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cadopan · 3 years ago

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Arsenal’s player ratings for HB Køge vs Arsenal UWCL Group Stage 1st Leg (1-5)

can’t say it was the most convincing overall performance from Arsenal, despite what the scoreline suggests; the backline were suspect on several occasions and there were periods of lull in which the creativity didn’t really come flowing. but the Arsenal quality found its way to the surface in the end, and there were some lovely moments of team play that we were treated to in yet another great CL night.

Starting XI:

Lydia — 6.5/10. argh, i really feel for her in this one. she finally got her start ahead of Manu in what’s been ages, and similar to the Tottenham game (in the FA cup semis), she gets betrayed by her defence and there goes her clean sheet.

Noelle — 7.5/10. probably the only one in the backline whom i would say had a truly solid, near faultless game. really calm under pressure, dealt well with any counters on her side, and just looked like a total experienced pro today.

Leah — 6.5/10. her ball-playing ability (diagonally, over the top, everywhere really) was unquestionable but somehow was also part of the backline that looked shaky whenever under the slightest of pressure. did well as usual to venture forward (Ben White style), but you can’t be losing balls in the middle of the pitch when you’re the (second) last man in front of the keeper.

Simone — 6.5/10. had a good first half, and i was honestly really impressed, but then the second half came and she just looked all over the place when defending (missed headers, bad positioning). she also doesn’t really contribute much to the build-up and only plays short side passes as compared to Leah, so i wonder if she might need more game time and confidence.

Steph — 7/10. ayy, Steph. did so wonderfully to score the opening goal (her first for the Arsenal!) with an inch-perfect free kick ...and then nullified that with an equally shocking error to allow Køge through in on goal. i get that she’s a leftie, but should’ve just hacked that away with the right foot nice and easy.

Lia — 7.5/10. yesss go Lia! loved her crisp passing and distribution into the forwards that break the lines. was playing as the holding midfielder but she probably made the most decisive passes in the first half. having her and Jordan in the midfield is a really good combination in terms of innovation because Jordan prefers longer, flighted balls while Lia complements that with direct, grounded passes.

Frida — 7.5/10. was threatening and powerful, and looked the player most likely to break the deadlock in the first half, though she had less of a presence later on until she got subbed off. needless to say much more, she’s a force in that midfield.

Jordan — 8/10. was working really hard throughout, but it didn’t seem like everything was ticking for her until Kim came on and suddenly she came alive too. the second half was really much better from her, and she finally got her first goal of the season (could’ve had two even) with a sublime shot into the corner. it was beautiful.

Keets — 8/10. another one who feels like she finally got to have some joy after being a little frustrated in past matches. like i said before, it’s a fact that she works extremely hard every game, and today she was rewarded with her goal. did a good job too, not to let that earlier saved penalty get her down. although, i had a feeling that the moment it wasn’t Dr Little who placed the ball down on the penalty spot, it wasn’t going to go in. Arsenal defo need another clinical penalty-taker to be able to step up when she’s not on the pitch.

Cait — 8.5/10. ah, another one who i am so happy to see make a deserved impact after underwhelming a bit so far. she constantly looked lively on that left wing, and she just looked like she had so much more room to be creative and get her mojo going as compared to when she’s in the central striker position. well-placed header to get her goal, and an even better mazy run to cut inside and provide the cross to Anna - might i say it was very Tobin Heath-esque.

Viv — 7.5/10. didn’t have the sharpest game and looking back, she was actually the least memorable of all the attacking players today. i suppose it’s a mixture of coming back from a long rest and her tendency to drop deeper to pick up the ball today. was amused but impressed that she was back beyond the halfway line in her own half to do some solid defensive work too. and her diagonal ball to Beth that led to Jordan’s goal was class.

Subs:

Kim — 7/10. she was sorely missed in the first half, it felt like there wasn’t enough spark and dynamic movement of the ball in her absence. sure enough, the attack kicked on after her entrance.

Beth — 7/10. registered a nice assist, but would have to say she was quieter than expected on that right wing after she came on, though most of it was probably due to the period of time that Arsenal’s defence spent out of concentration and allowed Køge to have a good spell of foraying forward.

