Arsenal Player Ratings: Vs Blackburn

The question over whether Wenger has lost the plot, or whether the players simply aren't good enough has once again come under scrutiny. The Gunners, expected to run off with a comfortable win against the team with one point from four matches, had instead let the ball go past Szczesny four times.

There are no excuses for the fractionally offside goal which was created by poor defending from a corner.

There are no excuses for the own goals, which, if they had been defended better, wouldn't have occurred in the first place.

The only positive is that, for the first time this season, Arsenal have been able to score three goals in 90 minutes.

Let us just move on to the ratings. Much more needn't be said.

13. Wojciech Szczesny

Match Rating: 6

He made a fantastic save in a one-on-one situation, but almost cost The Gunners another goal when he came way too far off his line for a free kick, in what was simply down to poor judgement.

His positioning for the first goal can be debated as he left himself greatly exposed at the far post, but it is important to acknowledge that Yakubu did a great job in terms of quick thinking.

At least there were no massive blunders, I think we can safely say Blackburn would have scored at least another goal with the amount of corners and free kicks they had, had one of our other goalkeepers and their brilliant aerial abilities been present.

3. Bacary Sagna

Match Rating: 6.5

Mr Reliable, as he is called, performed admirably today. Although he was beaten a couple of times by players such as N'Zonzi, he was solid overall and provided fluidity in the attack.

If there were any doubters over his performance today, it would have certainly been alleviated when they saw Johan Djourou replace him. On that note, it seemed that his absence was arguably a big factor in the performance of Arsenal for the rest of the game.

4. Per Mertesacker

Match Rating: 5.5

A match rating of 5.5, which is generous because I am biased in that I think he is a brilliant player.

In all honesty, he still seems to be having problems adapting to the life of the Premier League and will probably need extra agility and sprint training over the next few weeks, if he doesn't have them already. He is still being exposed at the back as he often comes out too far, and if he doesn't make the interception then Arsenal have problems.

On a positive note, he provided dominance in the headers, and came agonizingly close to scoring the equalizer for Arsenal toward the end of the game.

6. Laurent Koscielny

Match Rating: 5

The problem with Koscielny is that, although he makes some crucial interceptions and tackles, he is often blasted for his slack marking and mistiming of tackles or headers.

He was solid during some stages of the game, but as a defender, the key to success is consistency. Unfortunately, the only thing Koscielny is consistent at, is to be inconsistent.

11. Andre Santos

Match Rating: 6.5

A solid debut from the Brazilian. He, like Sagna, provided fluidity in the attack and was, to an extent, solid at the back.

Highlight of the match for him would be his crucial tackle when Arsenal faced another Blackburn counter-attack.

His worst moment would have been playing Yakubu onside for his first goal. Is this the lack of concentration that critics have pointed out about Santos? Or is he merely still integrating into the team? Only time will tell.

17. Alex Song

Match Rating: 6.5

Provided stability to the Arsenal defence, and provided cover to the back line when, for example, Santos was out of position.

Gave a well-timed pass which lead to Gervinho's first goal, and was unfortunate to concede the own goal. Some may accuse him of being flat-footed when the ball hit his thigh though.

16. Aaron Ramsey

Match Rating: 7

He was ever-present in central midfield, and made a fantastic run to then provide the assist to Arteta for the second goal. He still seems to be lacking a bit of intensity during the game, but is getting better with every match.

Perhaps Jack's ankle will be pivotal to the success of Aaron this season.

27. Gervinho

Match Rating: 8 (Arsenal MoTM)

Gervinho, on his return from his opening day dismissal, showed what a threat he can be. He scored one with a well-executed finish, and was denied a second via a fantastic Paul Robinson save. His constant threat to the defence with his pace and dribbling was something to be admired.

However, van Persie had every right to vent his frustration when Gervinho refused to pass him the ball, and with the scores at 2-1 in favor of the Gunners in the 43rd minute, this may have been the most vital chance that was given up in the entire game.

8. Mikel Arteta

Match Rating: 7

Arteta seems to be feeling more and more settled on the pitch as the days go by, and he provided a solid performance today, rounding it off with his first goal. He was constantly lurking in the center, threading passes and trying to create something for his teammates.

If he played this well in only his second league game, what will we be seeing by Christmas?

23. Andrei Arshavin

Match Rating: 6

Unfortunately, we did not see the same spark that he had vs Swansea. He was simply out-muscled by the big boys in blue and sometimes lost control of the ball when he had it. Compared to his compatriot winger, he definitely looked average and can expect a few games on the bench if Gervinho and Walcott stay fit.

He must be credited for his volley though, and Paul Robinson did well to get down and deny Arshavin's 20-yard shot. Would it be fair to say that the Arshavin that first arrived at Arsenal would have scored that?

10. Robin Van Persie

Match Rating: 6

He made some good chances for himself, but ultimately didn't get far. The blame cannot be solely put on him though, the quality of service from those around him to get him a good ball when he was up front wasn't particularly high, especially in the Gervinho scenario. 

Highlight of the match was his world-class cross to Chamakh, who made no mistake in burying it.

Substitutes

29. Marouane Chamakh

Match Rating:7

He wasn't on the pitch for long, but when he was given the opportunity he took it. He put the Gunners back in the game, and was unfortunate to not score another at the death.

14. Theo Walcott

Match Rating:6

You can't blame him for what he did. He ran, he pumped balls into the box, he cut inside and looked dangerous. He helped the team going forward as much as anyone else in the time he was on.

20. Johan Djourou

Match Rating: 4

Oh dear, oh dear. You don't need to have watched football all your life to know who was the worst on the pitch today.

What has happened to Johan? Last season he provided fantastic service to Arsenal, before he dislocated his shoulder. Since then, he has been miserable. And playing on the right today was even worse. Couldn't put in a cross, missed his tackle which lead to the fourth goal, and had to manhandle his opposition to stop them from getting away from him.

Your Thoughts?

What do you think? How would you have changed the ratings?

Can we draw any conclusions about certain players? Any thoughts on how this will lead on to the league game vs Bolton next week?