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Arsenal player ratings: Aubameyang show all the way, as Gunners go through

By
The Long Shadow
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Arsenal left themselves a lot to do in the second leg of the last 16 contest with Rennes but they eventually made it look reasonably comfortable. A confident, opportunist header from Maitland-Niles at the far post, in between goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, saw Arsenal continue in the Europa league.

Aubameyang got the Gunners off to the perfect start within 5 minutes. Maitland-Niles and Ramsey did all the work to leave the Gabonese striker with the simplest of tasks.

Rennes tried to recapture their form of a week ago but Arsenal, under Europa League specialist Unai Emery, were tactically well prepared for this contest and never really looked in danger of being dumped up with their wealth of attacking options.

The North London club can’t afford any more slip-ups in this competition as the quality of the opposition improves. Arsenal did what they had to do and did it well but who stood out for you?

Here are Arsenal Player Ratings:

Cech – 6 – Occasionally had to get out of his armchair to look busy but rarely inconvenienced.

Mustafi – 6 – Makes me nervous at times but put in a fairly non-calamitous shift by his own standards, benefits from Koscielny’s presence.

Koscielny – 7 – Despite my reservations after his long term injury, he has become Captain dependable. Always ready to snuff out trouble with any part of his body. Strong and courageous.

Monreal – 7 – A better performance from the Spaniard who has looked rusty and off the pace in recent weeks. He has struggled to regain fitness. This is more like it.

Maitland Niles – 8 – Out of his favoured position but what a player this boy is. Bags of potential and loves going on the attack. He looked dangerous as he pressed forward and took his goal well as defenders came from every direction. Impressive.

Xhaka – 6 – Continues to frustrate at times by trying to force the game and as a result gives the ball away unnecessarily, against better opposition that will be a problem. Better in the first half than the second, I would have subbed him for Torriera and left Ramsey on.

Ramsey – 7 – Another solid performance from the Welshman in his final season and one hopes he gets the reward for his service. The Usual “where’d he come from” runs.
Showed class and determination plus a nice touch for Aubameyang’s opener.

Kolasinac – 8 – I love this guy, everything I want from a player. Strong, committed and determined. Provides deliciously wicked crosses for the front men, another good display here. Excellent going forward and put in a few useful tackles to keep Rennes at bay.

Ozil – 6 – Becoming quite the team player, the usual show of classy touches. Made himself available and tried to make things happen. Allowed others the room by drawing the defenders attention.

Aubameyang – 9 – Where did this performance come from? So often plays second fiddle to Lacazette in terms of involvement, that he looks peripheral at times but he really wanted this. The last few occasions, I’ve said that he looked off colour but not tonight. If I had a grumble, it’s that he should have had a hat trick to his name.

Lacazette – 7 – Not in the goals but put in his usual committed performance. Without his presence, Aubameyang may not have been able to find room to operate. Always willing to make something happen.

SUBS

Iwobi – 7 – Looked sharp and full of running, made an immediate impact with the introduction of fresh legs and with the clock running down. The brunt of supporters frustrations but never lets his head drop. He’s a keeper.

Mkhitaryan – 7 – Came on and got involved straight away. Looked solid and played to his strengths by linking with attack and padding out defensive positions when needed.

Torriera – 6 – Came on for Ramsey and took up his usual fire blanket position. Applied his touch to squeeze the life out of the game and see Arsenal home, comfortable performance.

‘Brilliant, world class poacher,’ some Arsenal fans praise forward’s stunning display vs Rennes

By
Sri Aswin
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Aubameyang

Some Arsenal supporters were elated with the showing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during Thursday’s Europa League clash against Rennes at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners were trailing 3-1 following the first leg of the round of 16 clash against the French outfit and they managed to produce a stellar turnaround with Aubameyang making the difference.

The Gabon international bagged the opening goal within the fifth minute of the game, and he thereafter showed great vision to provide a loopy ball across the Rennes backline for Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ strike 10 minutes later.

Following the break, things become more twitchy for the Gunners with Rennes seeking to bag the all-important away goal, but Aubameyang had other ideas as he grabbed his second goal of the night from close range in 72nd minute.

Thereon, he had two clear-cut chances to bag his hat-trick and put the result beyond sight, but luckily enough, the misses did not cost the team as they secured a 3-0 win and progressed to the quarter final, 4-3 on aggregate.

Here are some of the tweets regarding his performance:

https://twitter.com/KEZZLAD/status/1106315314667630594

https://twitter.com/MesutsTouch/status/1106313352656105473

Aubameyang had looked off-key over the past month where Alexandre Lacazette was generally getting the plaudits for his contributions towards the team’s success.

