Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Player Ratings: 7.5/10 Lacazette snatches vital point; 8/10 Edouard shines as well

Arsenal and Crystal Palace ended Gameweek 8 with an entertaining 2-2 draw as Alexandre Lacazette and Odsonne Edouard starred.

Arsenal fans will be disappointed and relieved at the same time after Alexandre Lacazette snatched a last-second equaliser. This was a game the Gunners really should have won, and going by their early goal, the defence should have done better dealing with the threat of Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard.

The home side helped Crystal Palace build-up to their two strikes with sloppy play, as Thomas Partey and Sambi Lokonga played big parts in those goals. However, much to Mikel Arteta’s relief, substitute Alexandre Lacazette managed to rescue a point right with the last kick of the game as he lashed on to a near post ball.

Arsenal took an early lead after good work from Nicolas Pepe, and the subsequent shot led to Vincente Guaita pushing the ball towards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Arsenal captain, from a rather tight angle, managed to finish the move to give his team the lead. Two mistakes from midfielders Partey and Lokonga then led to chances for Benteke and Edouard.

Both the strikers took their shots well enough to give Crystal Palace the lead in the game. Kieran Tierney then crashed a close-range shot on the bar, and when it looked like Arsenal were headed towards a home defeat, Lacazette settled matters. Here’s how Arsenal and Crystal Palace players fared in the 2-2 draw at the Emirates.

Aaron Ramsdale: 6/10

Ramsdale was not at fault for either of the goals scored by Crystal Palace. The English goalkeeper improved his distribution while making smart saves to keep the pressure on the opposition strikers.

Takehiro Tomiyasu: 5/10

After four good games in defence, Tomiyasu struggled to get to grips with the physicality in this one. Edouard and Mitchell kept getting at him, and sometimes his kicking out looked pointless. Arteta should have replaced him and got in an overlapping full-back like Cedric, especially when the scores were level.

Ben White: 6/10

There were two parts to his game on the evening. Ben White was defensively sound around the area but baffled by constantly pinging long balls, while most of them could not find the intended target. Not his fault on either goal, but he should improve the backline further for more stability.

Gabriel Magalhaes: 6/10

Gabriel was involved much more in action around the box, making a few blocks early on. In truth, the Brazilian did not relish the battle with the two Crystal Palace strikers and struggled at times. Otherwise not at fault for the goals, despite trying to stop those strikes in his way.

Kieran Tierney: 5/10

It was not meant to be Tierney’s evening. He struggled to get things flowing on the left side, despite some forays into the final third. The Scot failed to contain Jordan Ayew on his side and unfortunately finished the game hitting the bar when he should have scored.

Thomas Partey: 4/10

When in transition, being the lone central midfielder works with Partey, but on Monday he was burdened by the task. The sloppy play cost Arsenal, as the Ghanaian never got any grips in the match. Two attempts from distance, but at least one of them could have been passed up to a teammate who was in a better position.

Martin Odegaard: 4/10

By far Arsenal’s poorest performer. Left Partey to fend for himself when Odegaard should have helped him cover ground. He failed to integrate into the game as he looked overwhelmed by the physicality from Crystal Palace.

Emile Smith Rowe: 5/10

Consistency is becoming the key factor in Smith Rowe’s game, as yet again the English midfielder ran his socks off to get things going. However, when he had a few chances, those should have been dispatched better or passed up to a more advanced player.

Nicolas Pepe: 5/10

Pepe might have played a huge part in the first goal, but his performance regressed post that moment. He needs to make better decisions, as for most parts, he got overcrowded and robbed of the ball.

Bukayo Saka: 5/10

Saka had a gritty first half, as most of Arsenal’s attackers were not systematic in their approach. The kick from McArthur might have done some damage as Arteta decided to take him off at half-time.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 7/10

Tremendous energy in his game during the first half in particular. Scored a very good goal from a tight angle to give his side the lead but suffered due to a lack of clear-cut service. Later he combined well with Lacazette, and if Arsenal’s attacking problems continue, the pair will play more games together.

SUBSTITUTES

Sambi Lokonga: 4/10

Lokonga was at fault for the second Palace goal after being caught in possession. Furthermore, he failed to add any cover for Partey sufficiently.

Alexandre Lacazette: 7.5/10

Lacazette came on and immediately added zip to Arsenal’s attack. While he led the crowd to make more noise, the Frenchman deservedly got the equalising goal to earn a valuable point for his team when all hope was lost.

Gabriel Martinelli: 6.5/10

Martinelli was lively after coming on and somehow got the assist for Lacazette’s equaliser, as confirmed by the Premier League.

Crystal Palace

Vincente Guaita: 6/10

The Spaniard would be disappointed at how the first goal was conceded but made amends in the second half to deny Lacazette from close range when the score was level. A decent performance from Guaita.

Joel Ward: 6/10

Ward put in a good shift on the right side and dealt with the threat of Tierney, Saka and Smith Rowe quite efficiently.

Joachim Andersen: 7/10

For most parts, Andersen was not visibly present, but the defender efficiently did his job in the background. He protected the backline with many aerial wins and kept Aubameyang in control after the opening goal.

Marc Guehi: 7/10

Guehi beat the Arsenal high press quite neatly and rarely looked scared of the overwhelming quality of the opposition attackers. A very composed performance in such a big game for Guehi.

Tyrick Mitchell: 6/10

Mitchell worked very hard to keep things ticking on his side. He was running up and down throughout the game and got the better of his battle with Pepe.

Luka Milivojevic: 4/10

Ineffective for most parts of the game while making some terrible passes. His set-piece delivery was abysmal as Palace failed to take advantage of their physical, towering forwards in those situations.

Conor Gallagher: 7/10

Gallagher proved to be a massive problem for Arsenal as he pressed hard whenever they had the ball. He was crucial in robbing possession of Lokonga, which led to the second Palace goal.

James McArthur: 5/10

He should have been sent off for the blatant kick on Saka in the first half. Fortunate to have escaped with just a yellow card. Otherwise decent.

Jordan Ayew: 7/10

A lot of responsibility was on Ayew in Zaha’s absence, and he produced a composed performance with his energy and pressing, which also resulted in the equaliser. Ayew caused Tierney all sorts of problems in the evening.

Christian Benteke: 7/10

He took his goal well, making the best of an error from the opposition. He loves scoring at the Emirates.

Odsonne Edouard: 8/10

Edouard was Zaha’s direct replacement in the match and produced a lively, energetic performance. He looked threatening every time he had the ball and made the best of an error from Lokonga to score a thunderous strike.

SUBSTITUTES

Cheikhou Kouyate: 6/10

Kouyate was brought on to add numbers in midfield and protect the result. Did a decent job.

Michael Olise: 6/10

Olise’s movements caused some stir in Arsenal’s defence, which eventually helped in Edouard’s goal.

James Tomkins: 5/10

His arrival signalled Patrick Vieira’s intent to close the game out, but he was unfortunate to not collect three points despite an experienced head such as Tomkins in defence.