Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal: 3 players who disappointed for the Gunners

Unai Emery
Unai Emery

2. Ainsley Maitland-Niles

FC Barcelona v Arsenal - Pre-Season Friendly
FC Barcelona v Arsenal - Pre-Season Friendly

The 21-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been one of Arsenal's brightest prospects so far. He started just eight games in the 2017-18 season, but Unai Emery has given him more playing time since Hector Bellerin suffered a lengthy injury last season.

Maitland-Niles' defensive and offensive capabilities have impressed Arsenal fans. He also became one of Arsenal's prominent players in the Europa League, making nine appearances as a starter and scoring a goal.

Unfortunately, he did make several costly defensive mistakes last season. That carried over into the match against Barcelona, where the young full-back struggled to maintain a consistent display.

Maitland-Niles had a superb first half, making a couple of marauding runs and being solid at the back. He was a nightmare for Barcelona defenders despite struggling in the final product.

However, he had a totally different second half. The 21-year-old was barely able to go forward and made several woeful deliveries. To top that, he scored a bizarre own goal which gave Barcelona momentum.

Despite his excellent first half, the Arsenal academy product will be remembered for gifting Barcelona the equalizer.

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now