Best Starting XI - Arsenal vs. top four teams

[highburytimes]

Hello Gooners,

I've been doing some thinking about who are the best players in their respective positions in the top four clubs (Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal) and split it up into a few sections. I'd love to hear your thoughts on my choices.

Goalkeeper and Center Backs
http://highburytimes.wordpress.com/2014 ... defenders/

Full Backs and Defensive Midfielders
http://highburytimes.wordpress.com/2014 ... dfielders/

Central and Attacking Midfielders
http://highburytimes.wordpress.com/2014 ... dfielders/

Forwards
http://highburytimes.wordpress.com/2014 ... -strikers/

[Massa]

GK: Cech, Hart, Szczesny, Mignolet
CB: Cahill/Terry, Per/Kos, Kompany/Nasty, Agger/Skrtel
LB: Azpi, Kolarov, Gibbs, Flanagan
RB: Sagna, Zabaleta, Johnson Ivanovic
DM: Matic, Fernandinho, Lucas, Arteta/Flamini
CM: Ramsey, Yaya, Gerrard, Wilshere, Ramires, Henderson
AM: Hazard, Ozil, Silva, Oscar, Nasri, Navas, Willian, Sterling, Cazorla, Coutinho
ST: Suarez, Aguero, Eto'o, Giroud

Would be mine

[CynicalGooner]

Cazorla is at least as good as any AM from the other teams. He's our best player as well.

[Lateral]

Cazorla is at least as good as any AM from the other teams. He's our best player as well.

Özil, Rambo and Theo are by far better than Santi.

[Massa]

Cazorla is at least as good as any AM from the other teams. He's our best player as well.

Özil, Rambo and Theo are by far better than Santi.

I'd have Koscielny/Sagna ahead too

[Massa]

Cazorla is at least as good as any AM from the other teams. He's our best player as well.

He has the ability but has been pretty shocking this season. No confidence either.

[ayN]

GK: Cech, Hart, Szczesny, Mignolet
CB: Cahill/Terry, Per/Kos, Kompany/Nasty, Agger/Skrtel
LB: Azpi, Kolarov, Gibbs, Flanagan
RB: Sagna, Zabaleta, Johnson Ivanovic
DM: Matic, Fernandinho, Lucas, Arteta/Flamini
CM: Ramsey, Yaya, Gerrard, Wilshere, Ramires, Henderson
AM: Hazard, Ozil, Silva, Oscar, Nasri, Navas, Willian, Sterling, Cazorla, Coutinho
ST: Suarez, Aguero, Eto'o, Giroud

Would be mine

Is that in order? Cause if it is there's no way Ramsey > Yaya in any aspect of the game lol.

[Massa]

GK: Cech, Hart, Szczesny, Mignolet
CB: Cahill/Terry, Per/Kos, Kompany/Nasty, Agger/Skrtel
LB: Azpi, Kolarov, Gibbs, Flanagan
RB: Sagna, Zabaleta, Johnson Ivanovic
DM: Matic, Fernandinho, Lucas, Arteta/Flamini
CM: Ramsey, Yaya, Gerrard, Wilshere, Ramires, Henderson
AM: Hazard, Ozil, Silva, Oscar, Nasri, Navas, Willian, Sterling, Cazorla, Coutinho
ST: Suarez, Aguero, Eto'o, Giroud

Would be mine

Is that in order? Cause if it is there's no way Ramsey > Yaya in any aspect of the game lol.

Yeah. Perhaps I'm being biased. I'd rather have Ramsey in my team though.

[highburytimes]

Some of the choices were tricky, I have to admit. One thing to keep in mind is I tried to balance this year's performance and appearances too.

Ramsey has been injured for almost half the season, so difficult to score him fairly against others who's been playing consistnetly.
Ozil hasn't played brilliantly but still made a huge difference and his stats are awesome too
Cazorla's struggled for form all season and was way below what he's capable of
Theo would have been awesome this season on the little evidence we had but he's made too few appearances

[Santi]

GK: Cech, Szczesny, Hart, Mignolet
CB: Per/Kos, Kompany/Nasty, Cahill/Terry Agger/Skrtel
LB: Azpi, Kolarov, Gibbs, Flanagan
RB: Sagna, Ivanovic, Zaba, GJ
DM: Fernandinho, Matic, Lucas, Arteta/Flamini
CM: Yaya, Ramsey, Gerrard, Ramires,
AM: Hazard, Ozil, Silva, Navas, Sterling, Cazorla (would be higher but crap atm)
ST: Suarez, Aguero, Eto'o, Giroud

Would be mine

Edited.

[Lateral]

Cazorla is at least as good as any AM from the other teams. He's our best player as well.

Özil, Rambo and Theo are by far better than Santi.

I'd have Koscielny/Sagna ahead too

fair enough

[GSK_AFC]

GK: Cech, Szczesny, Hart, Mignolet
CB: Per/Kos, Cahill/Terry, Kompany/Nasty, Agger/Skrtel
LB: Azpi, Kolarov, Gibbs, Flanagan
RB: Sagna, Zabaleta, Ivanovic, Johnson
DM: Fernandinho, Matic, Lucas, Arteta/Flamini
CM: Ramsey, Yaya, Gerrard, Ramires
AM: Ozil, Hazard, Silva, Oscar, Cazorla, Navas, Sterling, Coutinho
ST: Aguero,Suarez, Eto'o, Giroud

[Hypergooner]

GK: Cech, Szczesny, Hart, Mignolet
CB: Per/Kos, Cahill/Terry, Kompany/Nasty, Agger/Skrtel
LB: Azpi, Kolarov, Gibbs, Flanagan
RB: Sagna, Zabaleta, Ivanovic, Johnson
DM: Fernandinho, Matic, Lucas, Arteta/Flamini
CM: Ramsey, Yaya, Gerrard, Ramires
AM: Ozil, Hazard, Silva, Oscar, Cazorla, Navas, Sterling, Coutinho
ST: Aguero,Suarez, Eto'o, Giroud

Suarez missed the first 6 games of the season and has still banged 29 goals with 4 games left to play in a squad that is far away from the quality of City's. ST Suarez >> Aguero

[highburytimes]

I'm surprised that our defensive partnership is getting rated as highly as it is. If we look at the stats from this year, Arsenal are tied for second with City for Clean Sheets (13), with Chelsea first (16) and Liverpool last (10). In terms of goals conceded we're only one goal better than "leaky, can't defend" Liverpool with 42, whereas Chelsea conceded just 24 and City 34. Now I know that like half our goals came in 4 games or whatever, but still...

Looking at these numbers, our defense is slightly better than Liverpool's but worse than City and Chelsea...

[GSK_AFC]

I'm surprised that our defensive partnership is getting rated as highly as it is. If we look at the stats from this year, Arsenal are tied for second with City for Clean Sheets (13), with Chelsea first (16) and Liverpool last (10). In terms of goals conceded we're only one goal better than "leaky, can't defend" Liverpool with 42, whereas Chelsea conceded just 24 and City 34. Now I know that like half our goals came in 4 games or whatever, but still...

Looking at these numbers, our defense is slightly better than Liverpool's but worse than City and Chelsea...

Our poor GD is down to lack of goals and the thrashings we take against the big games away from home so those numbers are misleading.
I think it's worth adding we've got the best individual defender in Koscielny too.