Arsenal faced off against Qarabag in the UEFA Europa League earlier tonight hoping to continue their seven-match winning run across all competitions. The Gunners began the match on the front foot and broke the deadlock in the 4th minute courtesy of Sokratis Papastathopoulos’ deflected finish. The home team came back into the game and created some excellent opportunities to score. However, they were unable to beat Bernd Leno and went into half-time with a one-goal disadvantage.
The Gunners piled on the pressure and scored their second goal through Emile Smith Rowe’s smart finish just 8 minutes into the second half. Unai Emery’s side went on to make the points secure courtesy of Matteo Guendouzi’s crisp strike in the 83rd minute. The match ended 3-0 in favour of the North Londoners which puts them in pole position to seal a passage through to the next round of the competition.
Let’s take a look at how each Arsenal player performed during the contest against Qarabag.
GK: Bernd Leno – 8/10
The German pulled off a few remarkable saves in the first half and also made some integral stops in the second to help his team earn maximum points from this contest.
CB: Rob Holding – 6.5/10
He made some fantastic clearances during the game but looked a bit out of his comfort zone while playing in a three-man backline.
CB: Sokratis Papastathopoulos – 7/10
The Greek defensive ace scored the opening goal of the game. However, he never looked calm in possession but did just about enough defensively to earn a shut-out.
CB: Nacho Monreal – 5/10
He had a difficult first half while trying to deal with the threat of the Qarabag attacks. The Spaniard was substituted at half-time.
RM: Stephan Lichtsteiner – 5/10
The former Juventus defender did not look comfortable going forward and also had a tough night while defending his own goal.
CM: Matteo Guendouzi – 6.5/10
He worked tirelessly at the centre of the park and scored his first goal for the North London club. However, his inexperience can still be a worry for Emery at times.
CM: Mohamed Elneny – 6.5/10
He performed his midfield duties immaculately and distributed the ball well on the night.
LM: Sead Kolasinac – 5/10
He made some darting runs down the left flank and was a significant threat to the Qarabag defence. Kolasinac linked up well with Alex Iwobi but his eagerness to attack often left space behind for the home side to exploit. Also looked a little tired at the end of the game.
RS: Emile Smith-Rowe – 8.5/10
The youngster made a fantastic impression during the game and grasped his first-team opportunity with both hands. Not only did he score a fantastic goal, but he also put on a tireless display in the opposition half.
ST: Danny Welbeck – 6/10
The English forward worked hard but was unable to make a meaningful contribution in the attacking third.
LS: Alex Iwobi – 8/10
Another fine display from the Gunners speedster! He was not reluctant to take on the Qarabag defenders and used his pace effectively to cause a lot of problems going forward.
Substitutes:
CM: Lucas Torreira – 6/10
The Uruguayan talent came off the bench at half-time to restore some dominance in midfield.
CAM: Mesut Ozil – 6/10
The German playmaker played his part in the lead-up to Arsenal’s third goal but was also guilty of squandering a few chances.
ST: Alexandre Lacazette – 6/10
He came on to set up Guendouzi who made the points secure for the away side.
