Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb: Player Ratings

Wasn’t forced into action a great deal tonight, but did make one terrific reflex save from a rebound off Flamini. Could have had to deal with some nerves had that gone in, so good on him for keeping it out.

Flashed that blazing speed a few times on the right side and looked a good deal more solid than he did against West Brom. Good time to have the speedster firing on all cylinders again.

Reliable as Zagreb didn’t pose any real threat sneaking in behind, distribution out from the back was rather good as well.

Ate up any chances of Zagreb creating danger with his usual confidence. Arsenal’s best defender and a good partner for either Gabriel or Mertesacker.

Wonderful performance from the Spaniard. His industry and desire created Arsenal’s second, and his defensive positioning is reliably excellent.

Didn’t see red, which is good. He’s not going to have quite the same effect as Coquelin, but if you’ll recall, when Coquelin came into the side, he was largely bypassed by his own defenders and midfielders; essentially, he existed to win tackles and then make a short pass to a more creative player. Flamini can execute this plan well, he just needs to guard against positioning mistakes.

Pulled the strings very well from deep, put one shot on goal very well and should have done better with another. He’s a luxury in this team, because if Ozil needs a rest, Cazorla can move forward with Ramsey or Oxlade-Chamberlain sitting in the space he’ll vacate.

I don’t expect Campbell to have a vice grip on a starting position. But performances like this make him a valuable member of the club. For FA Cup fixtures and even some Premier League games, expect to see him deployed on the right so he can run at defenders and cut inside to set things up for other attackers like he did tonight.

Magisterial. This is a wonderful player you’re lucky to be able to tell your kids and grandchildren you watched. His ability to make a midfield tick and preserve rhythm throughout counterattacks is simply magnificent.

MAN OF THE MATCH – An engine few in the world can match and the skill to go along with it, Alexis was desperate to get his hat trick. While he didn’t, hopefully this performance sparks that scoring fire again. Stop reading this and go feast on GIFs of Alexis controlling the ball with his trapezius muscles or picking a header out of the air and then balancing it on his head while he runs.

No goal for the Frenchman tonight, but his contribution can’t go unnoticed. Especially on Ozil’s goal, Giroud is starting to relish the dirty work. He’s bullying centerbacks and in the case of that goal, made a gut-busting run to pull a defender and create the pocket for Alexis to drop the ball into.

Good to have him back. Looked pretty good for his first time out in a while, exploded into space nicely and even made a couple good box runs that weren’t quite picked out.

Good defender to have available to bring on to keep things quiet in the later stages of a game.

Could provide cover for Flamini during Coquelin’s extended absence. Needs to keep calm and not overcomplicate his duties. Arsenal fans may see him become a defensive midfielder a bit earlier than predicted.