Man of the Match: Brentford (A)

[avenellroad]

Xhaka MOTM

 

[tap-in]

I haven't seen the game yet, so I'll pay special attention to Xhaka when I do Tbh he's been playing his best football in an Arsenal shirt recently. This season and parts of last!

 

[lomekian]

Nice shades

I'm an aviators man myself! (and would never be seen dead in a baseball cap, and can grow a proper beard - but I'd love his career!)

 

[Entropics]

This one is easy, has to be Xhaka

virtually flawless today

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Need to earn my tag line...

 

[Kysus]

Xhaka MOTM yet again.
He is having a really special aura around him nowadays.

Saliba is just ridiculous. I have never seen a CB that good at that age. His decision making is so good that he makes it all look easy.

 

[pigge]

Need to earn my tag line...

Very happy for him tbh. Imagine not having a song while everyone else has one. Must've felt alienated. Big props to fight on and keep going. Elite mentality facing adversity head on.

Hope he doesn't do the stupid red cards. Visions of that with the very unnecessary yellow in 2nd half

 

[BergMan]

Xhaka and Saliba lead this poll. Yet the Sky man of the match was Jesus and the Arsenal.com man of the match was Vieira.
So split

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Xhaka and Saliba lead this poll. Yet the Sky man of the match was Jesus and the Arsenal.com man of the match was Vieira.
So split

For me it was Saliba. Together with Gabriel he kept Toney totally under control and scored our important first goal. Flawless the whole game. Xhaka also had an excellent game but my vote goes to Saliba.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Very happy for him tbh. Imagine not having a song while everyone else has one. Must've felt alienated. Big props to fight on and keep going. Elite mentality facing adversity head on.

Hope he doesn't do the stupid red cards. Visions of that with the very unnecessary yellow in 2nd half

I am happy for him and the team. It has been a journey to say the least but he keeps on working and fighting. Think the fans recognize that!

 

[Taneruit]

Hope he doesn't do the stupid red cards. Visions of that with the very unnecessary yellow in 2nd half

Please explain to me how that's an unnecessary yellow?

He stopped a counterattack by impeding the goalkeeper. Raya was ready to throw long as he saw a run.

Tons of other players do this, they get praised for it. Here it *somehow* turns into a stupid yellow.

And again, he's not in danger of expulsion yet (Having only one yellow card previously, none of which btw. came from an actual tackle. It was a dive and now standing in front of the GK), so there's exactly zero issue with making that.

 

[pigge]

Please explain to me how that's an unnecessary yellow?

He stopped a counterattack by impeding the goalkeeper. Raya was ready to throw long as he saw a run.

Tons of other players do this, they get praised for it. Here it *somehow* turns into a stupid yellow.

And again, he's not in danger of expulsion yet (Having only one yellow card previously, none of which btw. came from an actual tackle. It was a dive and now standing in front of the GK), so there's exactly zero issue with making that.

We were up 3-0. He might miss an important game, for what?

 

[Taneruit]

We were up 3-0. He might miss an important game, for what?

Clean sheet,, not risk a nervy 32+ minutes?

We didn't have easy second half's this season. Getting a clean sheet to break that was plenty important here. And again, not like he's actually in danger of missing an important game yet.

By that definition you should focus on Jesus if anything, who can't get another yellow for 11 game weeks.

 

[baccy_man]

I went for Saliba, but it was a toss up between Saliba, and Xhaka, Granit is like a different player this season and that is down to him having the freedom to get forward and make things happen he is also getting back to do the defending too, Saliba has started his career with us very impressively and he is getting better with each game that he is playing and with his age he still has room for more improvement that comes with experience.

 

[pigge]

Clean sheet,, not risk a nervy 32+ minutes?

We didn't have easy second half's this season. Getting a clean sheet to break that was plenty important here. And again, not like he's actually in danger of missing an important game yet.

By that definition you should focus on Jesus if anything, who can't get another yellow for 11 game weeks.

Jesus don't have a history of getting unnecessary yellows and especially not reds. However Xhaka does, and since he's been a lot better on that regard i hope he doesn't keep starting up with it again. Just felt really unnecessary imo.

 

[Taneruit]

Jesus don't have a history of getting unnecessary yellows and especially not reds. However Xhaka does, and since he's been a lot better on that regard i hope he doesn't keep starting up with it again. Just felt really unnecessary imo.

Jesus has to go 9+ games without a yellow after picking up 4 in his first 7. That's a cold hard fact. Yellows that were very avoidable too. What in the world has history to do with that? He's not playing at City anymore.

On the second part I explained the reason why it wasn't. Can't change your feelings, if you felt it was unnecessary.

 

[pigge]

Jesus has to go 9+ games without a yellow after picking up 4 in his first 7. That's a cold hard fact. Yellows that were very avoidable too. What in the world has history to do with that? He's not playing at City anymore.

On the second part I explained the reason why it wasn't. Can't change your feelings, if you felt it was unnecessary.

Your take on it isn't the truth, it's just your perspective, and I don't agree with it.

Someone getting a few yellows for the first time in his career is not as alarming as someone with a problem starting to show signs(according to me..) again. It's like if a drunk start drinking vs someone going out a few extra times.
Either way, it might be nothing, and I hope it is.

 

[albakos]

Jesus don't have a history of getting unnecessary yellows and especially not reds. However Xhaka does, and since he's been a lot better on that regard i hope he doesn't keep starting up with it again. Just felt really unnecessary imo.

Jesus has 4 yellows so far (few for 1st time fouls ) and Xhaka has only two.

Xhaka's 1st was at opening game with Palace, when the ref wrongly booked him for "a dive" in which replays showed there was definitely contact which knocked him off balance.
The 2nd one was a tactical move at Brentford when he tried to block Raya's path from initiating a counter, but he never touched him. Their keeper Raya faked contact by dropping to ground, hence the ref awarded Xhaka the yellow.

With Jesus on 4 and Xhaka only at 2, it goes to show that this misconception about Xhaka being a "card-magnet", it will take time to recover from in the eyes of fans and refs.

 

[Taneruit]

With Jesus on 4 and Xhaka only at 2, it goes to show that this misconception about Xhaka being a "card-magnet", it will take time to recover from in the eyes of fans and refs.

Yellow Cards have never been Xhaka's problem either. If we compare to Chelsea's long time midfield of Kante and Jorginho, both have been suspended the same amount of times as Xhaka for yellow cards (2). He's not an exception at all in that regard.

The problem have always been straight reds. Now, if Xhaka was getting into rash challenges or last man situations in his new role, I'd be worried. But thankfully that's not been the case at all so far.

 

[freeglennhelder2]

Please explain to me how that's an unnecessary yellow?

He stopped a counterattack by impeding the goalkeeper. Raya was ready to throw long as he saw a run.

Tons of other players do this, they get praised for it. Here it *somehow* turns into a stupid yellow.

And again, he's not in danger of expulsion yet (Having only one yellow card previously, none of which btw. came from an actual tackle. It was a dive and now standing in front of the GK), so there's exactly zero issue with making that.

Agree with you in principle. However his extensive history of "curious choices" on the pitch has left deep and lasting trauma on many people. It will be a while before this mental debt is fully repaid.

Anyway looks like they've booted him out of the betting ring now so we are reaping the benefits <<IM JOKING>>