It was not a pretty game to watch. In fact, it's one of the worst matches I've seen this season in terms of quality. But Arsenal showed that when in came to holding one's nerve, they had the greater quality after a penalty shoot-out victory over West Brom.
Lukasz Fabianski - 7 – This was an impressive display from someone who was yet to see a minute of first-team football this season. Fabianski marshalled his penalty area efficiently, and made a series of decent saves.
Carl Jenkinson – 7 – He looked to get forward whenever possible, but his delivery was generally short of its usual standard – bar one sumptuous cross in the second-half. But he defended Scott Sinclair pretty well, especially in extra-time.
Per Mertesacker – 8 – Given that Arsenal's attacking play was ordinary, it made it paramount that they held firm in defence. And the display of Mertesacker – arguably the leader of the defence – was pivotal. He made 10 successful clearances, and led the back four superbly
Thomas Vermaelen – 7 – He looked a touch rusty early on – which is understandable. But the captain became increasingly assured at the night wore on. The 120 minutes could prove useful in getting Vermaelen's match-fitness back.
Nacho Monreal - 7 – He was another who looked short of the required sharpness, but he was much improved after the first-half. He defended solidly, and scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out with aplomb.
Isaac Hayden – 6 – Not a bad debut for the youngster. He was inconsistent on the ball, but didn't let his head drop, and worked hard until being substituted. His industry helped to build a useful defensive bulwark as Arsenal laboured in attack.
Mikel Arteta – 6 – While it's good to see Arteta back, I'm confident he'll put in better showings as the season goes on. He passed the ball tidily, but wasn't able to control the tempo of the match. Once he gets more games, expect to see the best of the Spaniard.
Thomas Eisfeld – 6 – For most of the contest, it was a pretty moribund performance from the young German. He was played as the link man between the midfield and attack, but his movement and passing wasn't sharp enough. However, he deserves a lot of credit for his goal; it was a clever run, and an unerring finish, fooling the keeper by giving him “the eyes”.
Serge Gnabry – 6 – Gnabry often looked the most likely to penetrate the West Brom defence. However, he often flattered to deceive, losing the ball more than any Arsenal player. However, I give him credit for repeatedly making himself available for the ball. I hope his miss in the shoot-out doesn't harm his confidence.
Nicklas Bendtner - 6 – Given his lack of match-fitness, Bendtner did well to complete 120 minutes, as well as scoring in the shoot-out. He assist for Eisfeld's goal was a nice piece of play, although his failure to convert a great chance in extra-time shows that there's a but of rust still to be shaken off the Dane.
Ryo Miyaichi – 5 – A frustrating performance. Miyaichi is better than what he showed here. He often gave the ball away (a 74% pass success rate was the lowest of the Arsenal outfield players) and his decision making left a lot to be desired. Best to put it down to a bad night at the office.
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Chuba Akpom – 6 – Was a lively presence, and scored an important penalty to level the scores in the penalty shoot-out.
Kristoffer Olsson – 6 – Another young player who looked a bit out of his depth. But his conversion of a penalty when Arsenal were 2-0 down in the shoot-out showed that he has some character to him.
Hector Bellerin – 6 – He was played out of position in midfield, but he looked at home, coming close to scoring twice with long range efforts.
We're starting to make a habit of these hard fought victories. The spirit that appears to be evident in the team has gone through to the young players on the fringes of the squad. Arsenal are going to need to find their best football sooner rather than later, but until then, there's no doubting that this team have a heart and determination to admire.
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