Martin Odegaard’s penalty was enough for ten-player Arsenal to hold on for victory at Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Gunners captain Odegaard stepped up to convert from the spot after Sam Johnstone brought down Eddie Nketiah after a frustrating first half for Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Monday night game saw three Ghana internationals; Thomas Partey for Arsenal, Jordan Ayew and Jeffrey Schlupp for Palace.
See how the Ghanaians were rated by 90min.com below :
Crystal Palace player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Sam Johnstone – 4/10 – Not the smartest move to dive at Nketiah’s feet when all the striker wanted was contact.
RB: Joel Ward – 6/10 – Contributed to Palace’s solidity at the back without offering much in attack as the hosts were penned in.
CB: Joachim Andersen – 7/10 – Whipped out some brilliant diagonal passes which were incredibly pleasing on the eye.
CB: Marc Guehi – 7/10 – Another impressive display, recovering the ball frequently while sticking close to Nketiah. Was sometimes given the slip.
LB: Tyrick Mitchell – 6/10 – Enjoyed a competitive battle with Saka, even if he probably came out the loser. Lashed over Palace’s last opportunity.
CM: Cheick Doucoure – 6/10 – Struggled to assert himself against Arsenal’s domineering midfielders and went into the book for one late challenge too many.
CM: Jefferson Lerma – 6/10 – Created a couple of chances and used the ball simply.
RW: Jordan Ayew – 7/10 – Hard-working down the right and street smarts helped get Tomiyasu dismissed. His side couldn’t take advantage, however,
AM: Eberechi Eze – 6/10 – A couple of appeals for penalties went unheard. Saw more of the ball when Tomiyasu was dismissed.
LW: Jeffrey Schlupp – 7/10 – Stretched play with smart passes. Looked bright without conjuring up enough end product.
ST: Odsonne Edouard – 5/10 – Had some decent openings but snatched at some opportunities.
Arsenal player ratings (4-3-3)
GK: Aaron Ramsdale – 6/10 – Looked a little shaky on occasion. Maybe David Raya’s presence on the bench had an effect?
RB: Thomas Partey – 6/10 – Again deployed at right-back and went close with a few long shots, drawing a batting save from Johnstone on one occasion. Arsenal definitely miss White out wide, however.
CB: Ben White – 6/10 – As mentioned, his absence at right-back made Arsenal a little clunky playing out.
CB: William Saliba – 6/10 – A few rusty touches but also had the physical attributes to make up for any errors.
LB: Takehiro Tomiyasu – 4/10 – Might feel hard done by to pick up two bookings in quick succession for time-wasting and a very soft shirt pull. Had defended solidly up until that point.
CM: Martin Odegaard – 8/10 – Powerful shot showed his keen eye for goal before calmly dispatching the penalty in the second half.
CM: Declan Rice – 8/10 – The dominant figure in the midfield battle all evening.
CM: Kai Havertz – 6/10 – One of the quieter Arsenal players in the first half after creating a chance for Martinelli early on.
RW: Bukayo Saka – 7/10 – Electric early on, forcing a few corners and looking threatening. Moved into a wing-back role late on.
ST: Eddie Nketiah – 7/10 – Accurate finishing in the first half would have had the Gunners a few goals up. The smart movement brought about the penalty which Odegaard converted.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli – 6/10 – Not at his weaving and jinking best, struggling to shake off Ayew and Ward.
