Arsenal’s player ratings vs Qarabag FK: The Smith Rowe show

Arsenal traveled to Azerbaijan to play in the Europa League with Qarabag FK, and they grabbed another three points to top the group.

Unai Emery knows this tournament well, so he looked to build his side and tactics around what was to be expected of him. The game was tight, but the players he selected had the ability to brush that aside and win by a confident score line.

Arsenal began the match with a three-at-the-back formation, but, well, let’s forget about that. It was a complete shambles, which is why Emery switched to a back four in the second half.

Still, it’s definitely worth looking into. Let’s not forget that it took Antonio Conte a while to win over his Chelsea players with the same system, so it’s never going to be easy for Emery. He has the trust of his squad, so I’m sure if he wishes to deploy this system, then work will be done over the next few weeks.

Qarabag FK were a surprise outfit. They didn’t roll over for the Gunners, as they looked to drive forward and provide their own threat. Although they didn’t manage to pick up a goal, they certainly could have done with the chances they were creating.

Overall though, this was a productive evening at the office for Arsenal. Three players scored their first goals in Arsenal red, including an academy graduate. It was Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Emile Smith Rowe and Matteo Guendouzi who got the goals, giving Arsenal a score line of 0-3.

Bernd Leno – 7.5/10

Leno managed to keep the clean sheet, although at times it looked like that wouldn’t be the case. In truth, he’s been in good form these past few games, and he’s pulled off a few impressive saves during that time.

The game could have been a lot different had Leno not been in top form. And in all honesty, his spell of form couldn’t come at a better time with Cech’s injury.