Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had the perfect gift for his 68th birthday as the Gunners cruised to a 5-2 triumph over Everton at Goodison Park. The Merseyside outfit found the first goal of the afternoon via a delightful effort from Wayne Rooney before Nacho Monreal equalised prior to the break. The second period belonged to the Gunners, who dominated the field of play. Goals from Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette, Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez sealed the thumping win against Everton, who had Idrissa Gueye sent off in the 68th minute.
Here are our Arsenal player ratings for the game…
Petr Cech: The former Czech international has a calm game barring the spectacular effort from Wayne Rooney. He also could not do much with the reckless backpass from Nacho Monreal, which allowed Oumar Niasse to get onto the scoresheet – 6.5/10
Per Mertesacker: The skipper kept out Dominic Calvert-Lewin with key headers. Looked a lot comfortable than the Watford game, but could have closed down Wayne Rooney prior to stunning goal – 6.5/10
Laurent Koscielny: Back from injury, Koscielny did not put a foot wrong in the defence, but he really needs to work on his crossing, if he is to push more often to contribute in the attack – 7/10
Nacho Monreal: The Spaniard scored off a rebound from Granit Xhaka’s shot. Monreal has got the nick of scoring with two goals in his previous three outings, both of which have come in similar situations – 7.5/10
Hector Bellerin: Looked his usual self, making runs on the right side of the attack. Could have been more sensational in trying to find his teammates rather than shooting recklessly – 7/10
Sead Kolasinac: The Gunners’ favourite was in the mood with his passing. However, he was largely restricted from taking up attacking positions in the presence of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez – 6.5/10
Granit Xhaka: Looked a lot comfortable alongside Aaron Ramsey. Played a significant part in giving the Gunners the lead, and kept possession when needed in the latter part of the match – 7/10
Aaron Ramsey: The Welshman continued their tireless runs into the box, and it eventually paid rewards after a precise assist from Jack Wilshere saw him find the scoresheet – 8/10
Alexis Sanchez: Approaching his best form in the Gunners shirt. The Chilean was up for the game as many of his teammates, and even threw tantrums towards Aaron Ramsey for a misplaced pass. A goal and assist to cap a top day in the office – 8.5/10
Mesut Ozil: The brilliant of Sanchez was bettered by the German maestro, who notched the vital second goal of the match. He followed it up with a delightful assist for Lacazette – 9/10
Alexandre Lacazette: Lacazette produced another solid performance upfront as he bagged his fifth goal of the season. The Frenchman’s goal was his first on the road for Arsenal – 7.5/10
Substitutes:
Jack Wilshere – Provided an assist just minutes after his arrival, made his first league appearance for Arsenal after more than two years – 7/10
Francis Coquelin – Did nothing meaningful on the pitch – 6/10
Image – Getty
