Arsenal have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to nine points after beating Sunderland 3-0 at the Emirates.
It was always going to be a tricky game for the Gunners, and the opening exchanges were cagey. Mikel Arteta’s men struggled to get going in attack early on, but they got better as the game went on.
Declan Rice came close to scoring from distance, but it was Martin Zubimendi who broke the deadlock with a stunning strike from a similar position.
Substitute Viktor Gyokeres doubled Arsenal’s lead in the second half and then scored again in stoppage time. That sealed the win.
Who was your Arsenal Man of the Match vs Sunderland? Tell us why!
Arsenal player ratings vs Sunderland
David Raya: 5.5/10
David Raya almost made a howler in the first few minutes of the game, but looked better in the rest of the first half. He made a fantastic save to preserve the lead after the break but then nearly made another embarrassing mistake. He got away with it on both occasions and kept another clean sheet.
Jurrien Timber: 6/10
Another assured performance from Jurrien Timber. He wasn’t magnificent, but he didn’t have to be. He dealt with everything without breaking a sweat.
William Saliba: 4/10
It was a strange game for William Saliba. The Frenchman handled Brian Brobbey brilliantly early on, but he picked up a yellow card after fouling Habib Diarra. He looked really shaky from that point, which was very uncharacteristic in the first half. A better second period, but he still didn’t look like his usual self.
Gabriel Magalhaes: 6/10
Gabriel Magalhaes was much more assured than his centre-back partner against Sunderland. He had no problem dealing with Brobbey, albeit the former Ajax man drifted towards Saliba more often than not.
Riccardo Calafiori: 4.5/10
Like Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori had a strange afternoon. He had a decent start to the game, but then made a few uncharacteristic defensive mistakes. Thankfully, that didn’t hurt Arsenal.
Declan Rice: 8/10
Another solid game from Rice – we don’t remember the last time he produced a bad performance. He was Arsenal’s driving force at times and was unlucky not to score himself.
Martin Zubimendi: 9/10
Arsenal’s star of the show. Zubimendi controlled the midfield really well, but his standout moment was the goal in the first half – an absolute stunner! His tribute to Mikel Merino was lovely too. Man of the Match!
Kai Havertz: 7/10
Kai Havertz came very close to scoring in the first half from outside the box, but his curling shot went just wide. The German had a solid game, and he may have just made the number 10 spot his own for the remainder of the season.
Noni Madueke: 5/10
Noni Madueke wasn’t at his best today. He had to change one shoe early on, which was weird, but that didn’t help him produce the magic that he did against Leeds.
Gabriel Jesus: 6.5/10
It wasn’t a great start for Gabriel Jesus, but he got better and better as the game went on. The former Manchester City man was inches offside in the first half- he would’ve won a penalty if Arsene Wenger’s offside law was in place. A decent display from the Brazilian.
What do Gabriel Jesus’ THREE offsides tell you about his quality as Arsenal’s number nine?
Jesus had more offsides in an hour vs Sunderland than Gyokeres has recorded all season! 😳
Leandro Trossard: 8/10
Arsenal’s most underrated player this season. Leandro Trossard was fantastic today. He got on the ball a lot in the first half, was a constant threat, and he will get the assist for Zubimendi’s goal too. He limped off late in the second half – hopefully it’s nothing too serious.
Substitutes
Viktor Gyokeres: 9/10
Super sub! Gyokeres came on for Jesus and scored a ferocious goal just a few minutes later. In stoppage time, he doubled his tally on the counter-attack. That’s now goals in back-to-back Premier League games for the Swede. Good signs.
Gabriel Martinelli: 7/10
Gabriel Martinelli came on for Madueke in the second half. The Brazilian ran the length of the pitch to provide an assist for Gyokeres’ second goal. His work rate was fantastic again.
Eberechi Eze: 7/10
Came on after Arsenal’s second goal, Eberechi Eze looked lively. He couldn’t produce the magic he is capable of, but the Englishman was a lot more involved than he has been recently. That is a positive sign.
Piero Hincapie: 6/10
Another Arsenal player who didn’t have a lot to do after coming on, but Piero Hincapie worked tirelessly in the little time he had on the pitch. He is proving to be a fine player for the Gunners.
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