Arsenal were far from their best against Bayer Leverkusen, having to settle for a draw in the Champions League round of 16 first leg.
There’s a belief that Arsenal can win the Champions League this season, but if they are to fulfil those wishes, they’ll have to seriously improve.
Bayer Leverkusen walked away from the first leg the more satisfied side, making the most of Arsenal’s terrible performance at the BayArena.
On a night when Kai Havertz’s late penalty spared Arsenal’s blushes, here’s how Mikel Arteta’s squad rated.
Who was Arsenal’s most disappointing player against Bayer Leverkusen?
David Raya – 6
Raya wasn’t needed very much, but he was there when he was called into action. Will be having strong words with his defenders because of Leverkusen’s opener.
Jurrien Timber – 4
This game was crying out for Ben White, as for all of Timber’s strengths, he just doesn’t link as fluidly with Bukayo Saka. Arsenal were crying out for additional support going forward, but it rarely came from Timber. An all-round lacklustre performance.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 4.5
Gabriel was strong, but boy, was he rattled by Christian Kofane. It’s rare to see the Brazilian left so shaken by the opposition, but credit to Leverkusen’s 19-year-old striker, he was electrifying.
William Saliba – 5
Saliba also had a tough time with Kofane, but was assured in his duels. Arteta will be thankful that the Frenchman was back in time, given how much of a handful the Leverkusen starlet was.
Piero Hincapie – 5
Hincapie was heavily involved against his parent club and played more inverted than usual on the left side of defence. The Ecuadorian was efficient, but like Timber, he just isn’t naturally strong going forward.
Martin Zubimendi – 3
Zubimendi hasn’t looked at his best for a while, and that continued against Leverkusen. The Spaniard played mostly sideways and backwards passes, killing momentum far too frequently.
Declan Rice – 6
It was a tough night for Rice and one that saw him reined in, mostly due to how absent Zubimendi was in midfield. Arsenal had to look to the Englishman to bring the tempo in midfield, as well as maintain balance. He looks as though he’s carrying Zubimendi at times.
Eberechi Eze – 3
Another ineffective showing from Eze on a big night. The Englishman offered little glitz and glamour to the attack; he really needs to step up and show what he’s capable of. We all know it’s there!
Bukayo Saka – 2
It was a rare night to forget for Saka, who was largely ineffective on the right side. The winger was isolated, but when he was on the ball, he made no impact, making his substitution on the hour mark unsurprising.
What went wrong for Bukayo Saka against Bayer Leverkusen?
Gabriel Martinelli – 3
Martinelli was poor against Mansfield Town, and he was poor against Leverkusen. The winger is so frustrating to watch at times, more often than not failing to beat his man. Very predictable.
Viktor Gyokeres – 2.5
Gyokeres started very well, but as the game progressed, his actions became more and more frustrating. The striker seemed incapable of linking with his teammates, bringing attacks to a halt many times.
Noni Madueke – 7
Madueke came on for Saka and instantly showed that he’s currently in a position to offer more to Arsenal’s attack than his teammate. The summer signing looked to make a nuisance of himself, and he did just that, winning the crucial penalty. A clear standout.
Kai Havertz – 6
Havertz got a warm welcome back at his former home, but the home fans might have retracted their cheers as he converted Arsenal’s equalising penalty in the 89th minute.
Gabriel Jesus – 2
Completely ineffective when he came on. Passenger.
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