Arsenal overcame Everton to have reclaim their position at the top of the Premier League. They began the contest trailing Manchester City, after they secured a 3-0 victory to ease past West Ham United.
The Gunners owe a debt of gratitude to Jake O’Brien for his ill-judged decision to raise his arms in the penalty area during the first half, resulting in a penalty. Viktor Gyokeres took full advantage, confidently converting from the spot. In the second half, Mikel Arteta’s side continued to press with Leandro Trossard and Martin Zubimendi both hitting the post, while Bukayo Saka’s effort was thwarted by a last-minute interception. Despite dominating, the match ended on a tense note – here are the player ratings from Express Sport for the Arsenal squad.
David Raya 8/10
Nearly caught off guard with the ball at his feet, but skillfully manoeuvred around his opponent in the first half. He handled numerous aerial challenges and passes well throughout the match.
Jurrien Timber 7/10
Demonstrated good control and frequently ventured into central areas with the ball. However, he occasionally seemed hesitant to push forward, like many of his teammates, often opting for a backward pass when a more daring approach might have been available. His performance improved as the match progressed, notably making a superb tackle on Beto in the 76th minute to prevent a one-on-one situation.
William Saliba 7/10
A botched clearance resulted in an Everton corner, which he himself managed to clear, followed by a superb tackle on Alcaraz in the penalty area. He may have been slightly lucky not to concede a penalty after making contact with the back of Barry’s foot.
Piero Hincapie 6/10
Opted for long passes a few times too many, eliciting a reaction from Mikel Arteta on the touchline. Remarkably, he avoided a booking when halting a clear attack down the right flank.
Riccardo Calafiori 7/10
An odd match for the Italian, filled with both impressive and frustrating moments. At times, he would deliver a fantastic pass or make a good move, only to be caught out at other times. Nevertheless, he persevered and contributed to maintaining the clean sheet.
Martin Zubimendi 7/10
Another player who might be accused of adopting a passive style, often choosing the safe option. He was somewhat fortunate in his tussle with Thierno Barry as the forward broke through, but the incident was dismissed. He hit the post after being set up inside the box by his captain, with a curling shot that beat Pickford but not the goalpost.
Declan Rice 7/10
It was the England international’s pass into the box that led to the corner. He delivered a perfectly timed pass in the box for Trossard, who should have capitalised on his opportunity.
Martin Odegaard 7/10
He managed to find a couple of decent passes into the box in the first half, which nearly found a teammate and required last-minute interceptions to prevent. He made a really poor pass to Gyokeres in the box just before the half-time whistle, squandering a promising chance. Undoubtedly, he significantly upped his game in the second half. He was involved in the build-up for three major opportunities, two of which hit the post and a Saka chance that should have been better executed.
Bukayo Saka 7/10
Occasionally moved over to the left flank and delivered some quality crosses into the box, which unfortunately weren’t met. However, he shockingly missed an early opportunity in the second half, which really should have put the Gunners two goals ahead at that stage. He then had another scoring opportunity, facing the last defender Michael Keane but his clear shot was blocked again.
Viktor Gyokeres 7/10
Delivered a good pass to Saka, leading to his first opportunity in the match, a flicked header around Jordan Pickford’s right post. He was then brought down in the box just as he was about to tap-in but no penalty was awarded. However, moments later, Martin Odegaard handed him the ball to take a penalty kick, and he didn’t disappoint.
Leandro Trossard 6/10
Excellent pass round the corner for Gyokeres to run clear but sadly the Swede couldn’t capitalise on it. Struck the post with a massive chance that he simply had to convert.
Substitutes:
Gabriel Jesus 6/10
Came on for Viktor Gyokeres in the 65th minute. The impact was immediate as the Brazilian dropped back to help link play, increasing the frequency of the Gunners’ chances.
Gabriel Martinelli N/A
Mikel Merino N/A