Arsenal quartet, Sunderland trio in worst XI of Premier League weekend
Arsenal have defenders, midfielders and forwards in the worst XI from the Premier League weekend, while Sunderland are also heavily represented.
The champions were humbled at Brighton, while the Black Cats came out on the wrong side of an eight-goal thriller at Manchester City.
Elsewhere in the worst XI based on WhoScored ratings, there’s an Ipswich duo and others from Hull and Bournemouth. Somehow, though, none from Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur…
GK: Robin Roefs (Sunderland) – 5.02
C0nceding five at City sees Roefs let the north London keepers off the hook, with Antonin Kinsky and David Raya each conceding three and recording sub-six scores. Roefs could do little about four of City’s goals but he should never be beaten by Enzo Fernandez’s free-kick from such a position.
RB: Jurrien Timber (Arsenal) – 5.73
The Arsenal right-back was hooked shortly after neglecting to track Chema Andres when the Brighton new boy buried a free header to kill the champions’ slim hopes of staging a second-half recovery.
CB: Kevin Danso (Sunderland) – 5.16
The Sunderland central defender is credited with one error leading to a goal, but it could feasibly be two. Danso’s poor pass was intercepted in the build-up to City’s second goal and the centre-back got himself in a muddle with Nordi Mukiele for the the fourth.
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CB: Ezri Konsa (Arsenal) – 5.74
Neither Konsa nor Gabriel ever looked comfortable with the Brighton attack’s movement and they can decide between themselves who was at fault for not stepping out to Charalampos Kostoulas for the second goal. Konsa never got close enough in 90 minutes to attempt a tackle, let alone win one.
LB: Leif Davis (Ipswich) – 5.96
The Ipswich defender spares Luke Shaw (6.09) and Riccardo Calafiori (6.00) a place at left-back after failing to make a tackle at Everton while also missing the Tractor Boys’ best chance to snatch a point.
CM: Noah Sadiki (Sunderland) – 5.88
Sadiki had plenty of holes to fill amid a gloriously open game, but failing to make a tackle and recording only one interception feels underwhelming from the Sunderland midfield machine.
CM: Bruno Guimaraes (Arsenal) – 5.66
Paul Merson wasn’t far wrong when he described Guimaraes as ‘a million miles off it’ on his first Premier League start for Arsenal after coming off the bench to such good effect last week at Sunderland. The Brazilian looked confused when he got sucked in by Brighton in the build-up to the opener, allowing the Seagulls a straightforward pass to break the flimsy line formed by Guimaraes and Declan Rice.
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AM: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth) – 5.56
One of those days where nothing seemed to come off for Christie as the no.10. No key passes; no shots on target from four taken; one big chance missed; no successful dribbles; 15 possession losses; no tackles; no interceptions; and one won duel out of eight. It wasn’t a good day for Florian Wirtz either.
RW: Abdul Fatawu – 5.37
The Ipswich winger lost possession 11 times from 31 touches before he was sent off at Everton for an embarrassing dive as he dribbled down another blind alley.
LW: Sorba Thomas (Hull City) – 5.30
The Hull winger couldn’t find a team-mate with any of the the four crosses he attempted at Newcastle and none of his three dribbles were successful. Thomas managed 33 touches before being hooked after an hour in which he lost possession 14 times.
CF: Kai Havertz (Arsenal) – 6.15
No sub-sixers among those leading the line this weekend, but Havertz was rated marginally worse than Emersonn and Danny Welbeck. The Arsenal forward saw woefully little service, which made it all the more important he buried what big chances he could muster. Havertz was denied when one on one with Bart Verbruggen, but the game was already long gone for Arsenal.
