3 standout players from Arsenal's 1-0 Champions League win vs Shakhtar Donetsk

Arsenal made a meal of overcoming a timid Shakhtar team at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, with few players meriting plaudits for the hosts.

Three more Champions League points are welcome, but the Gunners certainly missed a chance to turn on the style and forget their limp surrender at Bournemouth. Martinell's goal, via the back of despairing goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk, was about all the hosts deserved for another snooze-fest going forward.

It meant the few praise-worthy players on the night, beyond Martinelli, belonged in defensive areas. At least that's where one of them ended up.

Here were the three standout performers from the Gunners' narrow win over Shakhtar.

1. Thomas Partey

He hasn't dropped many creditable performances this season, but Thomas Partey has generally been solid. He continued in the same vein, both in midfield and later at right-back, on European duty.

Partey was muscle, industry and ingenuity during the first half. He stayed high up the pitch to keep the visitors hemmed in, bullied his way to more than a few turnovers and even played a clever pass or two.

Just when it was safe to think Partey was delivering the midfield masterclass so often promised but rarely delivered since he signed for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta moved him into defence. Partey dropped back to take over from Ben White and allow new boy Mikel Merino to get more useful minutes at the heart of the engine room.

The switch represented the inevitable for Partey. Merino has been signed to play ahead of him, so the Ghanaian should be motivated to delay the changing of the guard. More performances like this will help.

2. Gabriel Martinelli

The Martinelli revival is real. Long strangely passive, the 23-year-old is looking more and more like the live-wire Arsenal need on the left. All of the Brazilian's best qualities were on display. Straight-line pace, directness in front of goal and an appetite for chances.

Yes, there was more than a little fortune about his goal, but Martinelli earned the luck from his desire to shoot on sight.

This is the Martinelli Arsenal need to enliven their soporific attacking play. The Martinelli who combines endeavour and swagger to put the scare into defenders and help himself to more than a few goals.

3. Myles Lewis-Skelly

If Merino's introduction had a personal impact for Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly's necessary cameo has broader implications for the Gunners with Liverpool looming in the Premier League. He was needed at left-back after Riccardo Caliafiori twisted his knee in a nasty-looking moment.

Counting on the Italian to be good to go for the visit of Liverpool would be a mistake, so the 18-odd minutes Lewis-Skelly got here could prove invaluable. As Sam Dean of The Telegraph pointed out, Lewis-Skelly getting the nod tonight ahead of Oleksandr Zinchenko 'might be a sign the pecking order is evolving'.

A change is merited after Lewis-Skelly displayed composure, quality and resilience against a Champions League old hand. The academy grad' built on an excellent showing against Bolton in the Carabao Cup by being comfortable on the ball. He as also willing to stand tall and rebuff more than one shot when Shakhtar frankly dominated the later stages of this match.

A young player performing above his years coud solve a not insignificant problem for Arsenal. Calafiori's ailment, combined with Jurrien Timber's fitness issues and Zinchenko's rust, have created a void Arteta must fill before Sunday.

The manager should be brave enough to risk a young player with the talent and temperament to handle the big occasion.

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