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Arsenal progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after a victory at Vale Park.
Eberechi Eze scored the first on the night following a great passing move involving Gabriel Martinelli and Myles Lewis-Skelly. He came close to a second before the break too after a great pass from Mikel Merino.
Both Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres were set through for chances against the Port Vale keeper but couldn’t find the right end product. Despite playing an attacking team and going through, the Gunners’ performance lacked the convincing element that supporters are craving.
Here is how football.london rated the performances of the Arsenal players:
Kepa Arrizabalaga – Making his debut, there was very little to do in the first half. His distribution was good and he claimed crosses well. 6
Ben White – Playing for the first time since his injury at Manchester United. Little troubled the full-back but there was a lack of sharpness with some misplaced passes and a wild volley over the bar. 6
William Saliba – Perhaps a surprise start for the starting eleven, but Saliba was called upon to defend on several occasions. He also managed to find the perfect pass for Trossard at the end to seal the victory. 7
Cristhian Mosquera – Asked to play in Gabriel Magalhaes’ left centre-half role, the Spaniard was as imperious as usual. Was forced into several defensive clearances from corners and crosses, and dealt with them well. 6
However, he committed the cardinal sin of football, playing a loose ball across his own goal, giving away possession but thankfully not giving away a chance.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – An assist on his first start of the season, and it comes from a beautiful flick inside for Eze to finish calmly. Was forced to deal with the speed of Jordan Gabriel for much of the game, frustrating the crowd in the main stand as he won countless fouls from his opponent. 7
Christian Norgaard – Rotating in for Martin Zubimendi, the Dane was ever-present in the middle of the park, anchoring the midfield and produced a no-fuss performance. 7
Eberechi Eze – Opened his account for the club with a beautiful finish after a well-worked move after early dominance. He forced a good save from Joe Gauchi before the break too after being laid in one-on-one. Outside of these moments however, he too was limited to very little impact. 7
Ethan Nwaneri – A first start too for the youngster this season and his energetic style was causing problems for the Valiants’ players. Had a shot from the edge of the box blocked comfortably. 6
Bukayo Saka – Working his way back from injury and keen to play on the night. Was trying hard to find penetrative runs in behind the Port Vale defence but was often forced into passing it to safety. After being hit with a tough challenge in the second, it was difficult not to be tempted to want him to come off almost immediately. 6
Gabriel Martinelli – Involved in the first goal, finding Myles Lewis-Skelly well inside the box. He nearly found himself in another one on one early in the second but Gauci was out quickly to intercept. 6
Mikel Merino – Asked to play the number nine in place of Viktor Gyokeres, the Spaniard slipped a great pass through to Eze for a big chance. Outside of the chance however, he had little bearing on the performance and struck an isolated figure. 6
Substitutes:
Max Dowman – Replacing Bukayo Saka, the talented starlet came on. Typically fearless the youngster got to work taking players on and trying to create for his side. 6
Viktor Gyokeres – One-on-one chance with Gauci saw his shot blocked by a sliding defender. 6
Gabriel Magalhaes – Replacing Ben White and helping to see out the result. 6
Leandro Trossard – Replaced Gabriel Martinelli late on. Another goal from the bench for the Belgian, finishing well after taking down the long pass. 7
Declan Rice – Replaced Eberechi Eze late on. n/a
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