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As Arsenal’s most likely route into next year’s UEFA Champions League is the Europa League, Mikel Arteta is taking the competition extremely seriously.
The Gunners registered a 1-0 win over Olympiakos in the first leg of their Round of 32 fixture on Thursday as Alexandre Lacazette broke the deadlock in the 81st minute through a tap-in.
The win puts the Premier League giants in the driving seat of the tie with the second leg at the Emirates still to be played.
Arteta only made a few changes to the team that beat Newcastle 4-0 on Sunday. Here are the player ratings from Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Olympiakos.
Bernd Leno – 8/10
Bernd Leno was on many an occasion Arsenal’s best player as he thwarted Olympiakos’ best efforts. If it weren’t for his heroics in keeping the clean sheet, the outcome of this match could have been very much different. The 27-year-old made 3 saves and won 2 aerial duels.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos – 6.5/10
It’s never easy to play out of position and as a rigid centre-back, Sokratis did well to adapt his game to right-back. He rarely ventured forward down the right flank but was largely difficult to get past going the other way.
Shkodran Mustafi 6.5/10
Under Arteta, the German has looked like a semi-competent centre-back, making a solid pairing with David Luiz. However, as has always been the case with Mustafi, his tendency to make game-changing mistakes often outweigh his positive contributions.
David Luiz – 7.5/10
The Brazilian had to marshal his defence to initially withstand a rampant start from the home team. In the middle period of the game, he began to step up to join into the team’s passing play and that was when the Gunners were at their most comfortable.
Towards the end of the game, Olympiakos began to crank up the pressure again and Luiz was the only one to stand up and be counted. The 32-year-old made 4 clearances, won 1 aerial duel and intercepted 1 pass.
Bukayo Saka – 7/10
Although not at his best, Bukayo Saka still looked dangerous every time he ventured forward. Despite not having one of his better games, the youngster was able to produce a moment of quality as he provided a sublime cross for Lacazette to score from, thereby registering his ninth assist of the campaign.
Also Read: Arteta and Leno single out 'outstanding' Saka after decisive contribution against Olympiakos
Matteo Guendouzi – 6.5/10
Back into the team after an alleged bust-up with the manager, Matteo Guendouzi proved influential in Arsenal’s build-up play. The Frenchman was combative in his play and adventurous in his passes up the pitch, always looking for the wide players in space. Overall, the 20-year-old completed 89% of his passes, won 3 aerial duels and made 4 clearances.
Granit Xhaka – 6.5/10
At the heart of Arsenal’s midfield, Granit Xhaka looked to sit deep and negate the effect of Olympiakos’ counter-attacks. The Swiss international completed an impressive 47 passes and created 3 chances.
Gabriel Martinelli – 6/10
After missing the weekend, Arteta brought Gabriel Martinelli back into the team to play on the left-wing. In the first half, the 18-year-old looked most dangerous when he drifted inwards centrally and linked up with Lacazette. Apart from that, the Brazilian had a quiet game only completing 1 dribble.
Joe Willock – 6/10
Playing in behind the striker, Willock was tasked with being the link between attack and midfield. Unfortunately, the youngster’s touches were loose, and his final ball was ineffective in the final third. When Ceballos came on, Willock was asked to play as a wide midfielder, and he worked extremely hard in that position to track back.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 6/10
Out on the right, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tried his best to influence but struggled immensely in the first half. His touches were limited and his contributions were forgettable. This can be summed up by the fact that he only attempted 1 shot on goal.
Alexandre Lacazette - 7/10
Having broken his record-long scoring duck against Newcastle, Alexandre Lacazette was rewarded with a start at the Karaiskakis Stadium. The Frenchman responded by putting in another sub-par performance that we’ve become accustomed to from him.
He missed a guilt-edge chance from around 6 yards out in the first half. However, he had a few sightings of goal in the second half and made one of them count in the 81st minute, giving Arsenal that all-important away goal.
Substitutions:
Dani Ceballos - 6/10
The Spaniard came on for Martinelli in the 58th minute and slotted straight into the number 10 role. Although given creative freedom by Arteta, Ceballos failed to do much with the role he was given, only completing 11 passes during his cameo.
Nicolas Pepe – 6/10
The Ivorian came on for Joe Willock in the 74th minute and shifted straight onto the right flank. Apart from a few bursts, Pepe didn’t see too much of the ball to make an impact.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles – N/A
The 22-year-old came on at right-back to replace the injured Sokratis.
Also Read: Arteta credits Arsenal heart as the injured trio continue against Olympiakos
