No Mesut, not injured but a tactical decision to leave him out of the squad? What does that say to the other players going into the game? Something’s afoot.
First Half
Two equally poor teams created a roughly equal number of half chances. Really dreadful viewing. Is anyone else sick of watching forwards running around like blue arsed flies trying to close down centre backs with the ball. About 10 minutes of that first half seemed to be spent trying to move 20 yards up the pitch. Shockingly painful to watch.
As Didit said “Sick to the teeth of this passing the bloody thing around between 9 ‘effing defenders all sodding afternoon”
Second Half
We couldn’t be any worse, surely? Oh yes, we could.

Three minutes after the restart, a poorly defended breakdown from a corner and the most committed player on the pitch has a free strike from 14 yards. Leno had no chance.
Torreira and Ramsey on for Xhaka and Mustafi at least gave a semblance of hope. Ramsey, playing without the encumbrance of an Arsenal future started to make things happen, popping up all over in dangerous positions. Chances came and went. Auba had one of his barn door days.
Hector added more hope but ultimately we were just not good enough to score.
Conclusion
Wagner will be happy his side sneaked the points. They did seem hungrier and snappier in the tackle. Arsenal seemed lethargic and listless after a week’s solid training to get the team nailed down and perfect for matchday.
We were swamped in midfield as Kola and A.M-N didn’t help at all, leaving Wobbly, Laca and Auba isolated.
Auba and Laca do not a good combination make, regardless of the fact that they’re two of our best players – no linkage whatsover.
Making a poor West Ham side look ok, FFS.

Ratings
Leno – Nowt to do except pick the ball out of the back of his net … 6
Maitland-Niles – not sure he found a mint choc shirt with one pass in that dreadful first 45 … 2
Mustafi – awful tackling, think he might be a bit thick … 4
Sokratis – tried hard to shackle both Arnautovic and Carroll … 5
Koscielny – not really much to do as a centre back, had plenty of touches trying to get the ball up to the halfway line … 5
Kolasinac – so far offside for the chances he set up in the second, pretty clueless … 5
Xhaka – No command of the midfield today, though missed having a link player to pass forward to. Most ducked the responsibility of making themselves available for a pass … 4
Guendouzi – passing a bit off today – popped up all over when we really could have done with attempting to establish some midfield control – needs to work on his shooting … 5
Iwobi – flitted in and out of the match like a moth battering its head on a lightbulb – perhaps looked most likely to open up the bus once Ramsey had come on … 5
Aubameyang – not his finest day in a pistachio coloured shirt – perhaps should have had at least one … 4
Lacazette – huffed and puffed without really doing a great deal … 5
Subs
Ramsey – my MOTM – looks to have had a weight lifted from his shoulders … 6
Torreira – should have been on from the start sat in front of the back four … 6
Bellerin – suddenly the right flank was an option when he came on … 6
Managers
Wagner – Overjoyed his team faced an even worse team today … 6
Emery – Oh dear, not good – strange team selection after a full week to get things right in training, led to a disjointed team performance – no discernible plan visible … 3
chas
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You also have some player assessments from LB to savour – you lucky folk.
Leno: couldn’t do anything about the goal, otherwise, and in view that they didn’t score anymore, he was fine.
Koscielny: one of the few bright spots in the sense that he no longer looked out of place.
Mustafi: 6th place defender for a 6th place team.
Big Sok: no mistakes, slightly better than recent past.
Kolasinac: couldn’t get his byline thing up and running and we suffered because of it.
AM-N: so disappointing, poor passing, poor positioning, no penetration, let it not be said that he didn’t get his chances.
Xhaka: another of the few and far between bright spots in this game; that’s to say, Emery finally took of his “I Love Granit” glasses off and hooked him. Another school boy error to gift WH the points.
Guendouzi: not bad, wish he would show a bit more strength, he is muscled off the ball too easily.
Iwobi: in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.
Lacazzete: ran around a lot in the first half, faded in the second.
Aubameyang: poor close control, poor errrrr pretty much everything really completely ineffectual.
What a crap day when Nasri is the most talented player on the pitch.
LB