Arsenal secured their top spot in the UEFA Europa League Group B with a dominating 4-1 win over Rapid Wien. The Gunners were the better side throughout the game, notably earning a 3-0 lead at half-time through goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Pablo Mari and Eddie Nketiah. Rapid Wien did pull one back early in the second half, but it only proved to be a consolation, thanks to Emile Smith Rowe’s goal in the 66th minute.
Arsenal Players Rated In Win Over Rapid Wien
Runar Alex Runarsson 6/10
Runar Alex Runarsson will be gutted to concede his first goal since joining Arsenal as he was beaten by Kitagawa early in the second half. A quiet evening otherwise.
Cedric Soares 7.5/10
Cedric Soares produced a good performance on the right flank. He was clinical with his passing and was always an outlet going forward.
Shkodran Mustafi 7/10
Shkodran Mustafi was solid enough in the Arsenal backline. He avoided any defensive mishaps, denying Rapid Wien the opportunity to spark a comeback in the second half.
Pablo Mari 8/10
Marked his return to the pitch in an emphatic fashion, scoring the second goal of the night. It was a precise header, just like his passing and overall positioning in defence tonight.
Sead Kolasinac 6.5/10
Sead Kolasinac played in a deeper role to provide additional defensive support to the centre-backs. Should have done a bit better in taking care of goalscorer Koya Kitagawa on the left flank.
Mohamed Elneny 7/10
Mohamed Elneny played a key role in Arsenal’s second line of press, keeping things neat and tidy in the middle of the park. His presence was important in denying Rapid Wien the opportunity to dominate the game.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles 8/10
Ainsley Maitland-Niles impressed the onlookers despite playing in a more central role this evening. The Englishman looked dangerous marching forward and was unlucky not to find the back of the net himself.
Reiss Nelson 7/10
It was a mixed performance from Reiss Nelson, who looked lively and promising with the ball at his feet but failed to provide any cutting edge penetration in the final third. A good attacking display nevertheless.
Nicolas Pepe 9/10
Nicolas Pepe was outstanding in attacking the opposition. The Ivorian offered penetration and was always on his toes, capitalising on every mistake made by the opposing centre-backs. A creator-in-chief for the home side this evening.
Eddie Nketiah 9/10
Eddie Nketiah put in a great shift in the final third, often putting pressure on the centre-backs. His pace, dynamism and combination play with teammates were simply too much for Rapid Wien.
Alexandre Lacazette 8.5/10
Alexandre Lacazette opened the scoring in a remarkable fashion with his dipping shot from range finding the back of the net. The Frenchman looked lively throughout the first half, linking up well with his teammate and showing excellent work-ethic.
SUBSTITUTES
Dani Ceballos 7.5/10
Offered a lot of creativity in the middle of the park after coming on for Elneny. Some of his forward passes were indeed delightful, and it will be interesting to see whether he starts against Tottenham this weekend.
Willian 6.5/10
Willian probed the Rapid Wien defence after replacing Nelson around the hour mark. He didn’t make too much of an impact though.
Emile Smith Rowe 7/10
Scored a goal minutes after coming on, as he conveniently tapped home from a nice square ball from Maitland-Niles. A real confidence booster.
Calum Chambers 6.5/10
Marked his return to the pitch following a long injury layoff as he replaced Mustafi with twenty minutes remaining on the clock.
Folarin Balogun N/A
A late replacement for Nketiah.
