Arsenal player ratings: Lacazette bags the crucial goal but Maitland-Niles let off by Napoli’s wastefulness in Arsenal win
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE scored the crucial goal as Arsenal made it into the Europa League semi-finals for the second season in a row. The Gunners weathered some early Napoli pressure before the Frenchman’s free-kick left the Italians needing four. A combination of solid defending and poor finishing ensured it was a comfortable evening in the end […]
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE scored the crucial goal as Arsenal made it into the Europa League semi-finals for the second season in a row.
The Gunners weathered some early Napoli pressure before the Frenchman’s free-kick left the Italians needing four.
A combination of solid defending and poor finishing ensured it was a comfortable evening in the end for Arsenal, who will be delighted to have kept two clean sheets.
Here’s how SunSport rated and slated Unai Emery’s men…
PETR CECH
Knew this could have been potentially his last pro football match but was as professional as always between the sticks.
Made a very smart save to deny Jose Callejon with his feet after Kalidou Koulibaly led the Napoli counter but his best save of the night, ironically, came when he held on to Nacho Monreal’s accidental diversion. Furious when booked for time wasting with 16 minutes left.
SOKRATIS
Not his most dominant performance but was helped by Napoli’s inability to put in a decent cross, hit the target or beat the offside trap.
Attempted to play peacemaker when Koulibaly took offence from an accidental boot from Laurent Koscielny.
LAURENT KOSCIELNY
Oh how he would love to lift the Europa League trophy in Baku on May 29. Well, he is just three games away from doing so. Led by example as he organised his side’s defence and will be delighted to have kept Napoli out over 180 minutes of football.
His classic act of time wasting when he retied his shoelaces just before half-time did not go down well with the Naples faithful.
NACHO MONREAL
The Spaniard’s standout highlight of the game… was when he went off. Monreal disappeared off the pitch around the hour mark and returned from the tunnel a few minutes later.
It didn’t take long for Twitter fans to work out why. Other than his ‘toilet trip’, his other notable activity was forcing Cech into a diving save when the ball bounced towards goal off his shin.
AINSLEY MAITLAND-NILES
This threatened to be one of the most difficult games of his short career due to the atmosphere at the San Paolo Stadium and knowing Napoli would come out desperate to get the goals they needed.
Enjoyed a relatively trouble-free first half but when Dries Mertens came on at the break, Lorenzo Insigne proved a real threat down the Napoli left and Maitland-Niles struggled to deal with the tricky forward.
LUCAS TORREIRA
A quiet game for the Uruguayan midfielder who was under strict instructions to keep it tight and not let Napoli score under any circumstance.
A worry for Gunners fans as he went down feeling his groin but with all three subs already made he did see out the rest of the game.
GRANIT XHAKA
Was missing for the first leg as Torreira and Ramsey linked up to provide an attacking threat at the Emirates. Tonight was all about keeping a clean sheet and he did that for his hour on the field.
But knowing a booking would rule him out of the semi-final first leg, withdrawn to make sure he did nothing stupid he is often prone to.
SEAD KOLASINAC
The wing-back started really well down the left, bombing on and looking to create attacks from the outset – although his final ball was lacking at times.
But after that, he seemed to be more interested in playing mind games with the Napoli players, arguing with them and generally being a nuisance – and it worked. A strong performance again.
AARON RAMSEY
Picked by Emery in the No10 role ahead of Mesut Ozil or Henrikh Mkhitaryan and was linking up well with the strikers before disaster struck. Trying to tackle Piotr Zielinski on the half-hour mark, he immediately clutched his left hamstring and signalled he had to come off.
Depending on the severity of the strain, that could well be the last we see of the Welshman in an Arsenal shirt and it was not the way he would have wanted it to end.
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE
Would have been delighted when told he would be starting up front with his partner-in-crime Aubameyang.
But it was from a dead ball that he scored the crucial opening goal on the night, bamboozling Alex Meret who did not cover himself in glory by committing early. Led the line well just as he did last week and Emery could afford to bring him off early and rest those legs for a few minutes.
PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG
Should have put the game beyond any doubt just after half-time when Mkhitaryan squared for him. The goal was at his mercy but somehow Meret flew across to make an incredible save and divert it over the bar.
When his strike partner went off it was down to the Gabon star to stretch the tiring Napoli defence and see out the win.
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HENRIKH MKHITARYAN (for Ramsey, 34 mins)
Must have thought he had grabbed an assist when he found space down the right channel and pulled across goal for Aubameyang.
MOHAMED ELNENY (for Xhaka, 61 mins)
Came on in a like-for-like change and did exactly what was required of him. Win the ball, pass it to a team-mate, keep it simple.
ALEX IWOBI (for Lacazette, 68 mins)
The perfect time to come on with the pressure completely off knowing Napoli needed four. Ironically thumped the post with a brilliant curling effort from the corner of the box… but was already flagged offside.