Winners
Eddie Nketiah
When he needed it most, he got his goal and for Eddie Nketiah if that was his only contribution to the match it would have made it a success. However, scoring the Gunners third of the night was just a singular part of his display.
At half-time, there were the obvious lines and comparisons to Gabriel Jesus. Perhaps this just needs to stop because Nketiah is just simply not the same type of Arsenal player as his Brazilian counterpart.
Where the injured forward can dribble past successive players and set up chance after chance, Nketiah prefers to spin off the last man and tonight it secured the three points for the Gunners. The hope will be he can replicate these performances to an even higher standard in the games to come.
READ MORE: Edu given key Arsenal backing to complete striker transfer to replace Gabriel Jesus in January
Martin Odegaard
Everything about Arsenal is Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian channels all the attacking flair and nuance that Mikel Arteta expects from his team as he tried to use his vision and execution to unlock opposition defences.
The Gunners' captain was a continuous pest for the West Ham United defence. His defence-splitting passes nearly found Granit Xhaka, Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka throughout.
Eventually, it was his scuffed shot that proved the catalyst for the comeback as he inadvertently set up Saka for the equaliser. He was awarded the man of the match despite not registering a goal of his own, although he desperately tried to secure one with a number of long-range strikes.
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta has been forced to have an exceptionally weak bench in the attacking area of the field. Injuries to Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Jesus meant that only Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira and youth player Amario Cozier-Duberry were available.
Unsurprisingly, only Vieira made the field and Arteta will be very happy his starters managed to get the job done even after going a goal down. Whilst the table presents as the obvious measure of progression in this Arsenal side there are other more individual notes of improvement.
One is the fact this is the second time this season in the league the club have come from behind to win. Last year it happened just once against Wolves in the Premier League and there’s plenty of matches to go.
When Said Benrahma scored the penalty, the reaction from the crowd was brilliant. A roar that we’ve heard a number of times before just again symbolising how the Spaniard has brought about a new feeling inside the Emirates Stadium.
Losers
William Saliba
It is always very difficult to find ‘losers’ in these types of games, but William Saliba stands out purely for the giving away of the penalty. Although many might call it soft, his late challenge was a desperate lunge that caught Bowen to interrupt his stride and bring him down.
He has only had a couple training sessions since returning from the World Cup but it is so crucial he was brought back. This leads quickly to the next drawback within the team.
Rob Holding
After starting every one of the mid-season friendlies Rob Holding found his place back on the bench. Granted, no one is starting the experienced centre-half over a fully fit and ready Saliba, but the 27-year-old is sure to be gutted to miss out on a game.
Holding’s presence in the dressing room will have been key but he will no doubt be disappointed that after just a couple sessions for Saliba and some good showings of his own across the off-season that he didn’t play.
Marquinhos
It perhaps strikes as the obvious lack of faith that Arteta has in Marquinhos at this early stage as to the reason he didn’t come off the bench even just to give Bukayo Saka a rest late on. With the game effectively wrapped up with Nketiah's goal, the Arsenal manager still didn’t feel confident enough to give the Brazilian minutes.
He had a mixed mid-season break and football.london understands that a loan remains a possibility for him this winter. Perhaps with some more January business amid news of a bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk, Marquinhos will be allowed time away to play regularly at the senior level.
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