Arsenal got back to winning ways against Newcastle, but still have plenty to worry about.
Arsenal relied on home comforts to get their first Premier League win since the the 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield, but it wasn’t the most convincing of performances.
Mesut Ozil produced a moment of genius to score the one and only goal of the game. Arsenal were inefficient in the final third all game, and ended the game nervously.
So while Arsenal got a crucial three points, they should be concerned with the number of players out of form at the moment.
Forwards
Alexis Sanchez 5
He was bright in the first half and on point with his passing. The trademark chip through pass was coming off for him.
In the second half, though, he fell into bad habits again.
A refusal to use his left foot slowed down Arsenal’s attacks and made him predictable.
Newcastle were happy to let come inside, knowing they had enough bodies back to block any shots.
Alexandre Lacazette 5
It was yet another game where Lacazette didn’t play 90 minutes. Unfortunately, he might not have much room to complain this time.
While chances remained scarce for him, he was unusually wasteful with the ball.
When a chance did come his way, he opted for the lob and got it horribly wrong.
He’ll have better games.
Next, subs…