Arsenal continued their 100% record in the UEFA Europa League, as they beat Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade 1:0 in the third matchday of the UEL group stages. The Gunners looked blunt in attack throughout the game but were hugely aided by the sending off of Red Star midfielder Milan Rodic in the 80th minute.
Just moments after the red card incident, Arsenal managed to breach through the opposition lines thanks to some exquisite link up play. An acrobatic effort Olivier Giroud was enough to snatch a winner for the visitors as they maintained their perfect start to their European campaign this season.
Here are the Arsenal players rated and slated in their win over the Serbians.
Petr Cech (9/10): Was up to the challenge whenever he was called upon. The veteran goalkeeper made a couple of brilliant saves to keep Arsenal in the game. A deserved clean sheet for the Czech International.
Mathieu Debuchy (7.5/10): Showed his offensive traits as a defender, by going forward on opportune moments but lacked a bit of defensive output, which led to several openings for Red Star.
Mohamed Elneny (7.5/10): Looked a little uncomfortable playing as a center back. Elneny looked nervy in defensive phases but his excellent distribution and effective long balls helped Arsenal maintain a dominance over their opposition.
Rob Holding (7/10): A very average performance from the young defender. Holding looked to be in trouble and didn’t contribute much defensively.
Reiss Nelson (8/10): A flashy performance from the Arsenal youngster. Reiss Nelson looked very energetic throughout the game and tried to break the opposition lines by running directly into the opposing half. The 17-year-old attempted a stunning total of ten dribbles during the game. However, he always lacked the end product and the decision making in the final third.
Francis Coquelin (8/10): Coq was very influential in the center of the park. The Frenchman facilitated the entire game with his passing, but also helped out the team in defensive phases as well. A very promising sign from the somewhat forgotten Arsenal midfielder.
Joe Willock (7/10): Not as influential as his teammates. Willock did look comfortable in possession and hardly gave the ball away but did absolutely nothing to help out his team, breaching the opposition defense.
Ainsley-Maitland Niles (6.5/10): Didn’t have a great match at all, the Arsenal youngster. Maitland Niles often looked pretty lost and contributed very little in both attack and defense.
Theo Walcott (9/10): Was an important figure in the Arsenal attack for the entirety of the game. Walcott’s movements and speed helped the Gunners keep the opposition busy throughout the game. His intelligent header provided to be the key assist for Giroud’s winner.
Jack Wilshere (9.5/10): An excellent outing by the forgotten English prodigy. Jack Wilshere looked menacing every time he got onto the ball. With his crisp passing and clever movements, Wilshere proved to be the much needed creative force for Arsenal in the final third. He was heavily involved in the linkup play which resulted in the winner in late moments of the game.
Olivier Giroud (9/10): Put in a great shift and was tireless throughout the game. Seeing that his team was struggling to create much in the attacking department, Giroud tracked back on regular intervals to help out in the build-up. At the end, it all paid off, as the Frenchman finished home the winner with an exquisite overhead kick.
Subs
Marcus McGuane (NA): Was subbed on with just two minutes remaining on the clock as Wenger let his younger player have a nice little runout.
Ben Sheaf (NA): Made his professional debut after coming on as a sub in the 88th minute.