However, the penalty strike in the Manchester United win, seems to have revived his confidence and he found himself in the right position for both of his scoring efforts.

Still, he needs to work on his clinicalness in front of goal as things are likely to get more tricky with the quarter final phase of the Europa League next month.

‘Club legend for a reason’, some Arsenal fans praise midfielder’s superb performance vs Rennes

By
Sri Aswin
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Aaron Ramsey

Some Arsenal fans were delighted with the performance of Aaron Ramsey during the club’s 3-0 win over Rennes in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Gunners had gone into the game with a 3-1 deficit from the first leg of the round of 16 stage, but they managed to overcome the same with another resolute performance to compliment the Manchester United win last weekend.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the major game changer with a brace and an assist for Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ goal, but some supporters highlighted the showing of Ramsey for not the first time this season.

The Welshman may be leaving the Gunners at the end of the campaign when his contract expires, but he has certainly remained committed to the team’s cause by showcasing a positive attitude and tireless workrate on the playing field.

Here are some of the best tweets;

https://twitter.com/TP_Pillay/status/1106310445391069187

Against Rennes, Ramsey started the game in the centre of the park alongside Granit Xhaka, but he was offered the luxury of getting forward which contributed to a lovely assist for Aubameyang’s opener.

The 28-year-old thereafter continued laying off crucial passes whenever on the attack, and he should have bagged another assist to his name, had Aubameyang not squandered a clear-cut chance to bag his hat-trick.

Ramsey has about three months remaining on his existing deal with the Gunners before he would be packing his bags for the Serie A to join Juventus.

In such a case, some players tend to drop their performance levels to remain unscathed, but that has, however, not been the approach from Ramsey, who has given his utmost in recent games.

The Welshman has built a reputation for himself with two key FA Cup winning goals and it remains to be seen whether he can end his Gunners career on a high note by helping them to European glory.

Arsenal need to smash Rennes at the Emirates

By
The Long Shadow
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Arsenal Stadium

Rennes arrive at the Emirates on Thursday evening, knowing that all they have to do, is defend their advantage and they must surely fancy their chances of achieving that.

That could be a dangerous game plan because a team can only soak up continuous pressure for so long and even if it has been manageable to a point, forced errors will start to creep in.

Let’s speculate that this is the case and Rennes park the bus, hardly straying out of their own half, relying on counterattacks. It will only take one goal to undo that sense of self-determination that the French team undoubtedly have.

The North London club need to score really early on to stop the nerves jangling and with a good win behind them against Manchester United and the benefit of home advantage, Arsenal could easily follow in the footsteps of their Northern rivals and overturn a European deficit.

Ideally, Arsenal will grab a two-goal lead before half time and the pressure will be off for the team and it’s edgy supporters, allowing the Gunners to seize control and facilitate a more natural dominance for the following 45.

If this scenario becomes reality, the Emirates club will have to be careful of the sucker punch presented by Rennes. One goal from the likes of Sarri could throw all the plans up in the air and permutations out of the window.

Emery has to field his strongest attacking side, one that is prepared to fight all the way and for every ball. For me, it’s a similar formation to Sunday’s game, full of intent and striking options and probably the first name on the team sheet apart from Leno would be Ramsey.

The game against United showed he was still ambitious for the team and dug deep to get a well-deserved result. Maitland Niles demands inclusion because of his second-half performance, which went some way to snuffing out the threat of Lukaku.

Xhaka and Kolasinac would also be on my team sheet and Emery has the luxury of resting his players after this game, they don’t have another until the beginning of the next month.

I would be seriously tempted to stick closely to the side that dished it out to United, that held firm, disrupted and frustrated them with substantially less possession. If Emery changes anything, it may be the right back position, which would be a shame.
Emery’s options would be either Mustafi or Lichsteiner, neither of which I’m confident in.

Arsenal can get goals, plenty of them but it’s keeping focused and alert at the back, which will be the main concern.

Lacazette returns from suspension and one would expect Emery to play him as the main striker with Aubameyang, Iwobi and Kolasinac stretching the Rennes defence to gain those important goals but Arsenal can’t afford to be wasteful in this match.

Preferred team(4-2-3-1): Cech, Kolasinac, Mustafi, Koscielny, Maitland Niles, Xhaka, Torriera, Ozil, Ramsey, Aubameyang, Lacazette.

Predicted score: Arsenal should have too much at home for Rennes – 4-0

Lacazette and Ozil start, Strongest Predicted Arsenal lineup (3-4-1-2) to face Rennes

By
Sri Aswin
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Mesut Ozil

Arsenal are at the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie against Rennes on Thursday night.

