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[Player ratings] Arsenal 1-0 Norwich: Tomiyasu & Lokonga impress in crucial win

By on September 11, 2021

Albert Sambi Lokonga

Arsenal finally got their first win of the season on the board with a hard fought 1-0 win over Norwich City at the Emirates this afternoon.

Arsenal started well and were on top during the opening exchanges but we couldn’t turn our dominance into clear cut chances and Norwich grew in confidence during the second part of the first half.

We continued to struggle to break the visitors down after the break and it wasn’t until Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey came on that we finally managed to break the deadlock. It wasn’t one to remember as Nicolas Pepe hit the post before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tapped home on the line following a goalmouth scramble.

Arsenal had a number of chances to put the game to bed but we had to settle for a narrow 1-0 victory. Here are my ratings:

Ramsdale  6.5/10 | Fairly quiet afternoon as he had very few shots to save but did his job effectively.

Tomiyasu  7/10 | Encouraging debut. Solid in defence as he gave very little away down his flank and looked a threat when he got forward. Flashed a decent volley narrowly over the bar.

White  7/10 | Was terrific with the ball at his feet as he played some lovely long-range passes. Not overly tested by Norwich defensively but made one poor decision to let the ball run into our six yard box which gifted Pukki a late chance.

Gabriel  7/10 | Great to see him back and the Brazilian put in a solid display at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. We looked much more secure with White and Gabriel as the centre-backs, that’s for sure.

Tierney  7/10 | A good start from the Scotsman as he was a threat going forward and he produced a few excellent crosses. Not enough bodies to in the box to take advantage at times though.

Lokonga impresses

Lokonga  7.5/10 | Another excellent performance. Ran the midfield at times and looked so comfortable on the ball. Tidy in possession and worked hard off the ball. Could perhaps be a bit more adventurous but I’d love to see him form a partnership with Partey.

thomas partey arsenal

Maitland-Niles  6/10 | Didn’t really take his chance in midfield. Struggled to influence the game and watching his casually jog back when Norwich broke was infuriating. Not good enough to be a central midfielder for Arsenal.

Pepe  7/10 | Always looked a threat when he was on the ball and tried to make things happen. Kept going to help create the goal after hitting the post and worked hard off the ball too.

Odegaard  7.5/10 | Was superb during the opening stages of the game and although his influence faded slightly, the Norwegian was still great to watch at times. Played a few lovely balls to release Aubameyang.

Saka  7/10 | Solid effort from Saka and went close to getting himself on the score-sheet but he’d have liked to have been more dangerous.

Aubameyang  7/10 | Not the prettiest goal he’s ever scored but on hand to tap home from close range. Should probably have scored at least one more as he had a few decent chances during the game.

Subs:

Smith Rowe   7.5/10 | Added some much needed urgency and his driving runs caused Norwich problems. Missed a great chance to make it 2-0 late on, but Krul made a decent save to be fair.

Partey   7.5/10 | Made a big impact in midfield when he came on and his incisive pass was key in the build up to the goal. Can’t wait for him to be fully match fit and starting every week.

Cedric   N/A | On too late.

Watch the goal and highlights here: