Arsenal player ratings: Saka scintillating with 2 goals and 1 assist, but there’s one potential concern for Gunners
Arsenal are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League with ten games to go, with the Gunners turning on the style this afternoon as they swept aside Crystal Palace 4-1.Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka did the job, though Mikel Arteta will perhaps be disappointed his side conceded a […]
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Arsenal are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League with ten games to go, with the Gunners turning on the style this afternoon as they swept aside Crystal Palace 4-1.
Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka did the job, though Mikel Arteta will perhaps be disappointed his side conceded a consolation goal in a game where they were largely in complete control.
Read on for our Arsenal player ratings as we take a look at what went right and what could be slightly improved on for Arsenal…
Aaron Ramsdale – 6.5 – While Ramsdale made a decent save early on, there is a slightly worrying trend emerging for the league leaders as they struggle to keep clean sheets at home. Ramsdale is not the only one to blame, but he could perhaps have had more command of his area on Palace’s goal, while one or two kicks also looked a bit suspect.
Ben White – 8.5 – A brilliant performance from Arsenal’s right-back, who continues to be one of this season’s surprise bright sparks in a role he hadn’t previously played before. With William Saliba out injured today, you could have forgiven Arteta for shifting White back into the middle, but he remains a hugely important part of the team for the way he links up with Saka on that right flank.
Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7 – Good on the ball as usual, but didn’t provide quite the same attacking threat as we see from him when he’s really on his game.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 6.5 – Another defensive player who could perhaps be doing better on that Palace goal, but Gabriel clearly remains an important part of this side and should improve either when Saliba returns or when he adjusts better to partnering Rob Holding.
Rob Holding – 7 – A quietly strong display from someone who’s barely featured in the Premier League this season, Holding can be pleased with his first league start of the campaign and fans will hope he can keep this kind of form up if he has to fill in for Saliba for a few more games.
Granit Xhaka – 8.5 – Another goal from Granit Xhaka and another fine performance as the Swiss midfielder continues his remarkable redemption arc.
Thomas Partey – 8 – Bossed the midfield as always, and even filled in at right-back towards the end of the game, showing that Arteta has another option he can turn to in that position if he has to.
Martin Odegaard – 7.5 – Not his most dazzling performance, but even when he’s not at full flow Martin Odegaard remains a classy passer of the ball and involved in most of Arsenal’s best moves.
Bukayo Saka – 9 – Two goals and an assist, and it’s just another wonderful performance from 21-year-old Bukayo Saka, who is surely going to be a Player of the Year contender if he carries on like this and fires the Gunners to the title.
Leandro Trossard – 7 – It was always going to be hard to follow up those three assists in a single half against Fulham, but Leandro Trossard continued to do his job well today.
Gabriel Martinelli – 8 – A lovely opening goal to make up for that penalty miss against Sporting Lisbon, Gabriel Martinelli is showing he’s not going to let that setback get him down as he continues to prove pivotal to Arsenal’s title challenge.
Subs: Kieran Tierney 6.5, Emile Smith Rowe 6, Gabriel Jesus 6, Jakub Kiwior 6, Jorginho 6
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