Honestly, I think our [Southampton] front three were more effective than yours and that was the difference. Our defence sat deep and solid and you were unable to break us down.
If everyone is fit then only Sanchez on that list gets into the first eleven. So far this season both wilshere and Cazorla have started a few games. That's hardly most of our first team. Though I agree the players out there should of been good enough.
Bellerin played well, had a good game going forwards, although sometimes a bit risky with his tackling defensively. Hayden and Chambers survived a few scares, but were very composed on the ball. Nothing they could do about either of the goals, so a solid game from those 2. Coquelin was quite poor. Couldn't deal with Tadic defensively, and gave nothing going forwards. Diaby was solid, keeping possession well with good passes. Was probably told to play it safe, and thats what he did. Wilshere was mixed, some good moments, some bad. Rosicky was poor. Tried to make things happen but just couldn't, and his tackling was atrocious. Alexis was good when on the ball, sadly that wasn't often enough. Podolski completely anonymous the whole game. Campbell showed good flashes, but vastly anonymous and provided no end product.
It would make for a good story if Southampton won this competition and Liverpool went out tonight against Boro. It would almost make up for the dismal display.
We missed Kos, BFG, Szczesny, Arteta, Ramsey, Welbeck, Ozil... so hardly that we played with our first team.
Special mention to bellerin who I thought was very good today. Maybe he will be a viable backup option this season.
To be honest, I don't give a **** about this competition, but to lose at home, with the team we had out there, and in the manner we did in barely creating any chances, is just ****ing annoying. With the players we had today we shouldn't have been losing this, and shouldn't have been as toothless as we were.
Also what you did well was to get to the loose balls in your defence and get the ball out to your midfield players, so that we were constantly being forced to go back and defend. What Arsenal usually do well is to build a head of steam and keep pressing and probing until we eventually score. But you stopped us from doing that tonight and we were unable to put constant pressure on your back four.
Agreed. Far from being 'average' as one poster put it, I thought he did just about everything well tonight. He stopped balls being crossed into the area, tracked back when they pressed on their left, got forward well, linked up with the midfield, put some decent crosses in and generally looked quite assured. Definitely one who will make it in my opinion and in an area where we need cover too, so that's a positive from tonight.
We got beaten fair and square tonight, but seeing you lot getting your asses handed to you by MK Dons was something else.
You do realise there's a difference right? We didn't get raped 4-0, and we're in the Champions League, so losing this doesn't mean **** all in the long term. Man you're stupid. Comparing losing to a quality Southampton side, to getting raped 4-0 by MK Dons.
The players out there were good enough to win I think. It was a very close game tonight and it wasn't as if the whole team played poorly. Some played well and a few let themselves down. Considering the amount of youth players and that the eleven on the pitch won't be that used to playing with each other I don't think it was an awful display. Not the best but not terrible either. Had rosicky not given away the penalty it could have been a very different game.
Well that's the league cup done with for this season. I expect us to put in a better showing when we play our first FA Cup match!
Come on, how can a draw be a fair result? We out played you, yes you didn't have your full strength team out but a win is a win.
Time to look forward to the NLD. Bring on the roast spuds! (Oxo get the match thread up nice and quick so we can forget about today's game please!)
