Arsenal kickstarted their 2019/20 Europa League campaign emphatically after securing a 3-0 away win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
It was Frankfurt who dominated the proceedings right from the start. The Bundesliga outfit created a lot of more opportunities and looked more menacing on the attack. Filip Kostic, in particular, was the most active players on the pitch. But, a lack of end product in the final third saw them slumping to a 3-0 defeat.
Arsenal scored the opener during the end phase of the first-half through Joe Willock. And after a nervous second-half, it was Bukayo Saka who doubled their lead before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added more gloss to the scoreline with a neat finish.
Here is how Unai Emery’s men performed against the Eagles at the Commerzbank Arena this evening.
Emiliano Martinez 8
Made a couple of crucial saves to deny Frankfurt from scoring the equaliser. The Argentine did well to remain alert throughout ninety minutes, even though most of the Eagles’ shots were either tame or lacked precision.
Calum Chambers 5
A miserable defensive display from the ex-Southampton star, as he allowed Kostic too much freedom on the right flank. The Serbian was the creator-in-chief for Frankfurt today and should have been dealt with more efficiently. Seems more and more apparent that Chambers is simply not nimble enough to play in the right-back slot.
Shkodran Mustafi 8.5
Did exceptionally well in what was his first competitive appearance for Arsenal this season. The German was alert and competent, notably denying Bas Dost any space or time on the ball. He also deserves credit for blocking a host of efforts from Frankfurt.
David Luiz 8
Though not as influential as Mustafi, the Brazilian’s imposing presence at the back made it difficult for the likes of Andre Silva or Daichi Kamada to make any inroads inside the Arsenal penalty area.
Sead Kolasinac 8
Put in a great shift at left-back once again. The Bosnian was extremely useful going forward and linking up with teammates. Defensively, he kept the check on Danny da Costa, who had very little influence on the game.
Lucas Torreira 6
Found it difficult to influence the game due to the aggressive nature of the Frankfurt defenders. The Uruguayan visibly struggled to cope with the duo of Djibril Sow and Dominik Kohr, though the latter got sent off eventually.
Granit Xhaka 8.5
A commanding display from the Swiss international upon his return to Germany. After stuttering during the first half, Xhaka was competent and restricted the likes of Sow and Kamada from providing the service in the attack. He was also the most crucial component in Arsenal’s ball distribution.
Emile Smith Rowe 5
A disappointing display from the youngster, who couldn’t compete with the industrious Kostic on the right flank. He lacked inspiration and looked extremely tired during the second half, ultimately making way for Nicolas Pepe during the hour-mark.
Joe Willock 9
Looked rusty at times but it was his quick feet that allowed him to evade the Frankfurt press. He was also quite useful going forward, notably playing a key role in almost every Arsenal counter-attack. Not to mention he was the one who scored the all-important opener. Yet another promising display from the youngster.
Bukayo Saka 10
By far the best player of the evening, Saka made quite the impact in his first competitive appearance on the campaign. The youngster looked menacing whenever he was on the ball, and his composure and craft made it almost possible for the Eintracht defenders to mark him properly.
Saka’s low centre of gravity allowed him to nestle through tight spaces. He capped off a brilliant display by scoring the second and assisting the third. The 18-year-old certainly deserves to receive more first-team chances.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 9
A matured performance from the Gabonese international, who was the only experienced attacker in the Arsenal side this evening. The ex-Dortmund star tracked back and worked hard for his team. His combination play with Saka and Willock was also eye-catching before he eventually got onto the scoreline late in the game. The chance he missed a few minutes before finally scoring the goal was the only blemish in an otherwise excellent performance.
SUBSTITUTES
Nicolas Pepe 7.5
Replaced Smith Rowe in the 60th minute and provided the spark that was needed on the right flank. Although the Ivorian couldn’t create anything substantial, he occupied Kostic to an extent, thus minimising his offensive threat.
Dani Ceballos 7
Came on for Willock in the 72nd minute. The Spaniard provided more energy in midfield that was necessary for dealing with the midfield duo of Kohr and Sow.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles N/A
A late replacement for Kolasinac, who was already on a yellow.
