In a classic case of one step forward, two steps back, the Gunners hosted Southampton in the Capital One Cup. As expected, the big Guns were rested and there was a mixture of some youngsters with the experienced folks to guide them. In the end, it turned out to be a disappointing affair as the Gunners lost out, much to the dismay of the manager, players and fans alike.
In the wake of the dismal outing against Southampton, Gooner Daily serves you with the player ratings.
DEFENSE
David Ospina must have waited for all eternity to make his Arsenal debut but he had a rocky start to life in North London, conceding a penalty and some may feel that he might have done better for Nathaniel Clyne’s thunderbolt. 6/10
Hector Bellerin had a good game by his fair standards, balancing his attacking and defensive play well. He also crossed a couple of good balls in the final third. 7/10
Francis Coquelin played in an unorthodox left back position but he showed his energy and commitment to the cause. 7/10
Calum Chambers looked assured in possession and did his thing on the pitch with minimal fuss. 7/10
I had my doubts when Isaac Hayden started in the middle of the park but he went on to have a great game. He even had a rare foray forward and blasted a shot wide. 7/10
MIDFIELD
Abou Diaby was surprisingly disciplined in his holding midfield role and looked very tidy in possession. 7/10
Jack Wilshere tried to make his lung-bursting runs to create things for the team but there were a lot of times he hit a brick wall. 6/10
Tomas Rosicky was shockingly disappointing. The fact that his passes were erratic weren’t enough, he also conceded the penalty that brought Southampton back into the game. 4/10
ATTACK
Lukas Podolski tends to give us reasons why he never gets to play on a regular basis. He was largely anonymous for the entirety of the game and managed just one shot that was saved by the goalie. 3/10
Alexis Sanchez showed his exemplary work rate all game long and his free kick gets better with each passing replay. 7/10
Joel Campbell struggled to make his mark on the game and his distribution was poor. 5/10
SUBSTITUTES
Santi Cazorla had a couple of neat touches but he didn’t provide any telling pass that would have led to an equalizer. 6/10
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hugged the line and tried to make a couple of crosses. 6/10
Chuba Akpom didn’t play long enough to get a rating. N/A
Do you agree with these ratings? Feel free to share yours with your comments.
Sayonara.
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