Rampant Arsenal dismantled Group A opponents Ludogorets on Wednesday evening, as the Gunners romped to a resounding 6-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal headed into Wednesday night’s Champions League Group A tie with Ludogorets as joint group leaders alongside their chief rivals Paris Saint Germain, and Arsene Wenger’s in-form team were looking to ramp up the pressure on Unai Emery’s side by registering a convincing victory against their Bulgarian opponents, who had yet to win in Europe this season.
Arsenal were unbeaten in 10 games going into the contest, having won their last six games on the trot, playing some delightful football in the process, and a one-sided tie went the way of the form book, with Arsenal’s class proving far too much for Ludogorets to handle as the Gunners routed to an emphatic 6-0 victory courtesy of a Mesut Ozil hat-trick.
Here is how Wenger’s men rated in Wednesday night’s memorable European victory:
David Ospina -7/10
Ospina was busier than many fans would have anticipated in the Gunners’ goal against Group A underdogs Ludogorets, particularly during the first half, as Arsene Wenger’s side employed a high line with dubious results.
The Colombian stopper recovered well to prevent Cafu from levelling the scoreline at 1-0 after The Eagles’ forward looked to have rounded him from an acute angle, and the 28-year-old had to be alert once again to thwart Misidjan just minutes later, as the Dutch winger raced through on goal following a rare lapse in concentration from Shkodran Mustafi.
Hector Bellerin – 7/10
The marauding Spanish full back contributed well offensively when he got chance against Ludogorets, however he did not feature prominently as an attacking force during the Gunners’ second half masterclass, sensibly opting to save his legs and preserve his resources with the match already finished as a contest by the 60 minute mark.
Laurent Koscielny – 6/10
Arsenal deployed a dangerously high line in the first half against the reigning Bulgarian champions and, at times, Ludogorets looked like finding a way back into the game, as the previously steadfast pair of Koscielny and Mustafi struggled to contend with the pace of Cafu and Misidjan.
Koscielny recovered from a shaky opening 45 minutes with a commanding second half display, however, in truth, the France international was rarely tested.
Shkodran Mustafi – 6/10
Mustafi has been a rock for the Gunners’ since his summer move to The Emirates Stadium from Valencia, and the German international shook off an unusually disjointed first half display by getting into his stride and completely nullifying Ludogorets as an attacking force in the final 45 minutes.
Kieran Gibbs – 7/10
Gibbs made his second start of the season in Wednesday night’s European tie, and the 27-year-old can be pleased with his contributions, after linking up with compatriot Oxlade-Chamberlain to good effect down the left-hand side, causing Ludogorets a plethora of issues as they desperately tried to stem the constant waves of Gunners’ attacks.
Francis Coquelin – 6/10
Coquelin is at his best when contending with sides that are taking the game to Arsenal, and the French international was rarely forced to break a sweat against a below-par Ludogorets outfit, as he breezed through the 90 minutes with consummate ease.
Santi Cazorla – 8/10
It is no coincidence that Cazorla’s timely return from injury has coincided with the Gunners’ impressive early season form, and the classy Spaniard adds oodles of quality to Arsenal in both attack and defence.
Cazorla completely dominated the midfield battle against Ludogorets. and the Bulgarian side had no answer to the former Malaga man’s balletic dribbling and penetrative passes from deep.
Theo Walcott – 8/10
The reinvigorated England international’s scintillating hot streak in front of goal continued on Wednesday night, as he powered home a thunderous 30-yard strike to double Arsenal’s lead late in the first half, taking his personal tally to seven goals in his last six appearances for the Gunners.
Walcott’s ascendance from peripheral squad figure to first-choice forward has been fascinating to watch over the opening months of the season, and confidence emanated from every area of the fleet-footed 27-year-old’s game, as he and Alexis Sanchez combined in tandem to stretch the Ludogorets back four from pillar to post.
Mesut Ozil – 9/10 MOTM
The German maestro picked up his now customary assist for the night by laying on Theo Walcott’s barnstorming first-half strike and, not to be outdone, the 28-year-old later got in on the act himself by notching a fine second half hat-trick with a trio of exceptional finishes.
Ozil first killed a lofted through ball before outrunning the beleaguered Ludogorets backline and tidily slotting beyond Stoyanovon on his weaker right foot, before sweeping home a pinpoint Lucas Perez cross to take his tally for the night to two. The former Real Madrid man’s third and final goal of the evening arrived in the 89th minute, as he added an explanation point to Arsenal’s ruthless second half blitz by unleashing a sweet first-time volley low into the bottom corner beyond Stoyanov’s despairing dive.
The German international’s first ever professional hat-trick capped a truly virtuoso individual display and, in this form, Ozil is showing Wenger why he should shatter Arsenal’s strict wage structure to keep him at The Emirates beyond 2018.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 8/10
Chamberlain continued his recent upturn in form with an enterprising display on the wing against Ludogorets, with the Englishman playing a lovely weighted through ball to assist Alexis’s exquisite opening goal before getting on the score sheet himself with a neat guided finish early in the second half.
The former Southampton starlet made a series of incisive driving runs which left the Bulgarian side in his wake, and he looked extremely sharp throughout; always providing the Gunners with a viable outlet from the left-hand side of midfield.
Alexis Sanchez – 8/10
A typically industrious display from the indefatigable Chilean international, Alexis has the rare gift of matching his incredible footballing ability with an unrelenting work rate, and his potent mixture of class and graft is truly a joy to behold when he is in full flow.
The 27-year-old’s opening goal was an early contender for Arsenal’s goal of the season award, with Sanchez somehow clipping the ball over the stranded Vladislav Stoyanov and into far corner from an improbable angle.
Arsene Wenger’s controversial decision to move the former Barcelona star infield into a central striking berth is proving to be a masterstroke.
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