Arteta must now drop 5/10 Arsenal dud after Shakhtar

Arsenal made it two wins from three in the Champions League this season, securing a 1-0 win over Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side never really looked as though they got themselves out of second gear, and struggled to really secure the victory in a convincing manner.

The only goal came after Gabriel Martinelli’s superb effort cannoned off the base of the post onto the back of the helpless Dmytro Riznyk and into the back of the net.

The Gunners registered a total of 13 shots in North London, but were unable to add to their tally, having to settle for a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

As a result, Arteta’s side remain unbeaten in Europe so far this season, still yet to concede a goal after their first three outings, looking in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages.

However, the result could’ve been more convincing had numerous players taken the chances they had been presented with during the meeting.

Leandro Trossard’s stats against Shakhtar

After failing to make a huge impact in the weekend’s defeat to Bournemouth – notably giving the ball away for William Saliba’s sending off – forward Leandro Trossard was handed an opportunity last night to impress from the off.

However, the Belgian endured a night to forget, producing some poor figures during the defeat and looking a shadow of his former self – which saw him bag 17 goals in all competitions last campaign.

The 29-year-old featured for a total of 87 minutes last night, managing just 38 touches in the process, completing only 21 passes and losing possession seven times in an all-round wasteful display.

Despite his lack of impact throughout the encounter, he was handed a chance to get himself on the scoresheet, stepping up to take the penalty during the closing stages.

However, Trossard had his tame effort saved by Riznyk, looking caught in two minds whether to go down the middle or place the ball to the goalkeeper’s left.

It was an all-around disappointing night for the Gunners’ number 19, but he wasn’t alone in producing a below-par performance for Arteta’s side.

The man who was just as poor as Trossard

Despite being named as a substitute at the weekend, striker Gabriel Jesus was recalled to the starting lineup, and was even named as Arteta’s captain for the Champions League clash at the Emirates.

However, the Brazilian wouldn’t feature in his natural centre-forward role, but instead on the right-hand side of Arsenal’s attack, covering for the injured Bukayo Saka.

Whilst the recall could’ve handed Jesus that confidence boost he so desperately needed, he was unable to change his fortunes of late, once again failing to impress.

During his 68-minute display, the 27-year-old only completed one of his attempted crosses and lost possession 12 times as he often looked wasteful when in possession.

Jesus’ wastefulness translated into his chances in front of goal, missing one big chance after firing his one-on-one opportunity straight at the legs of the opposition ‘keeper.

As a result, Football London’s Kaya Kaynak handed the Brazilian a 5/10 match rating, an indication of how poor he was during the European victory.

This Sunday, Arsenal host the in-form Liverpool at the Emirates, desperate to continue their winning record and give them the best chance of competing for the Premier League title this season.

However, Jesus must be nowhere near the starting lineup, with every Gunner praying that Saka will be fit enough to return for the huge clash.