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Football London
Football London
Sport
Kaya Kaynak

Arsenal player ratings vs West Brom as Saka and Smith Rowe shine but Martinelli underwhelms

Bernd Leno: Had a few shots from distance to deal with early on and produced a good save from Semi Ajayi even though there was a foul in the build up. Not overly worked but solid when called upon. 6.

Calum Chambers: Having a full back with the offensive intensity to get forward and overlap when possible who can also provide good delivery in the final third makes such a difference for Arsenal. Chambers was impressive yet again and his movement was key in creating the space for Pepe's goal. 7.

Rob Holding: Holding really seems to relish the duels against physical centre forwards and didn't give M'baye Diange a sniff before the Senegalese forward came off. Good from set pieces also. 6.

Gabriel: Also dealt well with the physical threat West Brom posed and was good at playing the ball forward to Saka in the inside channel quickly where possible as well. Could have done more to engage Perreira as he dribbled forward for the goal though. 6.

Bukayo Saka: Excellent today after being restored to the left back position. Aggressive and direct in his running in behind the West Brom defence. By far Arsenal's biggest attacking threat on the night and you have to wonder what might have happened if he had played in this position on Thursday night. 9.

Mohamed Elneny: Solid enough in the middle of the park and looked to pass forwards more often than usual. A little slow in possession at times but we know what to expect from the Egyptian at this point. 6.

Dani Ceballos: A few nice moments in possession in the first half, and his ball through the inside channel to Saka was one of the most dangerous Arsenal had to offer. Could perhaps have covered better for the goal but a decent display from the Spaniard. 6.

Nicolas Pepe: An absolute rocket in the first half that showcased his ability to cut inside and shoot from distance. Struggled to get beyond Townsend as much in the second half though, but still worked hard throughout. 7.

Emile Smith Rowe: A sensational display from the 20-year-old whose movement was something West Brom simply couldn't handle. His first Premier League goal was the cherry on top of a performance that leaves you salivating about what he will be able to do on a regular basis next season. 8.

Willian: Created more chances than any other player on the pitch in the first half and did a decent job of feeding Saka. Began to fade in the second half, but finally breaking his goal scoring duck for Arsenal with a sublime free kick more than made up for it. 7.

Gabriel Martinelli: Was interestingly chosen as a centre forward for today's game but didn't quite do enough to suggest he should be there regularly going forward. Often dropped too deep to receive the ball while his movement when in the box wasn't quite good enough. 6.

Substitutes -

Alexandre Lacazette: His movement was far superior to Martinelli once he came on and showed decent hold up play as the pressure on Arsenal increased late in the game. 7.

Kieran Tierney: Looked a little off the pace as he chased Perreira back for the West Brom goal, while Arsenal's attacking threat diminished once he took over from Saka at left back. 6.

Thomas Partey: Solid enough after coming on when Arsenal needed to see out the game following a bit of West Brom pressure. 6.

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