Saturday, December 21, 2024

Player Ratings: How Did Arsenal’s Players Fare During PSG Draw?

It was a night that started with frustration and ended with, well quite frankly, frustation. However, any Arsenal fan should be happy to come away with a point from PSG.

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Arsene Wenger came under fire before a ball had even been kicked following his controversial decisions in a number of key areas, some of which came back to bite him in the ass.

The Gunners should be happy with how things went overall, and with no more injuries to contend with they will now look to re-organise themselves for the weekend.

David Ospina – 9

Very little he could have done about the goal, everything came across so fast that any goalkeeper would have struggled to get a hand to it. Saved us from further embaressment on too many occasions but staked a very good claim to continue as Arsenal’s Champions League keeper.

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Hector Bellerin – 6.5

The best of Arsenal’s defence but still not the performance we’re used to seeing from the youngster, who gave the ball away far too easily. Failed to establish a connection with Oxlade-Chamberlain so lacked threat down the right side of midfield.

Shkodran Mustafi – 5

Let’s hope this isn’t what we’ve paid £35million for, but it was a night to forget for the German who never really got comfortable in the game. Koscielny had to do twice the work to save Mustafi’s blushes, who after that performance will be Cavani’s new best friend…

Laurent Koscielny – 5

Failed to register a single tackle in the opening 45 minutes and was playing chase for the majority of the game, again it’s a performance he’ll want to put to the back of his head. Gabriel and Holding will both have a chance against Nottingham Forest next week.

Nacho Monreal – 5

At fault for the opener and so far this season we haven’t seen a Monreal like we’re used to. Left gaps open on the left flank with PSG exploited by switching Di Maria to the right wing.

Francis Coquelin – 3

I’m being harsh on him because he damn well deserves it. It’s no surprise that he got a yellow card in the opening 20 minutes which leaves him vulnerable when PSG press on the attack. Can’t get his head around the short-sharp passing game. He was great when we needed some aggression, now that seems to be all that he offers…

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Santi Cazorla – 6.5

Nothing special, nothing terrible. The fact that PSG wanted to attack so much didn’t allow Santi his freedom to move on with the ball and help Ozil create things. Away from the Emirates I feel Xhaka or Elneny are better suited to this role.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 4

Why? Same old Ox, great at running down the wing but when he’s finished doing that he’s got no end product, crosses would either hit the other side of the pitch, or he’d run it out of play. Gave the ball away in moments where Arsenal looked dangerous.

Mesut Ozil – 5

PSG didn’t give him a chance to get into the game and you could tell Ozil didn’t like that. His exquisite pass to tee up Iwobi before Alexis finished was probably his one and only highlight.

Alex Iwobi – 6.5

More of a threat than Walcott and Chamberlain have been this season, and Iwobi is now starting to show his footballing brain. Was given a golden opportunity to grab a winner but an Henry-esque attempt was too soft. Good run out to show Wenger he deserves to start at the weekend.

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Alexis Sanchez – 7

Got the equaliser in the 78th minute but when did that come? Oh yeah, after Giroud had gone up top and Alexis was allowed to play on the wing. Getting to the point where even he is probably confused to why he started at centre forward…

Substitutes

Olivier Giroud – 1.5: Utterly idiotic second yellow to get himself sent off in the dying stages of the game. Did nothing when he was sent on in the 64th minute.

Granit Xhaka – 5: Subbed on in the 71st minute and managed to get things ticking again. Showed he’s willing to put in the tough work in defence.

Mohamed Elneny – N/A

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