Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Arsenal

[RicRic]

Just got back from the game..im unusually calm however.. the club store though

Positives

• Morgan Rogers (MOTM X2)
• Beautiful structure 
• Styles of Play

 

Negatives

• We lost 

[maqroll]

Quote

Using words like "unacceptable" after a good erformance against a top team just removed the credibility of the post to me. We've played alright, we should've scored 2, Our talisman is off of it a bit, another day we draw this and that would be a fair result.

Similarly, a draw would've been a fair result when we beat this same team 2-0 last season. Shoe was on the other foot then though.

But there's nothing unacceptable about this performance.

@HalfTimePost Do you know what, I actually agree with you, and I wondered to myself as I wrote it if it was a bit over-the-top. A heat of the moment assessment. My first post in this thread is a bit more measured.

Edited August 24 by maqroll

[ferguson1]

3 minutes ago, bakers29 said:

Did anyone else think the atmosphere was a bit flat for the first half or so?

I know they didn’t give us much to shout about but even before KO it was a bit subdued…

Probably because 10k or so were either still trying to get in or most inside being annoyed at queuing for so long?

[bakers29]

Just now, ferguson1 said:

Probably because 10k or so were either still trying to get in or most inside being annoyed at queuing for so long?

Oh ok, issues with tickets?

[ferguson1]

1 minute ago, bakers29 said:

Oh ok, issues with tickets?

Pop over to the season ticket thread. Carnage.

[Bazmonkey]

1st half I think both teams were a bit apprehensive. We had the better chance, but Arsenal had more of the ball.

2nd half the game opened up a bit more but even after the ollie chance and trossard coming on the result was inevitable.

A cagey affair....2 nil flattens arsenal a bit but that's what good teams do...they win ugly and not playing that well.

Rogers was immense today ran their midfield ragged today.

Martinez needs to shakes this arsenal voodoo he has.

This game probably would have been better 10 games in rather than 2 for both teams.

Two criticisms.. I would like us to move the ball more quicker...just to slow at times...we.end creating our own errors rather than being forced.

Press...we look so much better and get more rewards for pressing...the first ollie chance prime example...just do it a bit more...more proactive than reactive.

Three games coming up we should on paper get something from 

Edited August 24 by Bazmonkey

[wedge]

10 minutes ago, bakers29 said:

Did anyone else think the atmosphere was a bit flat for the first half or so?

I know they didn’t give us much to shout about but even before KO it was a bit subdued…

I think the thousands of fans who weren't in the ground because of the ticketing/entry issues probably didn't help, but I thought after this it was good.

 

I was just saying in the 'Villa Park - Atmosphere' thread that the 1897 Group which I'm proud to be a part of are making strides in liaising with the club, the Football Supporters Association and the Premier League to help execute these things and get more of a foothold in an organised approach to help make the VP atmosphere the best in the land. Hopefully the first of many flags/tifos/displays this season!

Edited August 24 by wedge

[bakers29]

1 minute ago, wedge said:

I think the thousands of fans who weren't in the ground because of the ticketing/entry issues probably didn't help, but I thought after this is was good.

 

I was just saying in the 'Villa Park - Atmosphere' thread that the 1897 Group which I'm proud to be a part of are making strides in liaising with the club, the Football Supporters Association and the Premier League to help execute these things and get more of a foothold in an organised approach to help make the VP atmosphere the best in the land. Hopefully the first of many flags/tifos/displays this season!

Makes sense now… 

[OutByEaster?]

10 minutes ago, bakers29 said:

I know they didn’t give us much to shout about but even before KO it was a bit subdued…

Five minutes before kick off there were still 4,000 people trying to get in!

I think the difficulties outside made it difficult for the crowd to get anything going pre-match.

[wedge]

Just now, bakers29 said:

Makes sense now… 

What does mate?

[bakers29]

Just now, OutByEaster? said:

Five minutes before kick off there were still 4,000 people trying to get in!

I think the difficulties outside made it difficult for the crowd to get anything going pre-match.

Yeh thought it was strange, I was in early doors so didn’t realise. 

It got going in the end

[bakers29]

1 minute ago, wedge said:

What does mate?

The fact it was a bit flat, I was already in about an hour before KO so didn’t realise it was an issue outside.

[wedge]

Just now, bakers29 said:

The fact it was a bit flat, I was already in about an hour before KO so didn’t realise it was an issue outside.

Yeah there were thousands still outside in queues well after kick off sadly.

[rjw63]

@OutByEaster?…

Screaming Lord Saka, brilliant. Needs to be used on here every time squeally boy is mentioned

[KentVillan]

Very strange game. Didn’t feel like a 2-0, and there were plenty of very good performances on our side. Tactically fine as well.

Just weren’t clinical enough when it mattered.

Rogers looked immense.

[ROTTERDAM1982]

Another day we win that 2-0

Wasn't too disappointed tbh. We still look a bit undercooked, but the sharpness is returning. Rogers, Tielemanns, Onana all looked very good, Watkins is obviously looking a bit jaded. Against the better teams we need Bailey to play well, he didn't today.

Onto the next

[maqroll]

I'm doing a good job of not letting the result and spurned chances drag me down into a depressed state of mind. Early season slip-ups are fairly routine for us. I just hate the inevitable gloating from obnoxious Arsenal knife-carriers. 

I'll focus on the positives. 

• We didn't let Gabriel and Timber bully us
• Morgan Rogers is a sensation and will be a star player and England regular in short order
• We stifled their wingers again
• We contained Odegaard again
• Martinez made a few brilliant saves 
• Superb tribute to our Holte Enders in the Sky
• Great atmosphere
• I've never seen the pitch look as beautiful as it did today in the late summer sun. The stuff of dreams, really.

[maqroll]

11 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Five minutes before kick off there were still 4,000 people trying to get in!

[Herman22]

Funny that our two best players were off it today and it cost us. 

On another day Ollie scores his two big chances and Emi saves the Partey shot! 

[romavillan]

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

Dunno if me saying poor at the start is fair, arsenal kept the ball really really well for the first 15-20 mins 

On arsenal, obviously a good team, still think odegaard is the best player in the PL, two CBs are very good, Saka is a whiney bitch, havertz is a dirty word removed, they will fall short of city again

Yeah City are still a bit in front of them but it was a really high level game against incredible players who've gone gone close twice against City over 38 games. If we're at a level where we're competing at their level (having beat them and city last term) then we should really be pinching ourselves at how far we've come.

They did really well to keep the ball away from us at the start and make sure we didn't get a head of steam up. You could say that was a mark of respect and them fearing us starting fast and getting momentum, but it's more than likely what they will try to do to everyone.