The Gunners suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat in the first leg on the road, but they have the opportunity to make amends when Rennes visit them.

Unai Emery’s side come off a solid 2-0 league win over Manchester United in the Premier League, and they can make progress in Europe with a similar scoreline against Rennes.

Formation: 3-4-1-2

Predicted Lineup:

Bernd Leno was in impressive form between the sticks against Manchester United where he made an impressive point-blank save to deny Romelu Lukaku. Still, the German is unlikely to get the nod for this game with Petr Cech being Emery’s preferred pick for the Europa League.

Ahead of Cech, Emery is likely to resort to a three-man central defence which worked to good effect against United. With Sokratis serving a one-match European suspension, Shkodran Mustafi should come into the mix to partner Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal.

In the wing-back positions, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolasinac seem certain to feature after their solid displays against United last weekend. Maitland-Niles had a strong second half against the Red Devils where he made several crucial interceptions. On the contrary, Kolasinac was a constant menace in the attack, in particular, but he may need to somewhat curb his instincts with Ismaila Sarr in the opposite ranks.

In the midfield, Granit Xhaka remains a constant presence and he could once more be accompanied by Ramsey, should Emery decide to go with an attack-minded formation. Lucas Torreira remains available after missing the United game through domestic suspension but he could be called up to provide defensive assurance later in the game.

In the attack front, we are going with the same trio from the United game with Mesut Ozil in the number 10 role while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette should feature together upfront.

Lacazette was initially suspended for three European games after his straight red card against BATE Borisov, but Arsenal have managed to partly win the appeal to make him available for the Rennes clash.

Predicted Lineup: Leno, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Ramsey, Kolasinac, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette

Arsenal confirm availability of key player ahead of Rennes clash

By
Sri Aswin
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Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal have confirmed the availability of French striker Alexandre Lacazette for Thursday’s Europa League clash against Rennes at the Emirates Stadium.

The France international was suspended for three European matches after his straight-red card against BATE Borisov last month, and he was initially expected to miss both legs of the round of 16 stage against Rennes.

However, the north London side are understood to have lodged an appeal to UEFA regarding the same and the outcome has partly reduced the ban to two matches, thus making Lacazette available for the forthcoming Rennes clash.

“Alex Lacazette is now eligible for Thursday’s Europa League clash with Rennes after his Uefa ban was reduced to two matches,” a statement read on the club’s official website.

The Gunners are currently trailing Rennes by a 3-1 scoreline following the first leg of the round of 16 tie on the road, and they need a minimum of two clear goals without conceding to progress to the quarter final stage.

As such, they require a strong performance from both ends of the field and the presence of both Lacazette and Aubameyang upfront, should  boost the chances of finding the scoresheet while bettering the qualification prospects.

Arsenal go into the game following a solid 2-0 win over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium, and the game should provide plenty of positivity among the players, given there were no average performers on the day.

The European suspension of Sokratis remains the only setback following Lacazette’s return, but hopefully, Shkodran Mustafi, who may come into the defence, can produce a strong showing and help the side to attain a shutout.

Reputed Italian journalist reveals Arsenal are monitoring highly-rated AC Milan attacker

By
Sri Aswin
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Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Nicolo Schira has revealed that Arsenal had sent scouts to keep a close watch on Suso during AC Milan’s recent league clash against Chievo on the road.

The Gunners were hotly on the pursuit of wide players during the 2019 winter transfer window but they managed to only sign Denis Suarez from Barcelona on a temporary basis.

Thereafter, Emery acknowledged that he wanted two more players to bolster the first-team squad and it appears that the club could fulfil the manager’s wishes when the season comes to a close.

According to a tweet from Schira, the north London side are said to be keeping tabs on the progress of Suso, who was previously in the ranks of Premier League side Liverpool.

However, he added that the Spain international does not remain the club’s first-choice to bolster the wider options for the 2019/2020 season and beyond.

Suso has certainly been a player talked up regularly in the media with his progress from a reserve player at Anfield to becoming a standout figure with the Rossoneri.

The Spaniard had a relatively strong beginning to the current campaign with five goals and eight assists until November but he has since suffered a dip in form with minor contributions.

Since the turn of the year, the attacker has managed just the single goal for the Rossoneri, and he has largely been amiss with his inability to test the keeper regularly from his preferred right-wing role.

As such, the Gunners could be better off pursuing other possible targets during the summer unless the winger is capable of shaking off the lean run of form in the final months of the campaign.

