Arsenal maintained their impeccable record against Everton at the Emirates but needed Petr Cech to help secure a 2-0 win over the Toffees on Sunday.
Arsenal maintained their good run in the Premier League with a fourth consecutive win under Unai Emery after two second-half goals were enough to sweep Everton aside. It wasn’t an easy victory by any means, as Petr Cech emerged as the Gunners’ hero, in the end, making numerous saves in the first half to keep Arsenal in the clash
Sloppy defending would have cost Arsenal, and Everton could have had a three-goal advantage right in the first half. But, Petr Cech was on hand to keep the Everton attackers at bay, with some tremendous saves, especially in some one-on-one situations. In the end, the Arsenal attack pulled through in the end to score the goals.
Goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the second half were enough to secure the win, but Everton’s defence stood their ground for most parts of the game, barring those two goals. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Unai Emery’s men.
Petr Cech: 9/10
A near perfect game for the veteran keeper, making numerous crucial saves while being generally excellent in commanding his area. Caught some potentially dangerous crosses, and was superb in coming off his line in one-on-one situations. To add to glory, he got himself his and Arsenal’s first clean sheet of the season. The undisputed Man of the Match.
Hector Bellerin: 4.5
With barely a minute on the clock, Bellerin played Richarlison onside, which could have resulted in the first goal of the game, but for Cech. The pattern with Bellerin seems like he is making the same mistakes in every game, and could find his place under threat if this continues. Unlike other games, his contributions to attack were also diminished, and overall, he just wasn’t good enough on the evening.
Shkodran Mustafi: 6.5/10
Barring a few, usual nervy moments, Mustafi put in a solid display, and after a horrible first half for Arsenal’s defence in general, the German grew into the game in the second period. Showed his athleticism and was good in the air as well. He could have done better overall but would be happy with the clean sheet.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos: 6/10
His injury would be a worrying sign for Arsenal as the Greek had to be substituted around the 38th minute mark. He went into a tackle to clean up Mustafi’s error, which unfortunately led to the injury. Otherwise, he was pretty solid during his time on the pitch, barring one mistake when he let Theo Walcott to get past him.
Nacho Monreal: 6/10
For once in a Premier League game, this season Arsenal’s full-backs had different games. While Bellerin was generally poor, Monreal put in a better shift. Good in attack, Monreal also did well to stop the Everton forwards going past him, although there were some moments of lapse in his game.
Lucas Torreira: 7.5/10
Exactly the character Arsenal needed to control the midfield during a game, and it has taken Unai Emery five games to realise that. Torreira was continually looking for ways to win the ball back, and his instincts proved to be right most of the times. The Uruguayan could become an integral part of this team for years to come if he is to continue with performances like these.
Granit Xhaka: 7.5/10
Like Torreira, Xhaka too, put in a fantastic shift in midfield. His passing is indeed a weapon and the player was creative enough to spray it down in a different direction. Barring the first ten minutes of the game when Arsenal were overall poor, Xhaka grew into the game and played an influential part. The Torreira-Xhaka axis looks promising as well.
Mesut Ozil: 5.5/10
As has been the case for the most part this season, Ozil either goes missing for most parts or puts in a poor display. It was the latter for nearly 60 minutes of the game on Sunday. Then in the last part, he put himself into top gear and showed what he is capable of. Broke through the Everton defence to create the second goal, but Ramsey got the assist for that one.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 8/10
Offside for his goal, although it was more than what he deserved after putting a solid shift on the day. Aubameyang has showed some brilliant work rate, tracking back to defend and not being afraid to tackle. The only drawback is that his game on the left flank needs more improvement for Arsenal to be more balanced and stable.
Aaron Ramsey: 7.5/10
Ramsey is slowly making the no. 10 position his own, following another brilliant display. He didn’t exactly control the game with his creativity, but when it mattered he made two excellent passes for Lacazette and Aubameyang to score, bagging two assists for himself. Quite a transition for the Welshman who scored a hat-trick when Everton last visited the Emirates.
Alexandre Lacazette; 8/10
Whatever rating Lacazette’s overall performance might get, his goal against Everton deserves praise. After missing a good chance to shoot in the first half, Lacazette redeemed himself with a brilliant curler to give Arsenal the lead in the second period. He too, like Ramsey, is slowly growing into a more dominant role within the team.
Substitutes
Rob Holding: 6/10
Showed good maturity and control of the defence after coming on late in the first half for Sokratis. If the Greek defender’s injury is serious, Holding might have an extended run in Arsenal’s defence.
Alex Iwobi: 6/10
The Vorskla performance has genuinely built his confidence, and it showed when he came on. Created some decent chances, and overall showed excellent control and confidence on the ball.
Danny Welbeck: 6/10
Came on late in the game, and had a chance to score to make it 3-0, but was a little sloppy on that occasion. Overall good enough for a substitute appearance.