Arsenal player ratings vs Villarreal: Devastating Europa League exit

Arsenal crashed out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage against Villarreal in their second leg tie on Thursday as an embarrassing display saw them draw 0-0 and lose 2-1 on aggregate.

Mikel Arteta opted to make two changes to his starting lineup from the 2-1 first leg defeat at Estadio de la Ceramica as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started up front and Hector Bellerin coming in at right-back in place of Calum Chambers, while Granit Xhaka was injured in the warm-up and Kieran Tierney came in.

Villarreal were as comfortable as you like. They kept their two strikers from the previous leg and passed the ball around with confidence and calmness. Untested, they were allowed to shift about the flank untroubled.

Arsenal were hideously passive. With no energy or tempo to anything they did, the back four were playing out so sluggishly they invited as much pressure as Villarreal were willing to offer.

Arsenal player ratings vs Villarreal as Gunners crash out of Europa League with awful display in 0-0 draw

Despite being utterly hopeless in the opening 45 minutes, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw the ball fall to him from a corner and struck the outside of the post with a curling drive. That was, by some distance, as good as it got.

A fast start was what Arsenal needed after the break and that was exactly what they got. Both Nicolas Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe came close to breaking the deadlock, only for the Gunners quick start to dissipate rapidly.

Villarreal looked the more likely to score as the game drifted away from Arsenal, with the same lethargy returning as tired bodies littered the pitch.

Aubameyang came inches from grabbing the opening goal as his header struck the inside of the post, but it was nowhere near enough. Arsenal are out. They deserve it. One shot on target.

Arsenal Goalkeeper & Defenders Ratings

Bernd Leno (GK) – 6/10 – Had little to bar a good diving save from Samuel Chukwueze early on and a comfortable save from Gerard Moreno, trying to get his defender to move the ball up with some modicum of pace but regularly had to deal with passes back into his six-yard area.

Did nearly fluff his lines with a loose Hector Bellerin backpass.

Hector Bellerin (RB) – 3/10 – Lost possession more times than you can count but wasn’t helped by Rob Holding throwing him under the bus with the wrong passes out from the back. Tried to shift infield and let Odegaard create from a deeper right position but his control on the ball was awfully lacking. So desperately off the pace.

Rob Holding (CB) – 4/10 – Kept taking the wrong option when on the ball. Never released quick enough and invited pressure with some unnecessary touches.

Pablo Mari (CB) – 4/10 – Thinking the first leg was just a ‘bad day at the office’, Mari looked horribly off the pace on Thursday with some pedestrian play from the back and shaky moments in transition. In both he and Holding’s defence, Partey was their only shield and had everything to do to try and cover the pair.

Kieran Tierney (LB) – 4/10 – There can be no blame placed on Kieran Tierney who even after ten minutes was gasping for air. Tracking back when Villarreal were on the counter was a painful watch. With only two days’ training he was clearly not fit, and it showed in his touches and how he carried himself across the pitch.

Arsenal Midfielders Ratings

Thomas Partey (CM) – 5/10 – Tried out one of his long shots on the wrong goal, saved by Leno’s dive with one of his more woeful passes. Was getting caught upfield too often early on with no cover in front of the back four, but showed the usual silk on the ball with some nice touches and play through the lines.

Was about the only one contributing in playing through the thirds, and had so much ground to cover by himself. It would have worked better had Arsenal have played in the opposition half as the team put was was intended to, and it showed as he became worryingly sloppy in the second half.

Emile Smith Rowe (CM) – 6/10 – Came into a system that, on paper, excited before kick-off. Tasked with being the left-sided central midfielder to Thomas Partey, it was another example of a player being asked to do too much. He, like so many, just looked scared.

However, he gave his absolute all. Everything he had. Tried to create, tried to move, tried to play.

Martin Odegaard (AM) – 4/10 – Unable to get into the game at all and found himself dropping into a deep right slot to try and make Arsenal build quicker from the back. Came to life early in the second half but ended up losing his composure and became sloppy in possession and started making the wrong decisions on the ball.

Arsenal Forwards Ratings

Bukayo Saka (RW) – 5/10 – Had no joy down the right side with Pedraza putting in an excellent display containing all the play Arsenal tried down that flank.

It was a really tough night for Saka who eventually moved infield as the right-sided No. 8, where he was able to carry the ball more

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) – 5/10 – It’s hard to criticise someone who did not touch the ball. When he did, he looked a threat forcing the goalkeeper into a mistake and striking the post in the first half. He was so starved of service.

The captain’s last involvement was seeing a header smack the inside of the post and somehow to safety, the second time of the night. So, so close.

Nicolas Pepe (LW) – 5/10 – Worked his socks off just as he had done in the first leg, yet he was too cautious in possession in this tie, looking to come inside with no runner beyond as opposed to truly testing his covering full-back. Whipped in a few decent deliveries but not enough end product.

Arsenal Substitutes Ratings

Gabriel Martinelli – 6/10 – Everything you would expect to be said of Martinelli can be said. He came on and struck fear into Mario Gaspar, lively and dangerous every time he was on the ball.

Alexandre Lacazette – N/A – Not on long enough to earn a rating.

Willian – N/A – Not on long enough to earn a rating.

Eddie Nketiah – N/A – Not on long enough to earn a rating.