‘Makes me so proud’, Many Arsenal fans praise forward after excellent display against Manchester United

By
Sri Aswin
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Alexandre Lacazette

Some Arsenal fans were delighted with the performance of Alexandre Lacazette during the 2-0 league win over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The France international failed to amass any shot on target over the course of the game but he managed to impress with his link-up and aggression on the day.

Lacazette contributed the assist for Granit Xhaka’s stellar swerving strike in the 12th minute and he was thereafter responsible for the penalty which was converted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the second period.

Following the game, a section of the Gunners faithful were impressed with the tireless work rate from the Frenchman but some went on to exemplify the striker’s close association with Aubameyang as well.

Aubameyang was guilty of missing the penalty which would have handed the Gunners with the three points in the north London derby last weekend, but Lacazette had no concerns over the same as he pointed towards the Gabonese to take the spot kick.

To the supporter’s relief, Aubameyang managed to outclass David de Gea between the sticks but Lacazette had to sacrifice his chance of matching Thierry Henry’s record of scoring in six successive home games.

Here are some of the best tweets;

Earlier last year, Aubameyang had offered Lacazette with a penalty against Stoke City to boost his confidence, and the latter has now replicated the feat when the Gabonese required to find the scoresheet the most.

Arsenal’s next game comes against Rennes in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16, and Aubameyang will have a huge role to play, given Lacazette would be serving the final game of his three-match European suspension.

The Gunners are currently trailing Rennes 3-1 after the first leg on the road, but they can make progress to the quarter-final stage with the repeat of the United result.

Elsewhere, Unai Emery’s side have returned to the fourth spot in the Premier League after beating United, and they are likely to maintain the position for the first international break of the year.

‘He must be Brazilian’, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provides stunning reaction to Arsenal star’s strike

By
Sri Aswin
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Granit Xhaka

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has claimed that Granit Xhaka must a Brazilian after the exquisite swerving technique which left David de Gea embarrassed for the opening strike.

The Gunners had gone into the game after a disappointing 3-1 Europa League defeat to Rennes on the road, but they managed to shed the disappointment with a resolute defensive performance.

Ole’s team had the first chance of the game with Romelu Lukaku managing to hit the crossbar from a point-blank distance but they were made to pay for the miss with a swerving shot from Xhaka in the 12th minute which left De Gea rooted to the spot.

Thereafter, United had a couple of more opportunities to find the leveller, but their inability to do so proved beneficial for the Gunners, who grabbed the second through a penalty from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 69th minute.

Speaking after the game, Ole was particularly stunned with the goal from Xhaka, claiming that the midfielder must be Brazilian with the way the shot changed direction midway to deceive De Gea between the sticks.

“He must be Brazilian by the way,” the 46-year-old told football.london in the post-match press conference. “The way he strikes the ball and the way it changes direction.”

In hindsight, it appeared that De Gea had genuinely failed to judge the trajectory of the strike from Xhaka and this made the goal appear much fancier on the day.

However, the credit should still go to Xhaka for attempting the shot in the first place, given the resultant goal offered the Gunners with the platform to secure the victory in the end.

Arsenal have propelled to the fourth position with the victory over United and they are now holding a two-point advantage over the teams outside of the Champions League places with eight games left for the season.

Preview: Arsenal and Manchester United slug it out for fourth place at the Emirates

By
The Long Shadow
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Last weekends results in the Premier League, with Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Wembley against Spurs and Manchester United’s tense 3-2 win over Southampton saw the Gunners and Red Devil’s swap places, separated by just one point.

There’s no doubt that United have a narrow advantage but they now have to travel to the Emirates, where the North London club are in tremendous form, winning 12 out of 15, drawing 2 and losing just one.

The Red Devils had an energetic outing in the Champions League, at Le Parc des Princes against PSG on Wednesday and that could have lead to tired legs and general fatigue.

Sunday’s clash could see both clubs having to shuffle their pack to keep things fresh but United have had injuries to contend with and the options are few.

BBC are reporting that Anthony Martial and Eric Bailly have recovered from injuries, while Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera could also feature.

The Gunners will be without Torriera who will begin his three-match ban beginning Sunday, but Lacazette will return to the squad after missing the Europa League fixture.

Arsenal had a miserable outing in the mid-week against Rennes and they will be under huge pressure to raise their game. The Emirates club will hope to pressurise Manchester United and reverse their current positions but the smart money is on a hard-fought draw.

Emery will once again turn to the players who can give him extra passion and commitment like Aaron Ramsey and the team that faces Rennes will have up to four changes for the United match.

Predicted side: Leno, Kolasinac, Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Iwobi, Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, Lacazette.

Predicted score: 2-1 Arsenal win.

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