Arsenal defeated Everton and regained top spot in the Premier League. They started behind Manchester City but easily defeated West Ham United with a 3-0 win.
The Gunners have Jake O’Brien to thank for his poor decision to award a penalty by raising his arm inside the penalty area during the first half. Victor Gokeres took full advantage of that and scored confidently from the spot. Mikel Arteta’s side continued to press in the second half, with Leandro Trossard and Martin Zvimendi hitting the posts, but Bukayo Saka’s shot was denied by a last-minute interception. Despite the advantage, the match ended in tense circumstances. Express Sport’s player ratings for the Arsenal team are as follows:
David Raya 8/10
They almost caught us off guard with the ball at their feet, but they skillfully evaded their opponents in the first half. He dealt with numerous aerial attacks throughout the match and also passed well.
Julian Timber 7/10
He showed excellent control and often carried the ball into the central area. However, like many of his teammates, he was sometimes hesitant to move forward, often opting for backward passes when a bolder approach was possible. His performance improved as the match progressed, especially in the 76th minute when he made a great tackle on Beto to prevent a one-on-one situation.
William Saliba 7/10
A mistake in the clearance resulted in a corner kick for Everton, but he managed to clear it himself and made a superb tackle on Alcaraz inside the penalty area. We may have been a bit lucky not to give away a penalty after making contact with the sole of Barry’s foot.
Clown Hincapie 6/10
He chose to play several times longer passes, eliciting a reaction from Mikel Arteta on the touchline. Remarkably, he evaded Book when stopping a clear attack on the right flank.
Riccardo Calafioli 7/10
It was a strange match filled with both memorable and frustrating moments for the Italian. Sometimes he would make a great pass or make a good move, but there were also times when he would be caught up. Still, he ran tenaciously and contributed to keeping a clean sheet.
Martin Zvimendi 7/10
Another player can be accused of adopting a passive style and often choosing safe options. It was somewhat fortunate that the forward managed to break through in a contest with Tierno Barry, but the incident was called off. After being set up in the box by his captain, he hit the post and hit a curling shot that beat Pickford but did not hit the goalpost.
Declan Rice 7/10
It was the England international’s pass into the box that led to a corner kick. He perfectly timed a pass to Trossard in the box and Trossard should have capitalized on the chance.
Martin Odegaard 7/10
He managed to find some decent passes into the box in the first half, but needed a last-minute interception to stop them as his team-mates almost spotted them. Just before the half-time whistle, he squandered a promising chance with a really poor pass to Gokeres in the box. Without a doubt, he upped his game a lot in the second half. He was involved in the build-up of three big chances, two of which hit the post, and there was also one chance for Saka that should have been executed better.
Bukayozaka 7/10
He occasionally moved out to the left and sent high-quality crosses into the box, but unfortunately they did not result in goals. However, he shockingly missed a chance early in the second half when the Gunners actually should have taken a two-goal lead at that point. He then faced the last defender, Michael Keane, with another chance to score, but his clearing shot was again blocked.
Victor Gokeres 7/10
A good pass to Saka led to the first chance of the game, and he flicked a header past Jordan Pickford’s right post. He was then brought down in the box as he tried to tap in, but no penalty was awarded. However, shortly after, Martin Odegaard passed the ball to him to take a penalty kick and he did not disappoint.
Leandro Trossard 6/10
A great pass around the corner was cleared by Gökeres, but unfortunately the Swede was unable to capitalize on it. A big chance that hit the post and he had no choice but to convert.
Substitute:
Gabriel Jesus 6/10
He came on as a substitute for Victor Gokeres in the 65th minute. The impact was immediate as the Brazilian dropped back to help link play and increase the frequency of the Gunners’ chances.
Gabriel Martinelli N/A
Mikel Merino N/A
