Arsenal extended their winning streak to nine games in all competition after a comfortable 5-1 win against Fulham. A comprehensive second-half display from the Gunners was enough to bring down a lackadaisical Fulham side following a rather stale first half.
Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both scored a brace while Aaron Ramsey also chipped in with a well-worked goal. Andre Schurrle, on the other hand, scored the only goal of the game for the home side. The win sees Arsenal climb to third in the league table, overtaking arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Here are the Arsenal players rated and slated in their huge win over the Cottagers.
Bernd Leno (7.5/10): A comprehensive display in between the sticks from Bernd Leno, who continues to impress while deputizing for the injured Petr Cech. He was also much more confident with the ball at his feet compared to the veteran keeper and his early save to deny Luciano Vietto proved vital at the end.
Hector Bellerin (7/10): Defending has never been Bellerin’s strong point and it was prevalent this afternoon as he struggled to keep out the menacing Ryan Sessegnon. His struggles continued throughout the course of the first half as well as the early parts of the second-half before Arsenal took control of the game, after which he started to contribute offensively, notably picking up an assist for Aubameyang’s first goal.
Shkodran Mustafi (8/10): A sturdy defensive display from the German international, who remained calm and collected throughout the game. Mustafi led the backline very well, making a host of well-timed challenges as well as making important blocks and interceptions, all of which were crucial as Arsenal ended up conceding only one goal against a sharp Fulham attack.
Rob Holding (7.5/10): Played well in the absence of Sokratis, complementing the effort of his defensive partner Mustafi. However, his poor clearance did allow Fulham to find a scoring opportunity in the first half. But aside from that, it was a very convincing performance from the 23-year-old.
Monreal (7/10): Was at fault for Fulham’s goal. However, he definitely deserves credit for his wonderful assist to set up Alexandre Lacazette earlier in the game.
Lucas Torreira (9/10): An absolute beast in the middle of the park, Lucas Torreira once again showcased his talents with yet another colossal display against the Cottagers. Not only did he manage to screen the backline with diligent defending but he also broke up Fulham’s rhythm of play with clever interceptions and overall, restricted the opposition in the middle third of the pitch.
Granit Xhaka (7.5/10): A convincing display from the Swiss international, who led the team in the number of tackles made. He was sloppy in possession at times but his distribution was impressive again.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (7/10): After missing the midweek fixture against Qarabag due to political reasons, Henrikh Mkhitaryan looked abject for large parts of the game. He struggled to keep up with the pace of the game even though he was involved in almost every other Arsenal attack. His clever switch of play initiated the move which led to Arsenal’s fourth of the afternoon.
Danny Welbeck (7.5/10): A decent attacking display from the former Manchester United star, who picked up an assist for Lacazette’s second goal of the afternoon. Coach Unai Emery will surely be delighted with Welbeck’s improving form.
Alex Iwobi (8/10): Caused a myriad of trouble for the Fulham defence with his darting runs into the box. His interplay with his teammates was also top notch and simply put, it was another convincing display from Alex Iwobi, who is currently one of the most in-form players in the squad.
Alexandre Lacazette (9/10): Continued his excellent form in front of goal, with yet another clinical display. His second goal, in particular, stunned the home fans, largely due to the sheer quality of the strike. Kept influencing the game throughout before being taken off in the 80th minute.
Substitutes
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (9/10): After facing a spell on the sidelines, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returned with a bang, scoring a second-half brace to fire Arsenal to third in the league table. Auba’s return to full fitness coupled with Lacazette’s excellent form bodes well for the in-form Arsenal team.
Aaron Ramsey (8.5/10): Made an immediate impact after replacing Alex Iwobi in the 67th minute as he netted Arsenal’s third goal just 38 seconds after coming on. Also notched up an assist later in the game when he set-up Aubameyang for his second goal in the 88th minute.
Matteo Guendouzi (NA): Replaced Alexandre Lacazette in the 80th minute as coach Unai Emery opted for more solidity in midfield.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored