PLAYER RATINGS | Arsenal 3-0 Lille: Les Dogues collapse in 7-minute blitz

PLAYER RATINGS | Arsenal 3-0 Lille: Les Dogues collapse in 7-minute blitz UEFA Champions League, Matchday 2, 13/10/26 Davide Ancelotti’s Lille have been overwhelmed by the UEFA Champions League runners-up in a 7-minute blitz that saw Arsenal’s Jurriën Timber, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka score in quick succession. The Match A month after their opening-day home defeat to Real Betis, Lille’s task was considerably tougher as they paid a visit to the UEFA Champions League runners-up, Arsenal. The Gunners maintained a 100% record last season in the opening phase of Europe’s premier club competition, and they picked up where they left off with a dominant away win to Napoli. Davide Ancelotti’s men sat in a compact 4-1-4-1 formation that seemed to surprise the hosts. The Premier League champions had a slow start, although they needed some time to adjust to changes of personel as Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Ödegaard, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz were all given a breather. Lille were the first team to find the back of the net, but Ayase Ueda was in an offside position. Arsenal gradually grew into the game to eventually carve out some chances, although Viktor Gyökeres had a poor first half. Berke Özer was alert to prevent Eberechi Eze and Bruno Guimarães from opening the scoring. For all of Lille’s sturdiness and discipline, they looked like they could be in serious trouble should Arsenal raise their standards. The hosts duly did so, overwhelming Lille with sheer brute force. Les Dogues just could not hold the ball for sustained spells. Arsenal were in full flow and the expected outcome became reality when the Gunners drew first blood after the hour mark. It came from a nice dinked finish from Jurriën Timber. From then on, Lille collapsed on themselves, shipping two more goals in quick succession through a deflected effort from Eberechi Eze and a brilliant team move capped off by substitute Bukayo Saka. The Gunners could see off the closing stages as walking pace. The Emirates Stadium crowd had a final moment to cherish as former Arsenal centre-forward Olivier Giroud took to the pitch. Lille player ratings Berke Özer – 5 He deserves credit for delaying what felt like the inevitable, but did he go to the ground too quickly for Timber’s goal? His distribution still remains poor. Romain Perraud – 3 Alexsandro – 4 Nathan Ngoy – 4 Maxima Goffi – 3 Benjamin André – 3 The 36-year-old’s prime years look long gone. Unremarkable in Lille’s best spells of the game, he embodied his team’s collapse in the second half with countless lost balls. When Lille players turned to their captain, he looked as lost as them. Nabil Bentaleb – 5 The former Tottenham midfielder played like he had a point to prove against Spurs’ arch-rivals. Positioned as Lille’s deep-lying midfielder, he has been excellent in building up pla and was the Lille player with the most touches in the first half. His performance is tarnished by Arsenal’s second goal, when he’s too easily dispossessed. Waned in the second half. Hakon Haraldsson – 4 Ngal’Ayel Mukau – 4 Dilane Bakwa – 3 The Nottingham Forest loanee failed to deliver the pace Lille badly needed to upset Arsenal’s airtight backline. Myles Lewis-Skelly did not do much to control him. Ayase Ueda – 4 Selected Arsenal player ratings Gabriel – 6 Noni Madueke – 4 The English winger was given the nod ahead of Bukayo Saka, and he barely repaid Mikel Arteta’s faith in him as he missed most of his crosses. Fortunately, he’s heavily involved in Timber’s opener before being hooked and replaced by Saka. Viktor Gyökeres – 3 GFFN | Bastien Cheval