Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Arsenal

[Leeroy]

Leicester away, Everton home, wolves home, Ipswich away. Our next 4 games. We need to be aiming for 10-12 points. I don’t see why we can’t win all four games.

[VillaChris]

Just now, sheepyvillian said:

I've already commented on the "Defensive" side of Rodgers game. He was subbed a few times last season for not tracking back enough. For me, he was far too lackadaisical leading up to their first goal. That really cost us, yet no - one hardly noticed the error. 

I just thought it was unlucky. Saka breaks free from Digne, just about keeps it in and hits the cross in exactly the area needed as it basically wrong footed half of our team. Rogers reads the cross but hits hit and basically falls perfectly for Trossard to slot in.

You could spend another 200m on a new defence and you'd still concede goals like that throughout a season.

Second one more disappointing as Emi simply has to push that round the post. Basically killed the game going 2-0 down..

[VillaChris]

Just now, Leeroy said:

Leicester away, Everton home, wolves home, Ipswich away. Our next 4 games. We need to be aiming for 10-12 points. I don’t see why we can’t win all four games.

10 is very realistic. We pretty much always beat Everton at home and they're in a right state currently. Leicester give up lots of possession and chances judging on their game v Spurs and Wolves 11 dosen't look as strong as last season so at VP you'd fancy us. One question make is Ipswich, think that will be awkward one based on it being around CL matches.

13 points from first 6 games would be a point better than last season..

[El Segundo]

It's small margins at the top of the PL and the teams that make the fewest errors tend to thrive.  Errors at both ends cost us, Ollie missed two absolute sitters and Emi should have saved the second - but you have to questions where the midfielders were to mark the scorers for both goals.   Despite lower possession we should have been 2-0 up and cruising.  Just not our day I guess. Ollie is clearly not up to speed yet, poor last week and awful this week.

[Wainy316]

36 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

A match fit Ollie Watkins away from a different result

Or a Jhon Duran away from it.  If he ain’t match fit, don’t start him.

All in all though very encouraged. 

[WHY]

Thought we played well, we score first we win the game. Missed chances proved costly. Thought we made the subs too early as we were on top. Usually annoyed after a loss but plenty of positives in that performance! 

[El Segundo]

Ollie should have been off at half time, 

Just now, WHY said:

Thought we played well, we score first we win the game. Missed chances proved costly. Thought we made the subs too early as we were on top. Usually annoyed after a loss but plenty of positives in that performance! 

Thought Ollie should have been off at half time, he was clearly not at the races.   

[Lochheads twin]

File under                 "How did we come away pointless"

alternatively, one of those days.

Played pretty well but did not take some gilt edged chances at important times of the game.

Lots of positive.

Onwards.

[Raymond]

I was very angry right after the match, but I have decided to see the positives here. 

We belong with the teams at the very top of the table. For large chunks of the game, we were the better team. Just need to learn to take our chances. 

Morgan Rogers is special. Really special. Can’t wait to watch him all season. 

[Kiwivillan]

15 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

I've already commented on the "Defensive" side of Rodgers game. He was subbed a few times last season for not tracking back enough. For me, he was far too lackadaisical leading up to their first goal. That really cost us, yet no - one hardly noticed the error. 

You can spell lackadaisical but not Rogers?

[jjaacckk91]

We had 3 absolutely golden opportunities that you would expect to score almost every time and didn't take any of them. All before arsenal scored. That's the difference, score one of those and it's a different game even if arsenal score.

 

The positives are that on balance of play we look just as good if not better than we did last year in the two games so far despite arguably our two best outfield players(Watkins and bailey) not yet showing up to the party and we look every bit like a side challenging at the pointy end of the league, just need to take those chances.

[WHY]

3 minutes ago, El Segundo said:

Ollie should have been off at half time, 

Thought Ollie should have been off at half time, he was clearly not at the races.   

Still had the best chance of the second half. Not disagreeing with you but we were on top when we made the subs, didn’t feel like we had to make them at that point in the game. 

[bakers29]

The way Rodgers can drive us up the pitch is so good to watch...

[Tomaszk]

Superb performance.

Ollie stunk going forward, as he did early last season.

He did however mark Partey out of most of the game and Duran didn't.  Presume he was meant to. Their shit first came from Partey in some space he hadn't had much of at all.

We definitely beat 16 of 19 PL sides playing like that. Good chance we beat the other three as well on a day where our striker can play football.

46 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

Martinez with another soft one v Arsenal he will be disappointed with that 

What was the first?

[sheepyvillian]

4 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

You can spell lackadaisical but not Rogers?

If it annoys you, then, honestly, I'm not the one with problems. In the grand scheme of things, it means didlly squat. 

[Jas10]

 

[sheepyvillian]

7 minutes ago, bakers29 said:

The way Rodgers can drive us up the pitch is so good to watch...

Be careful with that spelling, you'll have some anal - retentive on your back. Who needs that?

[Jas10]

 

Edited August 24 by Jas10

[Kiwivillan]

1 minute ago, sheepyvillian said:

If it annoys you, then, honestly, I'm not the one with problems. In the grand scheme of things, it means didlly squat. 

It's his name. Also *diddly

[Jas10]