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Arsenal rode on the back of a strong first-leg display at Olympiacos to book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League.
They did so despite falling to a 1-0 defeat against their Greek visitors at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.
Arsenal made a rather sedate start to the game, seemingly content to sit back on their first-leg lead. That allowed Olympiacos to enjoy lengthy spells of possession in the first half, without really threatening the Arsenal goal.
However, Youssef El-Arabi gave the Gunners a scare in the 51st minute, when his deflected strike reduced the arrears in the tie, as Olympiacos stood a goal away from a sensational away-goals victory. However, that was not to be, as Arsenal held firm.
For their part, Arsenal had a few chances to put the tie to bed. But their profligacy meant that the tie remained in the balance despite Olympiacos getting reduced to ten men late in the second half.
Eventually, Arsenal progressed despite enduring their third straight home defeat against the Greek champions.
On that note, let us have a look at the ratings of Arsenal players in the game:
Bernd Leno: 5/10
Bernd Leno had little to do in the entire game apart from a brilliant save from point-blank range to deny El-Arabi in the first half.
However, he had no chance to save the Olympiacos goal as the ball took a deflection.
Hector Bellerin: 4/10
Hector Bellerin offered nothing in attack and contributed little in defence in a largely anonymous showing on his return to the Arsenal starting XI.
David Luiz: 4/10
Like his compatriot, David Luiz was shaky in defence and was beaten far too easily in the lead-up to the Olympiacos goal.
Gabriel Magalhaes: 4/10
It was a nervy showing from the young Brazilian. Gabriel Magalhaes had problems dealing with the pace and trickery of El-Arabi and ended up second best in his battle with the Moroccan.
Kieran Tierney: 5/10
Kieran Tierney provided a constant threat down the left flank with his positive running but was uncharacteristically off the mark with his crosses.
He did not have much to contend with in defence and spent a lot of time attacking down the left.
Mohamed Elneny: 5/10
Rewarded for his goal off the bench in the first leg, Mohamed Elneny started this game. The Egyptian kept things simple in the Arsenal midfield but turned in a largely uneventful outing before he was replaced early in the second half.
Granit Xhaka: 5/10
It was a typically physical and robust display in midfield from the Swiss international. Granit Xhaka did not shy away from throwing himself into tackles and was booked late in the second half for a particularly clumsy one.
Nicolas Pepe: 5/10
Nicolas Pepe grew into the game as the clock ticked on. He had a couple of presentable chances to score but saw one weak effort saved and another well-struck shot deflected over the bar by a teammate.
Dani Ceballos: 6/10
Dani Ceballos was Arsenal’s brightest player during his time on the pitch. He thrived in an advanced midfield role, creating a couple of presentable chances in the first half before going off early in the second.
Emile Smith Rowe: 4/10
It was a disappointing showing from the young Englishman. Emile Smith Rowe seemed tired from the start and did not offer much in attack from his position on the left wing.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 4/10
It was a frustrating night for the Arsenal captain Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who was back in the starting lineup after his weekend transgressions. However, the Gabon international passed up no less than three gilt-edged scoring chances.
Ratings of Arsenal Substitutes:
Martin Odegaard: 6/10
Martin Odegaard injected some much-needed pace and trickery into the Arsenal midfield after the Gunners started the second half sluggishly.
Thomas Partey: 5/10
Thomas Partey added some solidity to the Arsenal midfield after coming on early in the second half, ensuring that his side did not go further behind.
Gabriel Martinelli: 5/10
Gabriel Martinelli replaced Smith Rowe on the left wing late on and was full of running during his short stint on the pitch. However, he was not able to make an impact on the proceedings.
Calum Chambers: 5/10
Callum Chambers replaced Bellerin at right-back late on to help shore things up in defence. He helped his side see out the game without further hiccups.
