Arsenal ensured top spot in Champions League Group B with a resounding 6-0 win over Lens at the Emirates this evening.
The goals came from Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Jorginho, with the visitors offering very little attacking threat.
All in all, a very impressive night for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Here’s how the players rated this evening.
Read the Arsenal 6-0 Lens match report and see the goal here
Arsenal 6-0 Lens – Player Ratings
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Frak me, that halfassed-hug at the end between Arteta and Ramsey just hurts me deep down inside…
Which Ramsey??
Haha the “dale” one
Keyboard adventures
If you think Ramsdale is distraught, I wonder what whoever is Man Utd’s second keeper is feeling now…
Top of the league. Top of our champions league group with 1 game to go after a 6-0 win. Try to enjoy football, you’ll like it I promise.
Oh I’m sure Ramsdale is depressed on his half a mil a month salary…
Actually, players want to play. That’s how you turn a half-a-mil-a-month salary to a mil
Instead of enjoying the win you decide to go full “body language expert”. Priorities lad! 6 nil!
Team performance: 10.
Great in attack and defence!
Hopefully a largely second-string side against PSV. Could be very useful to get minutes for some.
Yeah, the likes of Kiwior need it. I want to see more of him. Loved what I saw from his cameo tonight.
He looks legit
Too legit to quit?
Unfortunately his minutes going to be reduced with the return to Timber.
Every time I see him, I see hints of Big Tone about him… not a bad thing. Not bad, at all!
Yeah, go full second string against PSV away.
Ramsdale,
White Kiwior Soares Reuell-Walters,
Jorgi Elneny Lewis-Skelly,
Nelson Nketiah Trossard
With Fabio Viera and Partey healthy, that’s a really really strong second string…
Don’t know why anyone gave thumbs down on this, no need at all to play any starter or even bring them on the trip (I would leave White and Trossard out as well) in the absolute definition of a meaningless game especially considering the number of league matches this month and so many having played in the international break and coming off of injuries.
I guess we will not send a very different team, just to avoid a big loss. No one likes this.
Ramsdale isn’t second string. We have two no. 1s, remember?
I’m one of those guys who doesn’t really get the hype around Jorginho. I think he’s average at best. I’m definitely not a manager, but I’d be more inclined to play Mo in his place. I agree, though, that playing both Mo and Jorginho in the same game can produce some scintillating football.
GET INNNNN!
I’d put havertz as man of the match today. A lot of things that he does go unnoticed – he made several ball recoveries today – when we were out of possession he was looking in all directions – when we were in possession he was making movements – neither of these aspects may result in tangible stats but they are what is known as football intelligence – which is why ex pros as pundits rate him so highly whilst armchair pundits may criticise him unfairly
I agree, I was at the game and he was class.
60 million down the drain…..
If you watch his head movements you get an idea for how he sees the game – yes he may have a languid style – but he is aware of everything around him
Very, very intelligent player – too often in recent seasons, we’ve lacked a player(s) to make those Freddie-type runs off Martin/Granit/Thomas….
Havertz certainly looks like that player.
Agree, the strength of of all-round game and football intelligence was always clear, but on Saturday and today he at last made a decisive impact, and the weight of the world seemed to lift from his shoulders and confidence flowed.
The fact that Germany played him at left back in the recent internationals, Chelsea played him at 9, and we can play him at 8 suggests that he may be an outlier on the football intelligence level.
Name me an England international you’d play as either a striker, midfielder or fullback?!
Our own Bukayo Saka can do the job in all three positions, I think. Outside of him though? Not many come to mind.
As soon as I posted that I thought of Saka 😂
Saka?! So Kai’s in good company then!
This is true – but we’ve not actually seen starboy play at 9 yet – and Kai’s scored the winning goal in a CL final in that position, so….
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka
But I know what you mean and agree 😊
Saka
Saka
I’d call that Granit Xhaka level of football intelligence
Bukayo Saka
What a difference a few goals can make!
