Direct Approach Earns Some Reward Player Ratings

By Matty Sadler
May 8 2016

For a change we actually participated in an exciting, direct, end-to-end game. I can't recall the last time we started a game so poorly, as we were all over the place and basically camped in our own penalty area.

 We didn't seem up for it at all. Aguero scored early, but a mix up between Clichy and Hart presented us with a corner, and Giroud rose to excellently head home his first goal since January (15 hours without a goal, 16 appearances!). The second half started slowly but City took the lead after some brilliance from De Bruyne and some awful defending from us. Walcott had an excellent chance to equalise but messed it up after an awful first touch, but we eventually did equalise after Alexis played a great one-two with Giroud and finished well. We had some chances to get a winner, notably a header from Koscielny, but a draw was probably a fair result.

I thought we would struggle without Ozil, but as Padre said in another thread, our more direct approach was good at times. Could've been better, but also could've been worse. We have to decide whether we want to keep just coasting and getting into the top four and making the Champions League knockout stages, or if we want more. Regardless, this squad needs improving, as next season will be tough.

Ratings:

Cech - 5. Should've done better with City's second goal and nearly messed up in the first half when he came charging to close Aguero and went over.

Bellerin - 6. Dashed up by De Bruyne's for City's second goal, otherwise okay.
Gabriel - 7. Good performance I thought. Made an excellent block on Aguero in the first half, but could've done more to stop De Bruyne's second.
Koscielny - 7. Poor on City's first goal, otherwise did well.
Monreal - 6. Difficult first half but solid in the second.

Elneny - 5. Lost Aguero for City's first goal, feeble attempt to stop De Bruyne for the second, and generally struggled with their physicality.
Ramsey - 7. Another disciplined performance. Linked up well and put in tackles.

Alexis - 6. Wasn't in the game before suddenly popping up with an excellent equaliser.
Iwobi - 5. Struggled to get into the game.
Welbeck - N/A. Off injured midway through the first half after putting in a good defensive shift. Praying it isn't serious.

Giroud - 7. He did more good today than he has for the most of 2016 so far. Excellent header for his goal and a good one-two for Alexis's equaliser, but also a number of poor moments.

Subs:

Wilshere - 6. Understandably rusty at times but still produced a number of good passes and touches. Nice to see someone getting stuck in as well. Looking forward to him getting back on form.
Walcott - 4. He had a number of opportunities to make a positive impact off the bench, including an excellent one-on-one, and ballsed them all up. Poor. Bottler.
Coquelin - N/A. Not on long.
Discussion here