Arsenal player ratings: Star player has a nightmare, Smith Rowe and Martinelli the main bright sparks

Originally posted on Caught Offside | By Mark Brus | Last updated 12/2/21

Arsenal suffered another disappointing result away to Manchester United as they so often do in the Premier League.

A topsy-turvy game saw Man Utd come from behind to win 3-2 at Old Trafford on Thursday night, leaving plenty for Mikel Arteta to ponder.

Here’s how the Arsenal players rated after their loss in Manchester…

Aaron Ramsdale (5) – Not a lot he could do about any of the United goals, but nothing that impressive to speak of in the way of saves.

Ben White (6) – Started well, keeping United’s forwards quiet, and showed some good passing out of defence.

Gabriel Magalhaes (6) – Like White, started reasonably strongly, but the whole defence just wasn’t quite good enough as a unit on the day.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (7) – The most impressive of Arsenal’s defenders, Tomiyasu kept Jadon Sancho quiet and looked a threat when he broke forward.

Nuno Tavares (5) – A talented young player, but clearly still too raw for games like this. Sloppy in possession from time to time, some suspect positioning, and surely now ready to return to the bench for a bit.

Mohamed Elneny (6) – A surprise selection by Arteta, but Elneny gave a good account of himself with his usual energy and work rate.

Thomas Partey (5) – This is the kind of game Arsenal need Thomas Partey to be dominating, and it’s just not really happening for him. Some poor passing and decision-making throughout the game.

Emile Smith Rowe (7) – A well-taken goal and a lively performance overall, Smith Rowe showed his importance to Arsenal once again and deserved better than to be on the losing side.

Gabriel Martinelli (7) – We definitely need to see more of Martinelli, who is starting to show signs of real potential again after such a difficult time with injuries. The young Brazilian was a constant threat up front with his pace and skill, though he should’ve done better with a good chance in the first half.

Martin Odegaard (5) – Slammed by Arsenal fans at half time, it’s fair to say Odegaard didn’t have his most influential game. The Norwegian tends to slow things down a bit when he’s on the ball, and ended up giving away a reckless penalty in the second half. Scored a decent goal though.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (4) – Really poor. Aubameyang’s loss of form has been a worry for Arsenal for some time now, but one has to wonder how much longer Arteta can really go on including him in his starting XI. Missed an absolute sitter late on, and just never looked much of a threat at all.

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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