Armenia Vs Ireland Player Ratings: Eduard Spertsyan 8.5/10 Rated as Hosts Clinch a Dramatic 2-1 Victory

What a rollercoaster of a match we just witnessed. Armenia secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ireland in a WC Qualification Europe clash that had everything. From our perspective, this was a story of clinical finishing versus missed opportunities. Armenia were ruthless when it mattered most, while Ireland will surely be ruing their lack of a cutting edge. This match at the Vazgen Sargsyan anvan Hanrapetakan Marzadasht was a testament to taking your chances. The game was a tense affair until a pivotal moment just before halftime. A clumsy challenge from Nathan Collins gifted Armenia a penalty, which was a real game-changer. Eduard Spertsyan showed nerves of steel to convert it.

Things went from bad to worse for the Irish as Grant-Leon Ranos doubled the home side's lead shortly after the restart. However, Ireland showed some fight. Evan Ferguson quickly pulled a goal back, setting the stage for a frantic final thirty minutes. Despite their pressure, they just couldn't find the equalizer. A late Armenian goal being disallowed by VAR only added to the nail-biting conclusion, sealing a massive three points for the hosts. Here are the Armenia vs Ireland player ratings.

Armenia Player Ratings vs Ireland

Here are the Armenia player ratings.

Goalkeeper

Ognjen Cancarevic - 6.5: He made a few important saves, three in total, which kept his team in the lead. However, we noticed he had a shaky moment with an error leading to a shot. His distribution was also a bit hit-or-miss, with only a 22% success rate on long balls. A mixed bag, really.

Defenders

Sergey Muradyan - 6.5: A solid, if unspectacular, performance. He was busy, making seven clearances and two interceptions. What stood out to us was his struggle in the air, losing three of his four aerial duels. He did his job without much fuss.

Erik Piloyan - 7.5: We thought he was excellent. A real warrior at the back. His clearance off the line was a match-defining moment for us. He also made two crucial blocked shots and was generally very composed on the ball. An impressive display.

Georgiy Harutyunyan - 7.0: A no-nonsense defender who did his primary job effectively. He racked up a team-high eight clearances, which tells you how much pressure they were under. He was positionally sound and won all his ground and aerial duels. A very solid outing.

Midfielders

Ugochukwu Iwu - 7.0: The engine room of the midfield. He was immense, winning six of his seven duels and boasting a 91% pass accuracy. He provided a great shield for the defense and rarely wasted a pass. A quietly brilliant performance.

Eduard Spertsyan - 8.5: Our man of the match, without a doubt. He was simply on another level. He scored the crucial opening goal from the penalty spot with ice in his veins. Beyond the goal, he created chances and dictated the tempo of the game. The highest-rated player on the pitch for a reason.

Kamo Hovhannisyan - 6.0: A tireless worker on the flank but lacked a bit of quality in the final third. He lost possession quite a few times. He picked up a late yellow card for a cynical foul, which summed up his frustrating evening. He never gave up, though.

Nair Tiknizyan - 7.0: A great performance from the wing-back. He provided a fantastic assist for the second goal, a moment of real quality. Defensively, he was solid, winning all of his tackles. An all-action display.

Forwards

Lucas Zelarayán - 7.5: He was a constant thorn in Ireland's side before he was substituted. He cleverly won the penalty that broke the deadlock. His creativity was on full display, creating three chances for his teammates. A very influential performance.

Tigran Barseghyan - 7.5: Like his attacking partner, he was a creative menace. From our perspective, his dribbling and vision caused all sorts of problems. He created three chances, including one big chance, and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet himself.

Grant-Leon Ranos - 7.5: Led the line brilliantly. He took his goal with fantastic composure and was desperately unlucky to see another effort crash off the woodwork. He was a physical presence that troubled the Irish defenders all game. A great shift.

Substitutes

Vahan Bichakhchyan - 6.5: Came on and looked lively, immediately getting involved with a couple of shots that tested the keeper.

Artur Serobyan - 6.5: Thought he'd scored the sealer, but it was cruelly ruled out by VAR. Looked sharp in his brief appearance.

Zhirayr Shaghoyan - 6.0: Didn't have much time to make an impact but did set up a late chance.

Manager

E. Melikyan - 7.5: His game plan worked to perfection. He set his team up to be defensively solid and clinical on the counter. His players were organized and fought for every ball. A well-deserved victory for him.

Ireland Player Ratings vs Armenia

Here are the Ireland player ratings.

Goalkeeper

Caoimhín Kelleher - 7.0: Couldn't have done much about either of the goals. He actually kept the scoreline respectable with six saves, some of which were top-drawer. Without him, the defeat could have been much heavier. A good performance in a losing effort.

Defenders

Dara O'Shea - 5.5: It was a difficult night for the entire backline, and O'Shea was no exception. He struggled in the air, winning only one of his five aerial duels. He was often pulled out of position by Armenia's fluid attack.

Jake O'Brien - 5.5: Looked very uncomfortable on the ball, losing possession a staggering 19 times. For a central defender, that is simply not good enough. He seemed to struggle with the pace of the game. A debut to forget.

Nathan Collins - 5.0: A disastrous game for the captain. The clumsy challenge for the penalty was a rookie error and completely changed the momentum of the match. He looked rattled after that and never really regained his composure. A very poor performance.

Midfielders

Ryan Manning - 6.0: Offered some threat going forward with his crossing but was defensively vulnerable. He was dribbled past twice and didn't offer enough protection for his centre-backs. He was subbed later in the game.

Josh Cullen - 6.0: He was solid enough before being taken off. He won five of his six duels and kept things ticking over. The team seemed to lose a bit of control in midfield after he departed.

Jason Knight - 6.0: He ran his socks off as always, but there was little end product. He passed the ball reasonably well but didn't create much. His late yellow card for a frustrated foul was a sign of his team's struggles.

Chiedozie Ogbene - 5.5: A very quiet 45 minutes before being hooked at halftime. He failed to get into the game and lost possession ten times. It was no surprise to see him substituted.

Forwards

Evan Ferguson - 7.0: The one bright spark for Ireland. He took his goal well and was a constant threat with his movement and hold-up play. From our perspective, he was fighting a lone battle up front far too often. He needed more support.

Finn Azaz - 6.0: Started brightly with an early shot on target, but his influence waned significantly as the game went on. He was largely anonymous in the second half before being substituted. We expected more from him.

Jack Taylor - 5.5: Another player who failed to make an impression and was withdrawn at the break. He struggled to get on the ball and had minimal impact on proceedings. A tough night for him.

Substitutes

Kasey McAteer - 6.0: Brought on at halftime but couldn't change the game's flow, sending one shot high and wide.

Adam Idah - 6.0: Added a physical presence but had his only real chance blocked.

Killian Phillips - 6.0: Worked hard but couldn't wrestle back control of the midfield.

Mikey Johnston - 6.0: A late introduction who didn't see enough of the ball to make a difference.

Liam Scales - N/A: Came on too late to receive a rating.

Manager

H. Hallgrímsson - 5.5: From our viewpoint, his team looked disjointed and lacked a clear attacking strategy. The defensive setup was exposed time and again. His halftime substitutions didn't have the desired effect, and his team was second-best on the night.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match is Eduard Spertsyan