwards but our inability to switch play quickly must leave him frustrated.
Konsa - 6 was ok but lacks something with the ball at his feet
Mings - 6.5 didn’t do too much wrong
Young - 6 poor defensively but a better second half going forward which upped his score
Luiz - 3 atrocious both with and without the ball
McGinn - 4 atrocious but extra mark for running around a bit his passing and ball control are light years from being a top 6 player
Ramsey - 4 see above, needs resting for Sanson
Buendia - 3 meh was he on the pitch?
Coutinho - 5 ineffective but showed quality when he could
Watkins - 3 couldn’t hold the ball up seemed to be running in treacle and was wearing toblerone boots.
Subs - None of them really made an impact.

Generally our inability to pass the ball at pace, inability to do anything with one touch, work out how to beat the press and poor offensive shape. Our one positive today was the defence as other than the goal they didn’t have too many clear cut chances.

Gerrard - 4 got it horribly wrong in terms of set up and despite the half time tweaks we struggled to create much of note. Out inability to switch play quickly in this system is frustrating as our full backs do get acres of space at times but our need for multiple touches is soooo frustrating.

Oh well we’re a mid table team with some mid table players. Onwards….

[RichardBatchelor]

The performance was really dull but we’ve still not lost by more than a single goal under Gerrard so far, I think. Arsenal won by reaching the dizzy heights of mediocre. Not too down afterwards but it was painful viewing while on.

[nick harper]

To be fair to Arsenal they are a much better pressing side than they were 12 months ago and that is why they’ve improved - so well coached I think. We are just not good enough to cope and therefore continually give the ball away.

I think the game plan was to keep the score at 0-0 until well into the second half and let the game open up. I think we’d have then got something out of the game, but once they scored, they dictated things pretty much till the last 10 minutes.

Partey is exactly what we need.

[brontebilly]

Atrocious performance really. We were so flat all over the pitch. Arsenal barely got out of first gear in the second half and we still hardly made them sweat. Another worrying day for our tactician on the sideline. After a first half performance like that a coach simply has to change things. With both Ramsey and McGinn booked and struggling, either or both could easily have been hooked. Bringing Bailey and Traore on after slating both midweek was very strange. Ings only coming on in the 83rd minute another bizarre one.
Martinez 5 - woeful effort to stop their goal, so slow down
Cash 6 - tried hard but away too many free kicks
Konsa 7 - solid return
Mings 7 - decent game
Young 7 - our biggest threat going forward in second half
Luiz 7 - don't understand Luiz being singled out today, won a lot of ball, distributed it well and shielded ok in front of the CBs
Ramsey 4 - poor game, gave away ball constantly and struggling a bit for form of late
McGinn 5 - game passed him by for most of it
Coutinho 4 - anonymous really
Buendia 5 - surprised to see him off early
Watkins 4 - isolated but hold up play was rubbish again

Bailey 4, Traore 4, Ings 6

[achilles]

Did we have a shot on target as I can't remember one?

[Steve67]

Did we have a shot on target as I can't remember one?

One.  Straight into the arms of the keeper.  The last minute free kick. 

[brontebilly]

Did we have a shot on target as I can't remember one?

Coutinho's free kick at the end was our one and only apparently.

[Villafirst]

That was so poor. No urgency from the kick-off at all. We should've got in their faces from the off. Dreadful passing, constantly surrendering the ball, under hit passes intercepted. Set piece delivery was either under hit or kicked straight into touch. Only player who turned up was Matty Cash. As for the shit referee, don't get me started! Arsenal constantly wasted time on free kicks and goal kicks and he did nothing. I felt Martinez was at fault for the goal from where I was sitting. Obviously I need to see it back again.

[achilles]

Did we have a shot on target as I can't remember one?

One.  Straight into the arms of the keeper.  The last minute free kick. 

Oh, that is why I don't remember it as I had gone by then!

[tomd2103]

Insipid. Never heard the home crowd so quiet. Thought Cash was excellent, Mings and Konsa OK, rest pretty poor except Watkins who was shocking - Ramsey also worse than most.

I think the big problem is we haven’t got a midfield. So we’re trying to play out from the back but don’t have the technique to bus out properly, and up bouncing one touch passes back to the centre backs then try again. Only Cash looked purposeful in possession.

With Buendia in the side along with Coutinho and Young at full-back, we just looked very one-paced.  Time and again, we had no real wide options, so we're forced to play through the midfield and either gave it away or got caught on the ball.  Ollie Watkins had a really poor game, so it meant that we couldn't get a real foothold as he couldn't hold the ball up front.