Arsenal got an absolutely massive victory over Everton this past Saturday afternoon, closing the gap on Tottenham and Leicester and keeping their slim hopes of lifting the Premier League title alive.
Here’s how we rate the Arsenal players following their 2-0 win over Everton:
GK) David Ospina – 7.5
A couple of great saves made, but he was protected well by his defence. There were worries for Arsenal when he was involved in a nasty collision, but there’s now an international break with time for him to recover.
RB) Hector Bellerin – 8.0
The Arsenal full-backs were superb against Everton, getting the balance between attack and defence perfect. Bellerin registered a superb assist for Alex Iwobi’s goal, and was an excellent attacking outlet.
LB) Nacho Monreal – 8.0
Conversely, Monreal stayed back and defended most of the game, and at times acted like a third centre-back. He also dealt brilliantly with the threat of Seamus Coleman, who was constantly looking to get forward.
CB) Laurent Koscielny – 7.5
Didn’t put a foot wrong thoughout the game, and Arsenal fans will be hoping he can stay fit for the rest of the season.
CB) Gabriel Paulista – 7.5
There were a couple of dodgy moments for the Brazilian early on, but overall he had a superb game. Romelu Lukaku was clearly looking to play off him, but the Arsenal man never allowed the Belgian a moment of peace.
DM) Francis Coquelin – 8.0
Hugely energetic and constantly harassing the Everton midfield. He put a huge number of tackles in and really interrupted the home side’s flow whenever they got going.
CM) Mohamed Elneny – 7.5
The Egyptian looks like he could become a key part of the Arsenal set-up, as not only is he excellent defensively, but he’s able to link between attack and defence in a similar way to Santi Cazorla.
CAM) Mesut Özil – 7.5
The assist train may have slowed down a little, but he’s still been a hugely important part of Arsenal’s set-up.
RAM) Alex Iwobi – 8.5
The teenager really is a breath of fresh air in this Arsenal side, and makes the whole team look far more dynamic. His decision making is still way off at times, but his ability, tenacity, and energy are fantastic. Add to that his brilliantly taken first Arsenal goal, and he was a deserved Man of the Match.
LAM) Alexis Sanchez – 7.5
Still not quite at his best, but we saw a vastly improved Alexis Sanchez against Everton. He provided a superb assist for Danny Welbeck’s goal, and gave 110% as usual.
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ST) Danny Welbeck – 8.0
A fantastically taken goal to kick things off after seven minutes, and his vibrancy was arguably the catalyst that allowed the Gunners to get such a fast-paced start.
Substitutes:
Olivier Giroud – 6.0
Seemed to have a perfectly good goal disallowed, but other than that didn’t offer a huge amount. He also spurned one great chance with a shot into the side netting.
Kieran Gibbs – 6.0
Came on to add a bit of defensive stability, and did exactly that.
Calum Chambers – 6.5
Another body in midfield, Chambers defended well and made sure Everton didn’t snatch a late consolation goal.