📞 Eddie Nketiah: 9/10
It took Eddie one or two touches to find the net. Brilliant positioning in the episode with the goal, good pressing on Fabianski prior to that and excellent hold-up play when Arsenal went ahead.
Establishes himself as an ace in Arteta's sleeve, a kind of a super sub as he comes on and becomes decisive exactly when the head coach and the team need it the most.
✨ Bukayo Saka: 8/10
Two episodes of pure genius from Bukayo as he provided two "hockey assists", passes leading to assists, that helped Arsenal win the game. He is excellent in the final third but the Anglo-Nigerian is, let's admit it, a rather lousy defender and his positional awareness could have been better.
Yet he has all the time in the world to improve his off-the-ball movement but nevertheless there should be a better place for him than left wing-back.
🔴 Dani Ceballos: 7/10
Occasionally disoriented, Dani picked himself up in the final 30 minutes and showed the form that made him an Arsenal hero after the lockdown last season.
Ruthless in defence – his block to Antonio's shot after Nketiah's goal (and his consequent scream after getting hit by the West Ham striker) was a telling moment, showing how much the Spaniard is willing to give for the Arsenal shirt. With the assist to Eddie, Ceballos was perhaps our best player in the final minutes of the game.
🧤 Bernd Leno: 7/10
We're not going to compare Bernd to the departed Emiliano Martinez. We'd just say that he saved us on several occasions again, and it could have been a very different result today if not for Leno's heroics between the sticks.
His runs to the halfway line to support Arsenal's build-up during attacking corners was quite pleasant to watch – and while the ball slipping out of his hand in the second half was a genuine moment of anxiety, the German did well overall and deserves the praise for the result.
🛡️ Gabriel: 6.5/10
Yes, the Arsenal new boy made several mistakes and could have given away two penalties if a different referee was officiating the game. Yet with calamitous Sead Kolasinac and Rob Holding to his left and right, respectively, Gabriel managed to put a rather decent shift, exuding confidence with the ball at his feet and making several important tackles and interceptions.
Other Gunners: Bellerin, Willian, Aubameyang, Lacazette – 6, Xhaka, Holding – 5, Kolasinac – 4
Subs: Pepe – 5, David Luiz – N/A
Who is your Man of the Match?
