Arsenal player ratings vs Sunderland: Nketiah nets hat-trick in 5-1 win

Forwards

Nicolas Pepe (RW) – 8/10 – Pepe might as well just get ‘frustrating’ tattooed on his forehead.

Nothing sums him up better than the passage of play before Nketiah’s hat-trick goal: he lost the ball stupidly, prompting Arteta to literally cover his face with his hands, and then gets up the other end with a glorious nutmeg and assist.  Some glorious, some dreadful. In other words: ‘Pepe’.

Still, two assists and a goal. Very decent stuff.

Eddie Nketiah (ST) – 9/10 – £50m will do in January, thanks.

Scoring his first in trademark Nketiah style, he followed the flight of the ball all the way through  for a one-yard tap-in, and then for his first then showed excellent predatory bite to flick in his second wonderfully.

But the third was a thing of beauty. Odegaard’s delightful pass and Pepe’s fine assist were finished off by Nketiah’s Cruyff heel flick. A stupendous goal.

He is the fox in the box. The king of tap-ins (and flicks), and that latter point is anything but a criticism.

Folarin Balogun (LW) – 6/10 – Clearly needs a run of games in senior football as the jump up to this level from Under-23 action is vast. Did have some neat moments down the left, though.

Came off earlier than he probably should have, but having been booked perhaps it was wise. He needs regular minutes against opposition of around this level.

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