David Raya drops a masterclass, Martin Odegaard totally ineffective – Arsenal player ratings vs Sporting CP
David Raya starred between the posts as Arsenal snatched a late 1-0 victory away at Sporting CP on Tuesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side travelled to Lisbon for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, and they returned home with a slender lead thanks to Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time winner.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between for the Premier League giants, but they ultimately found the breakthrough to return to the Emirates Stadium one goal up ahead of next week’s second leg.
Sporting enjoyed the better of the chances throughout the 90 minutes in midweek, but it was the Gunners who eventually made it count in front of goal.
Arsenal saw their difficult form end in Portugal, and with that in mind, Football Insider rates the performances of every single Gunners player.
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VISIT THE ARSENAL MATCH HUBDavid Raya turns in invaluable display
Raya has been a crucial figure for Arsenal again this season, as he has made countless vital saves to earn them points throughout the campaign.
League points may not have been on offer on Tuesday night, but that didn’t stop the Spanish stopper from turning in another top-quality display, as he kept his team in the game in the first half.
| Stats | Raya Total |
| Touches | 42 |
| Saves | 5 |
| Goals Prevented | 1.63 |
| Accurate Passes | 26/28 (93%) |
| Acted as Sweeper | 1 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
He notably tipped Maxi Araujo’s stinging drive onto the underside of the crossbar in just the sixth minute, and the whole complexion of the tie would have changed had that effort beaten him.
The hosts posed a threat from both set pieces and on the counter, but the former Brentford gloveman was continuously on hand to keep them off the scoresheet.
Arsenal were far from fluid throughout the game, but they were still able to head back to London with a lead almost entirely due to a masterclass from their goalkeeper.
Raya was excellent value for his clean sheet during the game, and as a result, he was worthy of an 8/10 match rating.
Martin Odegaard responsible for Arsenal attacking struggles
Martin Odegaard has found himself facing criticism for his performances at times this season, and his display was at the centre of Arsenal’s attacking issues on Tuesday.
Viktor Gyokeres was frequently isolated at the top of the pitch, leaving the visitors with little way to get a foothold in the opposition’s half.
Odegaard had the freedom to push on and support the frontman to exert an influence in the final third, but he failed to truly make himself useful in an attacking sense.
The Norwegian spent large parts of the game drifting around the base of the midfield and knitting the play together, which wasn’t what was needed from him in this instance, and he was the first man to be taken off by Arteta.
It was far from a terrible performance from the captain, but he was totally ineffective when it came to creating chances and causing problems for the opposition, and he was worthy of little more than a 4/10.
Arsenal player ratings vs Sporting CP
David Raya – 8
Ben White – 6
William Saliba – 6
Gabriel – 6
Riccardo Calafiori – 5
Martin Odegaard – 4
Martin Zubimendi – 6
Declan Rice – 8
Noni Madueke – 7
Viktor Gyokeres – 5
Leandro Trossard – 6
Subtitutes
Kai Havertz – 7
Gabriel Martinelli – 5
Max Dowman – 7
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