Every Arsenal player from the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest ranked from worst to best

Every Arsenal player had a strong case for ranking at #11 here after the total non-event that was the first 45 minutes.

Even after the full 90, it is difficult to split them because they are such a homogenous group, with no individual really standing out for long spells and each one playing their own role in the collective, dull performance.

But some did sink to particularly low standards, while others let their talent shine through at a critical juncture to make sure the Gunners would come away from a tough Premier League away trip with all three points.

Every Arsenal player from the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest - ranked from worst to best

#15: Eberechi Eze

Poor Eze cannot catch a break, though recent events suggest that he might now get an extended one on the bench.

In fairness to him, he was not terrible. Sure, he had little impact on the game and gave the ball away carelessly on occasion but one can easily point to the lack of intent from Arsenal. Eze is a huge talent but he is not a miracle worker.

Still, though, he was as poor as anyone when on the pitch and his half-time withdrawal only made it all look worse.

#14: Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz might have earned a similar fate to Eze only every knows that Viktor Gyokeres is far down the pecking order.

The German fed off scraps (like everyone else up front) but did make a more egregious error than the others with his bad header just before half-time. It was a great chance in a game of few and he failed to take it.

Beyond that, he simply ghosted through the game and was brought off halfway through the second half.

#13: Viktor Gyokeres

Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres were locked in a tense battle to see who could stink out the place more here.

To be fair to Gyokeres, he had limited time to make an impact and at least tried to impose himself as well as hold the ball up when launched at him from a distance. He has never done a particularly good job of it but Mikel Arteta still insists on having the ball fired up to him and he did so again on Sunday (spoiler: it did not work – again).

At least he has a home match versus Everton to look forward to next week. He loves playing against them.

#12: Riccardo Calafiori

It gets more interesting now and in at #12 is Riccardo Calafiori, which feels almost sacrilegious given his usual impact.

Whether it owes to the mass Forest defence, the dull Arsenal effort or some awful concoction of the two, Calafiori just did not get going in this match. His characteristic runs and random positioning were not on display while he almost cost the Gunners a goal in the first half by cheaply giving the ball away for a Forest counter attack.

Maybe one can call it an off day and cut him some slack. He has done well this season and will return to his old tricks again soon.

#11: Jurrien Timber

This low ranking is in no way meant as a slight on Jurrien Timber; it simply reflects his limited time on the pitch.

Arteta chose to start Ben White at fullback today so Timber spent the first 65 minutes watching it all happen from the bench. Probably nothing more than load management for a player just back from a long-term injury.

All this tells anyone is that the boss has an embarrassment of riches at right back and Timber is being primed for locking down Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. That free-scoring Bavarian attack will not know what hit them.

#10: Mikel Merino

He came on to do a job – help Arsenal see the game out – and he did it ably whenever the ball came his way in the closing stages.

Nothing flashy to report here. Merino simply carried out his task dutifully and was not needed for his typical heroics in the final third, even if he did have one good chance to make it 2-0 near the end but failed to take it.

Whether it is to pop up with a goal or to just play keep ball, Merino seems to be the tactical weapon of choice for Arteta.

The world is a better place for it.

#9: Ben White

This list could make for good bedtime reading, because 90% of the names just blend together into a big ‘meh’ mixture.

Add Ben White to that recipe. He ranks higher up than others because he combined well with Bukayo Saka at times and tried to offer some bit of creativity in a team that had no intention of playing liquid football.

However, his shinned cross which sailed harmlessly into the stands tells you all you need to know of how that went for him. At least he is back fit, and at the SAME TIME as Timber – now that is something to behold.

#8: Bruno Guimaraes

More ‘meh’ stuff here, this time from Bruno Guimaraes.

He stormed around the pitch with his usual, hot-headed gusto but there were no standout moments to report.

His tenacity and willingness to cover lots of ground perhaps helped to keep Forest at bay and reduce them to minimal attacking threat. Indeed, the hosts found most offensive joy after his substitution in the 65th minute.