100%. And it’s funny how if you’d made the same observations about his game (as some of us had) before he scored his first open play goal for us you’d get a bunch of ehhs and ahhs and barely convince anyone but in the context of him finally delivering some end product it all just goes down so much more easily, suddenly it’s much easier to see everything else he does well. Probably some of it has to do with his body language the confidence (or lack thereof) he emits, and end product is definitely important so I get it… Read more »
Yeh but he hasn’t done it at a cold night at stoke yet.
Impatience is an unfortunate part of fandom – we are a fickle bunch. I suspect he will win over the crowd faster than the god-knows-how-many-years-it-took-xhaka, and he’ll far exceed the expectations even the more optimistic have placed upon him
From your mouth to God’s ears. Must admit even I was developing some doubts in the weeks leading up to Brentford, overjoyed to see him finally show signs of starting to click in all aspects of the game. Imagine if by the end of the season we end up thinking like with Rice he too was a bargain…
I think they were both moneyball signings – it didn’t matter so much the cost, it mattered more about the stats. Rice was more obvious, but if you read some of the KH stats (and what he did for the team that went unnoticed) you’d get an idea of what he was brought in for. It would require the rice stats to make the KH stats work, but it would also require what jesus brings to the team to make it work, and we’re only just seeing that due to injury
Love every word you said. Although, I’d be pretty happy if no Arsenal player ever has to play at Stoke ever again. Regardless of the weather.
As one of his biggest doubters, his performance tonight delighted me. More of the same please!
Tommy for me MOTM!!
Tomi was awesome!
love the expression armchair pundit! 😀
Confidence is the elixir of greatness.
Havertz MOTM for me and Rice an 8,
Every single game Rice is a minimum 8/10. Class. Agreed re Havertz for MOTM. Lovely stuff Arsenal
If I remember correctly, he prefers being a 6.
11/10 newcastle fans’ reaction to the penalty incidents in this match
I think the absurd Newcastle penalty yesterday and UEFA’s reaction guaranteed that Martinelli’s “handball” would not be given. I’m not sure the late handball against them that *was* given was a penalty either, though much closer–but the defender also smacked Martinelli in the face at the same time (unintentional but, I think, a clear foul) so the pen with no (second) yellow seemed fair. Also, it’s very easy to be charitable when it is 5-0.
there was a near identical one not given for gala (torriera!) in the earlier match as well.
Havertz, not Martinellii, was the [not] guilty Gunner.
That celebration from Big Gabby after stopping that goal-boind shot! I love me old school, proper defenders who live for clean sheets. He has become one of my favorites in this team!
So glad we’ve kept hold of him and he’s not gone to the Saudi league as rumoured! Don’t think our defence would’ve been as good this season without!
I really hope we find out the truth behind him not playing at the start of the season. So weird.
Don’t think there was any chance of us letting him leave in the summer, which may explain why he was on the bench until the window closed
Great win tonight; top of the group. C’mon guys, the good times are here again 🎉💞.
would’ve been nice to see some kids but a very enjoyable evening nonetheless.
Tomi Kroos in da house!
Tomi Kroos was pretty good in Top Gun.
Two beautiful assists from Tomi, so unshakable defensively and now he’s even getting creative 😍
He’s MY Hero
Well, if Havertz plays like he has the last two matches, he will look as much a bargain as Rice.
🎶 We’ve got a Hiro!
Takehiro Tomiyasu in our back line!
He’s 6 foot 2 from the Samurai Blue
And he’s always up for the fight 🎶
We have a winner! Anytime you use 80s synthpop you’ve got me
What a fun game! With all the different goal scorers, one is tempted to rate player performance by the quality of the goal they scored. On second thought, they’re all beautiful goals!
Even the inadvertent chest in from saka was pleasing on the eyes
Very disappointed Eddie got the nod over Trossard. I would want to speak to Arteta if i was Leo!!!
White showed a real footballing brain to link with Saka who dropped deep towards halfway line dragging two opponents with him and leaving acres of space for White to capitalise on the third man run