Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at home to Brighton on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners weren’t in top form, but they did what they had to do to get through to Manchester City again after their win over Nottingham Forest earlier in the day.
There were good and bad for Arsenal against Brighton, so read our take on how each player fared…
Arsenal vs Brighton player ratings
David Raya – 8 – Raya was one of Arsenal’s heroes against Brighton with a game-saving save against Yankuba Minteh in the second half. Real world class from the Spanish shot-stopper, who stepped up when his team needed him.
Declan Rice – 8.5 – Out of position at right back, Rice was his usual self with a tireless display for the Gunners. The Englishman seems to fit his role in both defense and attack, and his dangerous set-piece delivery forced his goal in the second half.
William Saliba – 6 – Not the hardest game William Saliba will ever play as he and the rest of the defense didn’t have much to do for most of the game, but were cool and composed on the ball as usual.
Piero Hincapie – 6.5 – Hincapie continues to settle and improve, while he also showed his versatility by switching to left back later in the game when Gabriel Magalhaes came on.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – 5.5 – Not so well, Lewis-Skelly perhaps played as a surprise starter, with the youngster brought into Mikel Arteta’s XI late on as Riccardo Calafiori was injured in pre-match preparations.
Martin Zubimendi – 6 – A good game by Zubimendi, but it also shows that the Spaniard is getting tired of playing so much football this season. Time for Arteta to trust Christian Norgaard more?
Mikel Merino – 5.5 – Not his strongest midfield back, Merino continues to prove to be something of an enigma, often seen as better suited to play up front in this Arsenal team, even if it wasn’t the position he was brought in to play.
Martin Odegaard – 8 – This was classic Martin Odegaard, the Norwegian scored a well-taken opener and linked up with his team-mates with a slick and incisive pass.
Watch Saka – 8 – A real threat throughout the game, Saka received an assist for Odegaard’s goal and was unlucky not to pick one or two more as he created so many opportunities for his teammates to mislead.
Leandro Trossard – 7 – An enjoyable performance from Leandro Trossard, although there isn’t much in the way of product at the end.
Viktor Gyokeres – 4 – Perhaps the most worrying thing from this game for Arsenal was the quiet display of Viktor Gyokeres again. The Swedish forward made a mistake with one good chance and otherwise couldn’t get into the game, struggling to get on the ball or complete some basic passes.
Changed: Gabriel 6, Jesus Gabriel 6, Gabriel Martinelli 6
