Arsenal secured their second consecutive Premier League victories by sealing a hard-fought 2-1 win over West Ham United. The Gunners weren’t at their best tonight, with the Hammers dominating the game throughout the second half. However, with the match balanced at 1-1, a late goal from Eddie Nketiah sealed all three points for the north London giants.
Arsenal Player Ratings Vs West Ham United
Bernd Leno 6/10
Not the most comfortable night for Bernd Leno, who had to remain sharp as West Ham pushed forward in the second half. The German didn’t quite have to make too many saves but looked indecisive with his claims.
Rob Holding 4/10
Rob Holding had been performing well for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta. However, this was a shaky defensive display from the English centre-back as few of West Ham’s attacks originated from his mishaps. His passes were ambitious but awful.
Gabriel Magalhaes 6/10
Gabriel Magalhaes had a shaky game tonight, looking rusty during certain defensive stances for Arsenal. That said, the Brazilian did a good job of leading the backline as West Ham poured men forward. Was involved in a potential penalty incident but the referee rightly didn’t penalise him.
Sead Kolasinac 3/10
Kieran Tierney’s injury in training meant Sead Kolasinac had to be filled in at centre-back, which spelt trouble for Arsenal. The Bosnian international is absolutely horrendous when it comes to playing in a central role, and it was evident from his performance against Jared Bowen this evening.
Hector Bellerin 5/10
Hector Bellerin may not have been Arsenal’s best performer this evening, but he certainly wasn’t among the worst. While Kolasinac found it challenging to deal with Bowen, the Spaniard relatively offered better balance.
Granit Xhaka 5/10
Shaking off a minor knock, Granit Xhaka had an odd game against West Ham. The Swiss international looked decent with his passes but lacked the control while also making numerous defensive errors throughout the game.
Dani Ceballos 8/10
Dani Ceballos was by far the most influential performer for Arsenal tonight. The Spaniard worked hard, covered the ground and showcased his brilliant range of passing, notably providing the assist for Nketiah’s winner. The Spaniard also made a crucial interception during the final stage of the game, taking a nasty blow in the process.
Bukayo Saka 6/10
A mixed game for Bukayo Saka, who found it difficult to get past Ryan Fredericks, often failing to win the physical challenges. He lost the ball way too easily at times, though in the end, it was him who provided a clever ball to Ceballos as the move eventually led to the late winner from Nketiah.
Willian 5/10
Failed to replicate his performance against Fulham last weekend. The Brazilian had to work hard to get himself involved and found it difficult to breach the West Ham defence. He was replaced around the hour-mark.
Alexandre Lacazette 6/10
An abject performance from Lacazette despite scoring the goal. The Frenchman lacked decision making in the final third while he also failed to make himself useful inside the box despite decent support from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Came off during the final phase of the game.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 7.5/10
Aubameyang was the most active attacker for Arsenal tonight. The ex-Borussia Dortmund superstar was the only one who was trying to get the better of the West Ham backline by making clever runs in behind the defence. He also provided a lot of dangerous crosses into the box but lacked the support of his teammates.
SUBSTITUTES
Nicolas Pepe 5/10
Came for Willian around the hour mark but did very little to influence the game. The Ivorian primarily took charge of corners while pressing the West Ham defenders when they were pushing forward.
Eddie Nketiah 7/10
Replaced Lacazette during the final phase of the game, providing the energy and sharpness that was missing. He scored the all-important second goal by sensing an excellent scoring opportunity.
David Luiz N/A
Made his return from injury after coming on for Saka late in the game.
