Arsenal player ratings vs Chelsea as Granit Xhaka and William Saliba shine

Aaron Ramsdale: Continued with some excellent distribution from the back. Barely tested yet again in terms of save, but a solid display overall. 7.

Ben White: Got forward a lot more in the second half and caused Chelsea a few problems. Barely any threat came down the left which is evidence for how well he did defensively. 7.

William Saliba: Looks to have formed a really good partnership with Gabriel very quickly and yet again never looked flustered despite more Chelsea pressure in the second half. 8.

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Gabriel: Showed good leadership to play peacemaker when Granit Xhaka and Nuno Tavares squared up to Reece James. Kept his focus throughout. 7.

Nuno Tavares: Stood up really well to the relentless threat that Reece James posed in the early parts of his introduction and used his athleticism to cope well with Callum Hudson-Odoi too. 7.

Thomas Partey: Good yet again in possession and strong in the tackle. Another solid pre-season display from the Ghanaian. 7.

Granit Xhaka: An absolutely sublime show of technical skill to flick the ball over Marcos Alonso’s head in the build up to Saka’s goal. The Swiss midfielder looks like he’s enjoying himself. 8.

Martin Odegaard: Tired a little in the second half but was still influential in the final third. Showed his cynicism to pick up a yellow but that will be forgiven, considering the stakes. 7.

Bukayo Saka: Showed good poacher’s instinct to score his goal after a move that he started. Even if the England international was relatively peripheral, he still influenced the game well. 8.

Gabriel Jesus: Slightly worrying that he came off with what looked like an injury, but his first half display and goal were reminder of why Arsenal will want him wrapped in cotton wool. 8.

Gabriel Martinelli: Brave and direct again in possession, and continued to cause Chelsea problems up top. Did leave Tavares a little isolated on occasion. 7.

Substitutes –

Eddie Nketiah: Brought on in place of Jesus and tried to imitate his knowledge of the darker arts as he was booked for blocking a Chelsea free kick. Good up front though. 7.

Marquinhos: Didn’t influence the game that much but showed one nice turn to burst away from Marcos Alonso. 6.

Mohamed Elneny: Solid as ever in the middle. Given the armband after Odegaard went off as a sign of his increasing influence in the squad. 6.

Cedric: Solid again at right back after coming on. Defended well in a more inverted interpretation of the role. A lovely cross to assist Lokonga’s goal 6.

Nicolas Pepe: Broke the habit of his Arsenal career by trying to shoot on his right foot but was unfortunately blocked. Played on the left rather than the right which is probably the most noteworthy moment of his cameo. 6.

Matt Turner: Used his feet a fair bit. Didn’t look as convincing as Ramsdale, but is getting better. 6.

Albert Sambi Lokonga: Is allowed to get forward more in the left eight role and showed what he can do by heading home his first Arsenal goal in some style. 8.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles: Came on too late to influence the game. n/a.

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