Arsenal faced off against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground earlier this evening as they looked to pick up a win and secure a passage through to the next round of the FA Cup. The Gunners dominated possession in the first half but were lackluster in the final third as they went into the half-time break with a goalless scoreline.
It was a similar story for most of the second half but there was a twist in the tale as Lewis Grabban came off the bench to net the match-winner in the 83rd minute when he found the back of the net from close range. The contest finished with Arsenal suffering a poor 1-0 loss on the road which knocked them out of the FA Cup.
Let’s take a look at how each Arsenal player performed during the match against Nottingham Forest.
GK: Bernd Leno – 7/10
The German keeper made a couple of important saves during the game but won’t be happy after conceding a late goal.
RB: Cedric Soares – 6.5/10
He was a strong presence in the air and got stuck in with a few solid tackles. However, Soares offered very little in the final third.
CB: Ben White – 6.5/10
The English defender dealt with the danger when needed but will be disappointed for not keeping a clean sheet.
CB: Rob Holding – 7/10
Holding kept a solid defensive shape at the back. He was also not afraid to run with the ball and join in on the attack.
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LB: Nuno Tavares – 6.5/10
He earned possession back a few times but could only last 34 minutes.
CM: Albert Sambi Lokonga – 6/10
The talented midfielder tried his best to protect his backline but struggled to impress with his performance at the centre of the park.
CM: Charlie Patino – 7/10
Patino performed his defensive duties well and even managed to create a couple of promising chances in the final third.
RW: Bukayo Saka – 7/10
He made two good runs with the ball down the right wing and engineered a handful of decent opportunities for his teammates to score.
CAM: Martin Odegaard – 6/10
Odegaard had a couple of bright moments in the game but never looked like he would score.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli – 6/10
The youngster tracked back to defend when needed but had a quiet game in the attacking end of the field.
ST: Eddie Nketiah – 5/10
He struggled to link up play well with others around him and was lackluster in front of the opposition goal.
Substitutes:
LB: Kieran Tierney – 6.5/10
Tierney made two inviting chances for others around him.
ST: Alexandre Lacazette – 6/10
The French striker offered very little after coming off the bench.
LM: Sead Kolasinac – N/A
He hardly had any time to make an impact.
