Arsenal Post Match Thread

[NotTheMarketLeader]

17 hours ago, jon1bc said:

 

Whilst Mahrez has not been performing at the same level as last season in terms of goals and assists tally, he is still very clearly a level above his team mates and offers so much more than people give him credit for.  

 

You have to compare apples with apples.. every single player was performing at a high level last season. You can’t expect Mahrez to have similar stats when the team as a whole are below average, it just doesn’t work like that.

 

Mahrez had one of if not the only shot on target against Arsenal with that half volley in the first half and had that have gone in we’d have been singing his praises. Until the team starting performing better, namely a more robust CM, Mahrez’s stats are not going to change anytime soon.

 

It frustrates me when people single him out because I honestly don’t think it’s justified… he still creates, he still has a magic first touch that hardly ever lets him down, he’s still able to win countless free kicks in nothing situations on the receipt of a bad bass from Drinkwater et al, he’s chasing back and defending more than he did last season, he still looks dangerous on the ball and still has that proven ability to create something from nothing or convert that half chance into a goal.

 

Gray is a massive talent but he is not a Mahrez replacement, they’re different players that have different qualities. The drop a world class player who is playing no worse than the rest of the team is a joke.

This is missing the point. 

 

I accept they were all shit for 5 months. 

 

Since Shakespeare took over - certainly the first 6 or 7 games - there was a massive upturn in the performance by the player to a man.

 

Not in Mahrez though.

 

His job is to create. A shot on target is not what we need from him; he needs to do much, much more. 

 

Yes he's worked a bit harder but there remains very little in terms of end product. 

 

He has great ability I have seen that, but to say he is world class is delusional when in the League we have 2 goals from open play and 3 assists to show from 90% of a season. 

[Blue ROI]

Better best forgotten this game.You wouldn't be convinced you were watching last season's top 2 sides in the league.

 

We had a couple of chances to score but after the Champions League exit was always going to be a bit flat.

 

The defence has largely been fine since Liverpool but the form of Drinkwater and Mahrez is the most worrying thing lately.

 

You would have been most fearful of them going in the last 2 transfer windows but now you would wonder just how good both players are. For all the talk of Mahrez and the big move in the summer he hasn't performed anything like you'd expect teams such as Atletico and Arsenal. Kante was showing well against every team before his transfer.

 

Drinkwater was the best player we had before December but hasn't been the same since (Liverpool goal aside). Don't believe he will be back to early season form for the rest of the year.

 

Arsenal were no great shakes so was disappointing not to claim that away win thats eluded us against them but not ideal timing. Wenger best out of there if that's what they are capable of now.

[funkyrobot]

On 27/04/2017 at 07:28, EnglishOxide said:

He's quite clearly better.

 

Both perform(ed) the same role for us in terms of linking up play and making our attacks more fluid.

 

However, there was a clear difference in quality straight off the bat when Shinji made his debut. He was more aggressive, pressed harder, was more commited in challenges and 50/50s and is probably quicker than Nuge.

 

You could probably give Nuge the edge in being slightly more prolific in front of goal, but thats about it, but then I don't think Shinjis return is that bad considering Vardy and Mahrez were our focal points in attack last season and this.

 

Okazaki is a level above.

In your opinion.