Player Ratings: Arsenal 0-1 Everton

Arsenal put in a lazy performance at a time we needed points the most. This was either a game where we play down to the level of our opponents, or where the team gets too high from recent results, only to get a confidence check from a mid-table team. Either way, classic Arsenal.

Starting 11:

Bernd Leno – 7

Kept us in the game in the end. No clean sheet, but did so on a controversial goal that wasn’t his fault after a jumble up in our box and a couple deflections off of a couple Arsenal players shins. Light at the end of a very dark tunnel on the day.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles – 4

Too relaxed and somewhat lazy with defensive assignments. Didn’t get involved in the attack that usually earns him a high rating, possibly credit to Everton tactics to putting a heavier load on him defensively to counter our wing-backs getting forward.

Shkodran Mustafi – 5

No huge mistakes in the match, probably because he is finally starting to get the ball off his feet quickly most of the time.

Sokratis – 4

Would be setting at a 5 with Mustafi and Monreal if it wasn’t for the two match ban he picked up from yellow card accumulation.

Nacho Monreal – 5

Did get beat a few times from attacks coming from out wide, but did well to recover most of the time, as well as cover the center-backs in times they were getting caught out.

Sead Kolasinac – 3

Couldn’t get involved in the attack, and what he did was pretty poor. Also on the bad end of a deflection on the Everton goal.

Matteo Guendouzi – 5.5

Did decent in forming our midfield and playing on both sides of the ball, but nothing above average from his performance overall.

Mohamed Elneny – 3

Just lazy and became almost irrelevant on the attack. Can’t expect him to fill the role Xhaka, but he does need to be sound defensively and be capable of producing play out of the back with our backline and quick switch plays on the counter.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 5

Did decently well and seemed to have the right idea with build-up vision a lot of the time, but just couldn’t produce anything out of it.

Mesut Özil – 4

Disappearing act from our magician, never getting involved and lacking creativity when on the ball.

Alexandre Lacazette – 4.5

Never seemed to get involved in play or have bring of threat in the box we are used to seeing. Lacked the chaotic runs in the attacking third he is known for.

Subsitutes:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 4

Aaron Ramsey – 5

Alex Iwobi – 5

All three substitutes did add a little something to the game when they came in, but outside of Ramsey, the chances created were slim-to-none.