Arsenal 0-Newcastle 1: Who Were the Best and Worst Players for the Gunners?
Arsenal slumped to a disappointing defeat at the Emirates against a superb and organised Newcastle side. The Magpies deserved their points, and the Gunners will be hurting from their loss. It was one of the worst performances from Arsenal in the recent past; they did not create many clear goal-scoring opportunities.
Fabregas hit the bar in the first half from a free kick, and Nasri had a superb shot expertly saved by Tim Krul, but apart from that they hardly created anything of note in the first half. Newcastle looked competitive from the outset, and a towering Andy Carroll header in the final minutes of the first half gave the Magpies a valuable lead going into the break.
Arsenal started off positively after the break, as Walcott hit a superb shot which again hit the woodwork, disappointingly, for the Gunners. Arsene Wenger brought on his two best players from the bench, Andrei Arshavin and Robin van Persie, around 15 minutes after the first half to turn things around for the Gunners. However despite their efforts, they could not create much, and they did not look creative enough to split the defence.
Newcastle defended very well, and every one of their players (Fabricio Coloccini, Andy Carroll, Joey Barton and Tiote were all exceptional) worked hard to keep out all the Arsenal attacks. To add to Arsenal's woes, Laurent Koscielny was sent off in the closing minutes of the game, which will see him miss some very important games for the Gunners.
Arsenal looked off the pace and did not look like they were going to earn anything from the match, as was the case in the end. The Gunners find themselves well behind title leaders Chelsea, and also three points behind Manchester United, for which they have only themselves to blame.
The Better Players for the Gunners
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Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri showed his dribbling skills on a lot of occasions but could not split the defence with his passes on a regular basis. He did not add too much width and did not cross for Chamakh on too many occasions, which can be criticised; but on a bad day, he looked energetic and tried his best to inspire the Gunners. He suffered a knock on his ankle in the first half and was substituted for Andrei Arshavin early in the second half. His shot was the best that Arsenal could manage on a day where there were not too many chances for the Gunners.
Andrei Arshavin
He was benched in favour of Theo Walcott and came on in the second half. His tricks troubled the Newcastle defence, as he tried his best to create something. He did lose possession at times, but whenever he had the ball, Arsenal looked more threatening, which is why he was one of the better players.
Alex Song
He ventured forward with a lot of energy, but his energy could not provide Arsenal the impetus they required. He was also good with his tackles, but could not do anything about the opener. He has improved a lot but could not continue from the last few weeks.
Jack Wilshere
Wilshere was good with his passing and tackling, but he was outmuscled on some occasions and lost the ball uncharacteristically. He tried to drive Arsenal forward, and his wonderful through ball to find Walcott could not be finished by his English compatriot. He was hauled off in the second half to make way for a striker.
Verdict for Best Player
There were not too many players who played well today, but in my opinion it was Nasri who looked the most threatening on the day—it did not help that he was substituted in the second half.
The Worst Players for the Gunners
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There were too many average players for Arsenal today, and it is hard to choose one player as the worst for the Gunners.
Cesc Fabregas
I have not seen a game when Fabregas lost possession so many times. He hardly got into the game and was marked by Tiote tightly, which made him drop deeper. He could not create many opportunities, and even after the arrival of Robin van Persie, he struggled to find his rhythm. It is one of those extremely rare days that he finds his way onto this list.
Lukasz Fabianski
He should hold his hand up for his mistake in the goal. He was hesitant to challenge Carroll, and could not get a fist to the ball. He was calm and composed otherwise, and he should not be overly criticized.
Laurent Koscielny
Koscielny has shown his aerial ability for the Gunners, but today he could not win many balls and was nowhere near Carroll when the ball arrived. He could not win a lot of balls, though he made a number of useful interceptions.
Theo Walcott
Theo Walcott was given a deserved start after his recent goal-scoring exploits but was disappointing in the game. He did not add any width to them in the first half and look to cut inside at any opportunity. He hit the bar in the second half with an excellent shot, but apart from that, he did little to impress Mr. Capello, who was watching from the stands.
Verdict
It was difficult to decide who was the worst, but in my opinion it was Walcott, Koscielny and Fabregas who must be blamed for not being effective enough for Arsenal.
An Interesting Observation: Denilson, the Lucky Charm?
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One interesting observation after this loss is that it was yet another game in which Denilson did not play and Arsenal lost. The Gunners enjoyed a run of three consecutive clean sheets against Manchester City, Newcastle (in the Carling Cup) and West Ham, and Denilson was the only player who started all three games.
Is it because of the fact that Denilson is defensively a strong player, or is it just a pure coincidence? But Arsenal have not had good results defensively when the lucky charm has not played.
