Arsenal had to wait until the 81st minute to open the scoring against Watford, but ended up winning the match 2-0, for a seventh consecutive victory.
In order to continue their ascent up the table, Arsenal had to overcome fourth-placed Watford at the Emirates Stadium. It wasn’t going to be easy, as the visitors were full of confidence, and only lost out to Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in midweek.
Watford proved equal to Arsenal’s pressure for much of the match, keeping chances out and getting many of their own. Fortunately, the hosts had Rob Holding and the goalkeepers to thank for keeping a clean sheet until the final 10 minutes.
At that point, a bit of fortune meant Unai Emery’s side took the lead, from an own goal. They secured the win not long afterwards, with a Mesut Özil second.
Let’s have a look at how the players did individually.
2Midfield
Granit Xhaka 8
Xhaka had a very good game, even if it’s mostly gone unnoticed. He created more chances than any of his teammates and completed many more passes than them too. The midfielder ran the game as he often does, so we can forgive one or two misplaced passes that led to nothing.
Only Lucas Torreira made more tackles, only the defenders won more aerials and no one completed more dribbles. That’s not to mention his stinging shot, which Foster did well to keep out.
Lucas Torreira 7.5
Torreira also did well, particularly as he had to carry a yellow card for much of the game. As mentioned, he led the Arsenal team in tackles and made a number of interceptions and clearances as well. He wasn’t quite as effective as Xhaka in the build-up play, but as long as he’s doing his job defensively that’s alright.
Aaron Ramsey 5.5
Ramsey made just 16 accurate passes before his substitution. Compare that to Xhaka’s 80, Torreira’s 60, or Özil’s 57. What’s more, he was dispossessed on four separate occasions, more than anyone else. The Welshman didn’t create any chances or have any shots of his own.
The only good work he did was in winning a couple of tackles. He was an easy choice for Emery’s first substitution (excluding the one he was forced into by Cech’s injury) and didn’t do much to end talk that he’s unsettled at Arsenal.