Despite a promising early display, very few Arsenal players looked as if they could be bothered in the second half against Doncaster Rovers.

While some looked as if they couldn’t be bothered and others were played out of position, there were a few, such as Wilshere, Giroud and Maitland-Niles who kept fighting and saved Arsenal from total humiliation at the hands of Doncaster.

Defence

David Ospina – 7

The goalkeeper wasn’t really needed in the first half but in the second he was called into action. Somehow Arsenal managed to keep a clean sheet.

Calum Chambers – 6

Chambers looked strong albeit very beardy. He seemed comfortable in the first half before being subbed off and could be a terrific defender given the game time. However, we have to keep in mind that this is Doncaster.

Rob Holding – 5

The centre-back’s passing was far from perfect but it was good to see the 22-year-old back on the pitch.

Per Mertesacker – 5

The big guy looked as if he couldn’t really be bothered, which isn’t a great message to send to the youngsters. He was looked slow (more so than usual) and a bit lethargic. Granted, this could just be because he’s not that fit at the moment given that he’s struggled for game time this season.

Next, midfield

Midfield

Jack Wilshere – 7

The 25-year-old looked sharp and up for it. He consistently linked up with Giroud, his balls were brilliant… and he was generally a delight to watch. The midfielder was one of Arsenal’s only bright sparks.

Mohamed Elneny – 5

The midfield was alright – as usual. He ran around a lot and made some short passes.

Reiss Nelson – 5

The 17-year-old wasn’t fantastic. He played as a right wing-back when usually he plays in a slightly more advanced role, which is probably why he had a quiet night. It was good to see him getting a game.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles – 6

The youth player was decent on the overlap and didn’t stop running. In the 59th minute, the 20-year-old was forced to chase down and out-muscled Donny’s Alfie May, who’s already scored four times for the Rovers this season. The lad moved at lightning speed at get back and without him, the Gunners would have almost certainly conceded.

Next, forwards

Forwards

Theo Walcott – 6

Although the forward consistently missed during the opening stages, he finally scored in the 25th minute and was always getting into the right spaces. It was always going to be Theo or Giroud who scored first and sure enough it was the Englishman. In the second half, however, he faded away.

Alexis Sanchez – 6.5

The Chilean caused Donny trouble in the first half. They simply couldn’t deal with his twists and turns. His assist for Theo’s goal was also utterly sublime. However, as he so often does, the 28-year-old over-complicated most moves and ended up giving the ball away more than once.

Olivier Giroud – 7.5

The striker could have scored a worldie in the opening exchanges and went on to have numeruos shots. However, since he was set to score his 100th Arsenal goal, it seemed he kept trying to net the perfect one and consistently attempted over-head shots, which probably hampered him in the end.