Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-0 last night at the Emirates Stadium. But how did the Arsenal players perform? Let’s take a look at the ratings for each and every Arsenal players (excluding substitutes) from a scale of 0 to 10.
Petr Cech, 8
Petr Cech was calmness personified every time he was called upon, making one particularly outstanding save to deny Anthony Martial at the end of the first half. Only Wenger knows why Ospina was preferred over Cech in the match against Olympiakos
Hector Bellerin, 7.5
The Spaniard was simply too quick and powerful for Memphis Depay, who made almost no impact in short stay on the field.
Per Mertesacker, 8
Some may have feared for Mertesacker against the pace of Martial. However, he produced a commanding display and literally had Martial in his pocket, leading Arsenal to a clean sheet in the process. He also denied the aerial threat of Marouane Fellaini in the second half.
Gabriel Paulista, 6
After losing his head in his last big-game outing against Chelsea, this was a far more assured performance from the Brazilian centre-half.
Nacho Monreal, 7.5
The Spaniard has grown in stature dramatically over the past 12 months, and performed with typical tenacity to keep his compatriot Juan Mata quiet.
Francis Coquelin, 8
Coquelin has been the most improved Arsenal player in the last few months and he showed why he is called so. Coquelin bossed the midfield and did not allow Wayne Rooney and Bastian Schweinsteiger to create havocs.
Santi Cazorla, 8
Cazorla is well-known for his technical brilliance, but in this game he showed his experience with some astute defensive work. He regularly tracked back to support Bellerin in the right-back area. It seems the playmaker has quick wits as well as dazzling quick feet.
Mesut Ozil, 9
It is safe to say that Mesut Ozil has arrived at the Emirates. Fans wanted him to step up and dominate in a big game. Against United, he did just that. Right from kick-off, the German was in imperious form, tormenting Van Gaal’s men with his trickery and vision. Within eight minutes of kick-off, he had scored one goal and created another, effectively deciding the game. This may be the most important individual performance of Ozil’s Arsenal career to date.
Aaron Ramsey, 8
The Welshman covered so much ground in this game that it was a surprise his legs didn’t give out from underneath him in the game’s final minutes. In the second half after the substitution of Ozil, he switched inside to help Arsenal cope with incessant United pressure and was just as effective. The only disappointment for Ramsey will be that he side-footed a simple first-half chance over the bar.
Alexis Sanchez, 9
Easily the man behind Arsenal’s 3-0 win over United. A calm and composed finish to give the hosts a 1-0 lead and a sensational back heel that was very crucial in the build-up for the second followed by a screamer to take it 3-0. The Chilean International was simply sensational yesterday.
Theo Walcott, 9
Even though Walcott did not get a goal, he did finish with two assists and is one of the reasons why Arsenal were able to cause troubles to United defence on a consistent basis.