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[Ratings] Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd: Torreira & Luiz shine for impressive Gunners

By mac14 on January 2, 2020

Arsenal finally got back to winning ways with an impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates on Wednesday night.

We were excellent in the first half and took the lead in the 9th minute when Nicolas Pepe scuffed home following a great move involving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sead Kolasinac down the left.

Arsenal continued to dominate the first half and deservedly doubled our advantage just before half-time when Sokratis fired home from close range following a corner to make it 2-0 at the break.

United improved after half-time as the Arsenal players tired [we need to improve the fitness levels!] but we held on to secure a vital 2-0 win that will give the players a huge confidence boost.

Here are my ratings:

Leno 7/10 | Commanded his area well and put his error against Chelsea behind him. Distribution was a bit sloppy at times but another good all-round display.

Maitland-Niles 8/10 | Didn’t put a foot wrong and kept Rashford in his pocket. Saw plenty of the ball and was always keen to get things moving forwards. Has improved under Arteta already and looks a solid option at right-back. Excellent performance.

Sokratis 8/10 | His best display for a long time. Scored the vital second goal just before half time but was a warrior in defence, making a number of blocks and interceptions.

Luiz 8.5/10 | His best performance in an Arsenal shirt. He was like peak Luiz, bossing the back four around, reading the game, cutting out danger and winning important headers. Even threw in a few lovely long passes.

Kolasinac 8/10 | Absolute beast down the left wing. Gave Wan-Bissaka all sorts of problems and set-up the opening goal. Played through the pain barrier having rushed back from an ankle injury before limping off in the 70th minute. Hopefully he hasn’t aggravated it.

Xhaka 8/10 | Fair play to Xhaka, he was excellent against United. Held his position well, was a link between defence and attack, held protect the back four and threw in a couple of smart tactical fouls. Much better in a higher position with Torreira deep.

Torreira 9/10 | Another outstanding performance in the holding role. Protected the back four, broke up play and got the ball moving. A completely different player to what we saw under Emery, Torreira is excelling since being played in his proper position.

Pepe 8.5/10 | Great to see him back in the team and he was our most dangerous player. Opened the scoring and then almost made it 2-0 when he smacked the post from 20 yards. Always lively on the ball, turned Shaw inside out on several occasions and got a standing ovation when he was subbed. This should give him a big confidence boost.

Ozil 8/10 | Back to his best with another superb display. Carried the ball well, played some lovely passes and bossed the game for periods. However, it was his defensive work that stood out as he worked for the team, tracking back, making tackles and covered more ground than any other Arsenal player. Keep it up Mes!

Aubameyang 7.5/10 | Linked up well with Kolasinac and Lacazette. Played his part in the build-up to the first goal and worked hard to do his bit defensively. No goals but it was a real team performance from the skipper.

Lacazette 7.5/10 | Ran himself into the ground chasing every ball – so much so that he had to go off wit cramp in the 80th minute – and held the ball up well to link-up with his team mates. Didn’t have his shooting boots on again as he missed a couple of decent chances but great nights work.

Subs:

Nelson 6/10 | Eager to make an impact but things didn’t come off for him.

Saka 7/10 | Slotted in at left-back for Kolasinac without a fuss.

Guendouzi N/A | On too late.

This was easily Arsenal’s best performance of the season and it was a terrific all-round display. The whole team worked hard, we looked organised and we took our chances to secure a much-deserved win over Man Utd. The only issue is fitness as we once again tired badly in the second half so that’s something Arteta needs to work on in training.

Watch the goals and highlights below: