Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Arsenal

[penguin]

BT trying their best to drum up controversy saying there was a potential red card for us. What a joke.

Also a wrestle between Lacazette and Martinez where they are both as bad as each other. People desperate for looking for VAR points to nick pick but then also moaning about the same thing. 

[Farlz]

I genuinely wasn't expecting us to hold on so that's a phenomenal effort from the boys. Defence in general was very good but Mings and Emi absolutely superb. 

3 wins in a row against Arsenal conceding 0 goals, easy work. 

[Brumstopdogs]

We've played Arsenal four times since July (one of them a friendly) and we've beaten them four times. Happy days!

[El Zen]

Just now, penguin said:

BT trying their best to drum up controversy saying there was a potential red card for us. What a joke.

When?!

[The_Steve]

Just now, penguin said:

BT trying their best to drum up controversy saying there was a potential red card for us. What a joke.

Also a wrestle between Lacazette and Martinez where they are both as bad as each other. People desperate for looking for VAR points to nick pick but then also moaning about the same thing. 

I loathe BT. It's a substitute for any real meaningful analysis.

Another example, earlier in the game, Emi did a fantastic kick out wide, and all they could compare it to was the prime years of Pepe Reina. Compliment aside, it's very obvious they have no conception of football outside of the Top 4, and it's painfully obvious.

[Laughable Chimp]

We've opened it up quite a bit of a gap between us and the rest of mid-table with this win. Only team below us in danger of catching up with us in the immediate future is Spurs. Arsenal are 4 points behind with 2 games played more than us and then the next team after that is Leeds who are 6 points behind us with the same amount of games played.

Meanwhile, if we win our game in hand we could jump straight up to fifth.

[penguin]

1 minute ago, Michelsen said:

When?!

The Konsa challenge on Saka where he got a yellow. Miles away from goal, never a red in a million years.

[Talldarkandransome]

Just now, penguin said:

BT trying their best to drum up controversy saying there was a potential red card for us. What a joke.

Also a wrestle between Lacazette and Martinez where they are both as bad as each other. People desperate for looking for VAR points to nick pick but then also moaning about the same thing. 

The supposed red card was only a borderline foul, clash of legs for me. Both were tustling and looking at the ball. Going off Arteta rapidly, whinging git.

Xhaka tackle/karate kick on Jack at the end was much much worse as it was late and cynical 

[One For The Road]

8 minutes ago, The Other Mat said:

Same year 92-93. Both games were 1-0.

I thought it was 2-1 away?

[KentVillan]

Good result, okay performance. Thought McGinn really stepped up after a disappointing couple of games.

Barkley for me is a bit of a liability. Excellent at times in attack, but I think he makes our midfield very loose. Difficult to watch teams just playing through our midfield with ease, even if our defence always seem capable of dealing with the threat.

Mings was **** superb. Whole defence had a good game, although Konsa was *possibly* lucky with that challenge on Saka. How different was it to the red card for the foul on Watkins earlier in the season? But never mind, good 3 points, well fought start to finish.

[DaveAV1]

2 minutes ago, Michelsen said:

When?!

Against Sheffield United when we should have been relegated on the spot. 

[AntrimBlack]

17 minutes ago, The Other Mat said:

The first premier league season I think... 92-93?

Yep. And we finished 2nd. Happy days. 

[Gompedyret]

Lots of players deserve praise today. Of all the excellent performances, I'd mention three:

Tyrone Mings. He was pretty much back to his best today, just clean, simple intelligent defence play not trying to be unnecessarily "clever".
Watkins. It's just so easy to love this fella. He might not be as deadly as a Harry Kane or as spectacular as a Traore, but he runs the channels, harasses everyone, always trying to set up or execute any goal chances, keepinmg their defenders at bay. In the course of a season, his work rate will have gotten us a bunch of extra goals, both directly and in more subtle ways. So happy to have him on the team.
Martinez. So chuffed for him. Excellent performance, and it must be such a good feeling for his new team to have a double over his old team, with two clean sheets as well.

Obligatory extra mention of Jack Grealish. Even on a "quiet day" for him, he has quite a few absolutely vital moments for the team and his overview gets better and better. Continuing like this, he will simply become the ultimate creator of chances in the football business.

UTV!!!!
 

[ferguson1]

“John, the ref has blown the final whistle.  John stop please”

[WakefieldVillan]

Mings MOTM - the rest of the defence resilient to a man.

Watkins another standout performer, tireless running and ultimately the match winner.

This win surpasses the win at The Emirates. This was a much better, more confident Arsenal team and with us coming off a terrible result and performance on Wednesday night makes the victory even more pleasing.

Special mention to Nakamba - thought he did pretty well in the engine room and I think that's 3 home clean sheets we've had when he's played which may tell us something. 

I think we need to really start trusting the likes of Marvellous, Ramsey, Trez etc - they ALL bring things to the table. 

A good sub by Smith bringing Ramsey on, we instantly pressed better as a team and were unlucky not to kill the game on a couple of occasions. 

35 points already. Outstanding

 

[VillaCas]

9 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Also, I know the shot lacked the power, but can just appreciate the confidence and skill of Ramsey and his footwork? What a prospect this lad is.

Thought he looked great going forward but he looked out of position defensively - but early days and as you say, a real prospect 

[pacbuddies]

Great result. Solid performance. Smith got it right today. Barkley is not up to it at the moment and needs dropping.

[Eligius]

Fantastic 3 points, now it is one game a week for a while which is what we need I think as some players are stsrting to look jaded. Mings was colossus today.

[nick76]

20 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Massive reaction which I said in the pre match thread I thought we would get. They really dug deep against a good team, well done to them. Mings superb!

Also a **** you to some of our own fans that seem to love to write us and Smith off whenever we lose a game. You know who you are. 

[Chindie]

We'd have lost that a year ago.

Martinez - back to his standards. Bloke is the personification of confidence at the back.

Cash - he's had everything chucked at him from Arsenal and he's come through with flying colours.

Konsa - good game. A little hampered by a harsh yellow but still solid as a rock.

Mings - he's made 3 or 4 absolutely perfect interceptions, blocks, tackles. The best of a very good back 4 performance.

Targett - another solid performance built on hard defensive work.

Nakamba - he's had a pretty thankless task and done it fairly well. He's evidently weaker in skill than his teammates but his job is to put himself about. And he did it.

McGinn - that's more like it. The hustle, the work, the passing, and the odd shot. Better.

Barkley - he's fluffed a couple of chances. He's had a couple of nice touches. He's done very little else. I don't think he should be playing.

Traore - he's getting more consistent, and he's capable of absolutely brilliant stuff - that turn to make a chance that looked like we'd over played into a great chance. Brilliant. He's never going to be the defensive worker though and I don't think he's ever going to be a week in week out game changer. Makes the goal from nothing today though.

Grealish - a quieter game from him but still vital to us.

Watkins - works hard and scores goals. What more do you want? 

Trez - he does the dirty work Traore doesn't. When we're under the cosh he's who you want putting himself around and being a nuisance.

Ramsey - brought on for his work rate, which he fulfilled very well and even had a nice shot (although arguably should have put Trez in). He's done well with a pretty weak hand.

Good win against an irritating Arsenal team and ref who doesn't fancy being particularly even handed.