Anna — 7.5/10. great first-time finish from Patsy to mark her first goal of the UWCL campaign, and hopefully it’s a great boost for her as she hasn’t been getting much playing time recently. it was heartwarming to see how happy everyone was for her <3 Katie — 6.5. came on to see out the game and did just that. nothing too flashy, though she did make one of her signature piercing runs into the penalty area. have to say, she’s still the unwavering first choice for the LB position imo.

Bonus: Jonas Eidevall — 7/10. i was uh, slightly uncertain about the starting lineup that he picked and i was proven right because the first half display (with the exception of Steph’s worldie free kick) was quite lacklustre. didn’t help that the Køge goalie was having a super game. still, i fully support the call to rest the players that he did but it’s just that when you don’t have those catalyst-type players like Kim or Beth at the moment, the attack seemed to stagnate against a back five deep block.

Referee — 7/10. unproblematic; awarded the penalty and fouls accordingly. the entire game felt rather clean and had a spirit of good gamesmanship, don’t recall that many nasty challenges or tackles. Overall: i think it’s apparent that Arsenal’s attack (midfield to forwards) have an abundance of quality and one way or another, will supplement the goals and results. but like it was evident against Barca (and i pointed out in my review then), it’s the defensive line that is going to make or break the game especially against higher level opponents. as with any football team, the defence has to be solid to keep the goals out (duh) but also error-free in playing out of their own third. or else the ball won’t even make it to the front line where the goals can be scored (re: Barca game). i guess one thing about Arsenal being such a dominant force this season is that the defenders spend more time “attacking”/being part of the build-up play rather than actually defending, so that is why they’ve looked susceptible to straightforward counters and gave up silly, unnecessary mistakes, etc.

lastly, i think i mentioned her somewhere above, but Kaylan Jenna Marckese (the Køge goalie) was crazy good in her goal today. Arsenal could’ve hit double figures if not for her, she takes MOTM for me even though they ultimately conceded five.

onto the NLD!!!

p.s. feel free to send in any questions or opinions you might’ve had on the game, or even opinions on the player ratings haha. all in good fun.

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cadopan · 3 years ago

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My take on today's game:

Leah's absence was certainly felt most by Lotte. She misplaced quite a few passes (i think one could possibly end up disastrous should we face more aggressive opponent). Caught off guard several times too. Køge almost scored cause one player sneaked up on Catley and almost equalized, but saved by Lydia, pure from great reflexes and sheer luck. Lmao she even looked surprised & startled as she hugged the ball. Maritz absence also meant no penetrating force through the right flank, as anna didn't seem confident enough to do that yet. Beth (i think) even dropped once or twice to help defense. Keets did well, great work rate as always. Lia shined as she took the role of long ball shooter from Leah, and dropped to CB position later on lmao quite a boring game, at least until viv, steph and maanum came on at 60mins or so. Viv and foord had a great game. Foord's strength to keep the ball helped the attack through the middle and viv improved the attack from wherever she stood lmao. no lie, she was subbed in and from midfield area just lobbed the ball toward beth (i think) in penalty box.

Køge was really good, considering this is their first uwcl and such a young team too. Arsenal was decent, but if you asked me do I feel confident facing chelsea with this defence, I would have to say not really. FA cup final might be a contest of who could score most at this point, so viv, beth, mccabe and maanum better get ready to bring their A game

a lovely summary, i could paint a picture in my head of what went on, thanks!

great to hear that Lydia made a vital save, esp since she didn't get to keep her clean sheet last game! Steph culpable again tho? when is she gonna stop doing her Aussie teammate dirty haha..

yea i noted the difference between having Noelle and Anna at RB, seems like Anna isn't ready just yet to venture too far forward for fear of leaving her back wide open.

how was the midfield? another Anon said it wasn't that great aside from Lia...?

glad to know things are looking up for Keets too; i think everybody should appreciate how hard she runs every game and just brings that much-needed energy to the attack.

Køge's main takeaway from the uwcl is probably the experience, and did well given the circumstances like you said, so i'm happy for em.

what you said about the FA Cup final completely hits the nail on the head for me, it's gonna come down to outscoring them isn't it?

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