Arsenal player ratings: Martinelli replacement makes the difference, and £105m man performs again
Arsenal managed to snatch all three points at Goodison Park, after a 69th minute goal from Leandro Trossard won them the game 1-0.
In a tight game, where Everton looked to be compact and make Arsenal work for their goal, the persistence of the Gunners payed off in the second half, scoring their goal and going on to secure the victory and the important three points.
Read on for our Arsenal player ratings as we take a look at who made the difference for Arsenal, and who didn’t perform up to standards…
David Raya – 6.5 – Raya didn’t have much to do in this game, as he only had to make one save, however he was important in build up for Arsenal who used him more often, making 30/32 accurate passes and completing 7 out of 9 long balls.
Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7 – Zinchenko played in his familiar role, inverting into midfield to get on the ball for Arsenal in build up and create a 3-2 shape with the other 3 defenders and Declan Rice. He had 100 touches on the ball, 72/81 accurate passes and played 1 key pass.
Gabriel – 7 – Gabriel had a solid game defensively, but due to Everton not being that attacking, the defenders were tasked with more possession duties and build up than defending. Similar to Zinchenko, Gabriel was comfortable on the ball, having 106 touches and making 90/99 accurate passes in the game. He also made 2 blocks and 2 clearances.
William Saliba – 7.5 – Saliba is again comparable to the other defenders so far, good on the ball, had a lot of touches and passes and was key in build up and possession. However his calm presence for Arsenal and ability to cover ground using his athleticism and physicality is what gives him the extra rating on the day.
Benjamin White – 7 – White was able to play in his favoured right back/right centre back hybrid role again, due to the absence of Thomas Partey. This was a role he played well last season, forming a back three in possession as the right centre back, and offering overlaps for Saka when in the attacking phases of play.
Declan Rice – 8 – Rice did what he has done every week since joining the Gunners, he protected the defence and mopped up any danger, allowing Arsenal to sustain pressure on Everton and not let them out of their half. He was also good in his build up responsibilities, having 101 touches, 85/91 accurate passes made and playing 1 key pass. That £105m (fee via BBC Sport) looks like money well spent with every passing week!
Fabio Vieira – 7 – Vieira offered nice balance for Arsenal as the left sided number eight, drifting between the lines to open up space for the Gunners going forwards, and using his technical ability to create chances for himself, he had 4 shots, completed two crosses and completed a dribble.
Martin Odegaard – 7 – Arsenal’s captain Odegaard had an average game by his standards, had a good strike saved in the second half, and played 3 key passes. However he wasn’t taking up as many good positions as he usually does, this could be due to the performance of Nketiah which we will get on to.
Leandro Trossard – 8.5 – The game changer for Arsenal, came on for the injured Martinelli early in the first half, and scored the all important goal. Trossard also played 2 key passes, and completed a dribble, the directness of Trossard helped the Gunners win this game.
Bukayo Saka – 7 – Saka was having a quiet game up until he got the assist for Trossard’s goal. Everton used Dwight McNeil to double up on Saka with Vitaliy Mykolenko at left back and this worked keeping Saka relatively quiet up until the goal.
Eddie Nketiah – 5 – A poor performance from Nketiah on the day, didn’t impose himself in the game enough between the two physical centre backs for Everton, and this meant Arsenal lacked a central focal point at times. He only managed 10 touches in 66 minutes, before being substituted for Gabriel Jesus.
Subs: Gabriel Jesus 5.5, Takehiro Tomiyasu 5, Kai Havertz 5
The post Arsenal player ratings: Martinelli replacement makes the difference, and £105m man performs again appeared first on CaughtOffside.