Doing the donkey work and not standing out can be a big positive for a midfielder, and it should not be dismissed just because he did not have the headline moment in front of goal like last week versus Leeds.

#7: Martin Odegaard

It would nearly be a copy + paste exercise for Martin Odegaard only for his smart work on the ball as Arsenal tried to see the game out.

The captain had some nice touches in the final minutes, including a nice backheel to help Arsenal to keep possession in the Forest half. It is remarkable how quick and accurate the Gunners can be with their passing when shutting games down, compared to their often-poor efforts at unpicking locks in and around the box.

Even so, he offered little overall which is a tad disappointing after what has been a strong start to the campaign for him.

#6: Noni Madueke

Perhaps it is harsh to criticise him but, only for his match-winning goal, Noni Madueke might well be lower ranked.

He came on at half-time for Eze and was almost just as ineffective. As usual, he often failed to deliver in the final third and strayed offside on occasion, while he also picked up a booking just minutes into the second half.

However, Madueke did what his teammates regularly fail to do – shoot when the opportunity crops up. Shooting is always worth it because there could be a deflection to help it beyond the goalkeeper and that is exactly what happened here.

Could he be entrusted to replace Christos Tzolis? At present, he seems as good a candidate as any of his Arsenal teammates.

#5: Bukayo Saka

Arsenal once pinned their attacking hopes on Saka but, for one reason or another, he is not the Saka of old anymore.

He did show signs of his old self in the first half, with his corner deliveries causing problems for the Forest backline while a slick drop of the shoulder saw him beat Neco Williams and win his side a free kick in a good position.

But it was short lived, as he hardly got a look in in the second half. Those combinations with the RB – whether it be Timber or White – still offer a glimpse of promise but it is far from the level of quality fans expect from him.

#4: Declan Rice

Like a few others, the first 65-70 minutes might have plunged Declan Rice a lot further down on this list – not least because of his awful finishing.

But the £105m man gets boosted up on account of two important contributions: his assist for Noni Madueke (not amazing, though he kept the attack alive and found an attacker in space) and, at the death, his brilliant tackle to deny Chris Wood a certain goal.

Perhaps that is what you pay the big money for. After a quiet game, he played his part in the pivotal moment and then effectively saved Arsenal from late heartbreak with his vital intervention in the last embers of the match.

You do not really need to be amazing for 90 minutes if you can deliver moments when they matter most.

#3: David Raya

There is a reason David Raya ranks high even though he had practically nothing to do all match due to poor Forest finishing.

The Spaniard was just brilliant at claiming a series of Williams’ corners and other crosses throughout the match, which killed the home attacks before they even had a chance to strike fear into the hearts of Arsenal fans.

His determination to counter attack fast was also welcome given how resolute Forest were defensive work, while he produced a lowkey but important save in the first half to prevent a Dan Ndoye strike from sneaking in at the near post.

What an asset he is to this Arsenal team.

#2: Ezri Konsa

This was an assured performance from Ezri Konsa, who has taken to an onerous task – replacing the great William Saliba – like a duck to water.

He kept the home attack quiet for much of the contest and did very well in the first half to win a foul when under pressure from the pressing frontline. Then, of course, his standout moment came at the end as he recovered remarkably well to deny Delap.

Konsa played his part in keeping the hosts quiet until the last stretch (albeit they generally struggle to score) and, even if he played Delap onside initially, he deserves huge credit for getting back to atone for it.

#1: Gabriel

Top spot goes to the other Arsenal centre-back thanks to his reliability in a team which failed to spark into life.

He marshalled his teammates well and had a standout defensive moment of his own as he kept pace with Dan Ndoye early in the second half to deny him a clear sight of goal – staying on his feet in that situation made it particularly hard for the Forest man to score.

Gabriel also tried his best to end his dry run in front of goal, seeing a backheel blocked near the goal-line in the first half and seeing a decent headed opportunity float harmlessly over the bar after the break.

Arteta will love how good his defenders look even amidst injuries and, consequently, a lot of rotation, and Gabriel is the pick of the bunch.

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