Arsenal player ratings vs Leeds: Nicolas Pepe sees red, literally

Granit Xhaka – 5/10

Xhaka did his job to average ability. He was in charge of dictating the play in midfield and that he did. But the problem for me was that he did virtually nothing else. Yes, he sprayed some good passes out wide, but where was the leadership? The incisiveness? The determination to win? It wasn’t there, and it wasn’t just the case for Xhaka either.

Dani Ceballos – 4/10

Ceballos was simply awful. A few early wayward passes pretty much set the tone for the rest of his performance today. I was excited to see him in the XI, but it clearly didn’t work for Arteta. Ceballos is great when he is the sole attacking midfielder, but being pinned back by Willock hindered his performance. He’ll need to improve next time out.

Joe Willock – 6/10

He was brought off early in the second half but I personally don’t see much wrong in Joe Willock’s performance. The England international youngster was brought into the XI at the request of fans and he was one of the livelier performers for the Gunners in the first half.

He was the most attacking of the three midfielders and always looked to bring the ball forward. Still, I suppose he was always favourite to leave the pitch after Pepe’s red card.