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Arsenal v Borussia Dortumund: Player Ratings
By Josh Sippie
The UEFA Champions League kicked off with Arsenal facing a familiar foe in Borussia Dortmund. Unfortunately for them, it didn’t go well in any sense. Fortunately for them, it’s only match day one. Here are the player ratings.
Wojciech Szczesny: 7.6 A couple of questionable decisions, one led to a goal, but Szczesny was perhaps the only reason this game didn’t get much uglier. He made some keys saves and some key interceptions. I’ve always admired his bulldog mentality and he showed it more tonight, not shying away from challenges. He was obviously caught out against Aubemeyang, but this game could have been a lot worse off without the Pole in goal.
Hector Bellerin: 5.3 Not the best situation to be thrown into for your first start. The young Spaniard looked terrified early on and gave away some possession early. He looked better later on but it’s clear that he just wasn’t comfortable in there, which isn’t entirely his fault.
Per Mertesacker: 5.9 I’m never sure what to make of the Big German. He makes some really stoic plays but some really boneheaded ones as well. He has zero speed, but he’s usually good about not letting that hurt him. However, when it does hurt him, it’s ugly. No doubt he’s an anchor at the back, but he’s still prone to mistakes and he made a few against Dortmund.
Laurent Kocielny: 7.2 Kocielny made some seriously dynamic stops and interceptions but he was also guilty of gifting the ball to Dortmund on occasion. I always feel a tad safer when Per and Kocielny are back there, but it’s still really obvious that this defense is shaky at best.
Kieren Gibbs: 7.3 Having Gibbs back was like a sigh of relief. I’ve always preferred him to Monreal by a long shot. Gibbs has some of the best attacking tendencies of any left back I know, and he made one run in particular that was just stunning and should have turned into a goal. He also didn’t get caught out too terribly much like Monreal has the tendency of doing.
Mikel Arteta: 5.1 Not a good game from the captain. He failed to really make an impact, was rash in his tackles and on one particular occasion, let a ball past him that should have turned into another goal for Dortmund. I would have expected better from a fresh Arteta who’s supposedly going to be anchoring our midfield, and our team in general, for the season.
Mesut Ozil: 6.3 Another lackluster performance. He did make some positive contributions but it doesn’t help him that everyone knows what he’s capable of. Every contest where he doesn’t perform up to those standards feels like a negative one. Plus Ozil had the unenviable task of aiding Bellerin, and Ozil has enough trouble sorting out his own defensive responsibilities.
Aaron Ramsey: 6.5 Failed to make a real impact, and that’s shocking. He might have been a bit tired but that didn’t seem to effect Wilshere. It’s not that Ramsey was bad, it’s just that I’m so used to him being everywhere on the field that when he’s not, I assume he’s not playing up to his normal level.
Jack Wilshere: 8.8 Man of the Match Wilshere looked like the only guy that actually cared that Arsenal were losing. I love to be reminded of how much Wilshere loves Arsenal in situations like this. He didn’t lose possession like his old self, he was box to box, he saved a goal and he just simply had no help. Arsenal nation should be thrilled to see him string two good games together. When he shows his frustration at the end of a game, I’m even more of a fan, it shows that he is actually bothered by the result. Another easy call for Man of the Match.
Alexis Sanchez: 5.6 Shocking from the usual wizardry of the Chilean international. Sanchez looked unable to keep up with the pace of the game in the first half. He looked outmatched in every facet. He recovered a little in the second, but to no avail. I’d attribute a lot of it to having played a full match on Saturday.
Danny Welbeck: 6.1 The critics of Welbeck have long said he can’t put the goal in the back of the net. He didn’t help his case in this match. He had three major opportunities to get Arsenal back in the game and he just couldn’t convert. Not bad off the ball though, good hustle and good ball control.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: 7.0 Came on in the 61st minute. I absolutely love watching the Ox and I’m leaning towards wishing he’d start over Ozil. Ox wants to play, he plays hard and fast and drives the ball. His impact is obvious and constant. He has to be given a bigger role on this team.
Santi Cazorla: 5.8 Not much from the little Spaniard in the last 30 minutes. Didn’t do a lot.
Lukas Podolski: 5.0 It got started badly when Podolski had to borrow Ozil’s shin pads because he couldn’t find his own. He came on in the 76th and did absolutely nothing until the dying seconds when he had a decent chance to score but outran himself.
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