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Arsenal Player Ratings vs Crystal Palace: Winning Run Ends

By Rob Worthington

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 14, 2021. (Photo by Julian Finney / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by JULIAN FINNEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 14, 2021. (Photo by Julian Finney / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by JULIAN FINNEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Photo by JULIAN FINNEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Player ratings as Arsenal’s consecutive run of Premier League wins comes with a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace.

A word to describe that performance? Leggy.

Almost every single Arsenal player looked tired tonight. Those who have provided a much needed attacking spark in recent times failed to influence the match and left-back Kieran Tierney‘s absence was certainly felt profoundly.

Defensively, Arsenal were relatively solid. Bernd Leno bailed out his defence on a couple of occasions in the first half but in the second Palace offered nothing offensively.

Tonight was just another example of Arsenal’s struggles in breaking down low blocks. Palace sat in admirably for the duration of the 90′ and the Gunners’ simply didn’t have the spark to split the south London side open.

Anyhow, onto the player ratings.

Arsenal
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 14: Bernd Leno of Arsenal (Photo by Neil Hall – Pool/Getty Images) /

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK)  – 8: Has to be Arsenal’s Man of The Match. Pulled off a quite brilliant save in the first-half from a looping Christian Benteke header to keep Arsenal in the game. Tidy distribution once again from the German.

Hector Bellerin (RB) – 5: A poor outing from the Spanish right-back. Despite sitting out the FA Cup victory against Newcastle, Bellerin looked leggy and unsure of himself in the final third. Despite containing, Zaha and Eze well at time, there’s work to be done for Arsenal’s no. 2.

Rob Holding (CB) – 6: Holding showed exactly why Arsenal tied him down to a new contract earlier this week. He delivered a more than adequate performance in the middle of the Arsenal defence. Nothing special but he did his job.

David Luiz (CB) – 6: Like Holding, Luiz did his job defensively. His performance against Newcastle in the FA Cup justified the start but expect Gabriel to turn when we face the Magpies again on Monday.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (LB) – 5: A disappointing night for Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Covering for Kieran Tierney wouldn’t be an easy task for many players but the Scot was dearly missed tonight. Maitland-Niles was far too lax in possession and didn’t offer enough going forward.

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