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Arsenal logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Oct 1, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Galatasaray

4-1

Welbeck (22', 30', 52'), Sanchez (41')
FT(HT: 3-0)
Yilmaz (63' pen.)

Player Ratings: Arsenal 4-1 Galatasaray

Sports Mole rates the performance of every player in Arsenal's 4-1 victory over Galatasaray.

Arsenal secured their first victory in Group B on Wednesday night by beating Galatasaray 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

Danny Welbeck stole the headlines with a hat-trick, while Alexis Sanchez also found the net before Galatasaray pulled a goal back through Burak Yilmaz, who scored a penalty after Wojciech Szczesny received a red card for a foul on the same player.

Below, Sports Mole takes a look at who impressed in North London.


Danny Welbeck of Arsenal scores his team's second goal past Fernando Muslera of Galatasaray AS during the UEFA Champions League group D match between Arsenal FC and Galatasaray AS at Emirates Stadium on October 1, 2014

ARSENAL

Goal

Wojciech Szczesny: Barely had anything to do in the match, but ruined what should have been a perfect night by earning a red card for a foolish challenge on Yilmaz. (5/10)

Defence

Calum Chambers: Stood up to any challenge he faced, and looked comfortable in a position he will be trusted to fill in Mathieu Debuchy's absence. (6/10)

Per Mertesacker: Made a number of crucial tackles when Galatasaray improved in the second half as he marshalled the defence well. (7/10)

Laurent Koscielny: In truth, the Frenchman didn't have much to do, but he will be pretty happy with his display. (6/10)

Kieran Gibbs: Always willing to offer an attacking option on the left wing as Arsenal piled on the pressure for the first hour of the match. (6/10)

Midfield

Mathieu Flamini: Looked slightly off the pace early on, but stuck to his task well to ensure his more creative teammates could attack. (6/10)

Santi Cazorla: Excellent display from the Spanish midfielder, who relished playing in the centre of midfield as he dictated the tempo with some excellent passing. Unlucky not to score late on, too. (7/10)

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Energetic display from the England international as he took the game to the visitors with his direct approach. Set up Welbeck for his third goal with a brilliant pass. (8/10)

Mesut Ozil: Struggled to make the same impact as his teammates around him, but showed signs of closing in on his best form with some nice touches in and around the box. (7/10)

Alexis Sanchez: Superb throughout his 62-minute spell on the pitch. Always a threat when cutting inside from the left wing, and looks to be building a great understanding with Welbeck. (8/10)

Attack

Danny Welbeck: Often criticised for his finishing, but kept a calm head to find the back of the net with three excellent goals. Terrorised the Galatasaray defence with his running, and will take a lot of confidence from the game. (9/10)

Substitutes

David Ospina: Made a number of very good saves to prevent the visitors from reducing the deficit after filling the void left by Szczesny's dismissal. (7/10)

Tomas Rosicky: Replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain, but struggled to make much of an impact in midfield. (5/10)

Jack Wilshere: Very lively in the closing stages, and boosted the midfield when Galatasaray started to dominate possession. (6/10)


GALATASARAY

Goal

Fernando Muslera: He'll feel he should have kept out Sanchez's goal, but didn't have a much of a chance with Welbeck's three efforts. (6/10)

Defence

Aurelien Chedjou: Struggled to work out who he was supposed to be marking as Galatasaray showed everyone how not to defend with three at the back. (5/10)

Felipe Melo: Improved when moving into midfield after the break, but had no joy in trying to keep Welbeck quiet. Should have been sent off for a dangerous tackle on Sanchez, too. (5/10)

Semih Kaya: No better than either of the defenders alongside him in the first half, and was too often caught out of position by chipped balls forward. (5/10)

Midfield

Veysel Sari: Never looked sure whether he should be attacking or defending, and ended up doing very little in a wide position. (5/10)

Yekta Kurtulus: A willing fighter in midfield, but couldn't prevent Cazorla from weaving his magic from the first whistle. Replaced at half time. (6/10)

Blerim Dzemaili: Looked lively early in the game, before seeing his influence limited by the dominant hosts. (6/10)

Wesley Sneijder: Surprised many by operating in a deeper position in the first half, before doing even better work in an advanced role after the break. A rare bright spark for the visitors. (7/10)

Alex Telles: Desperate to cause problems for Chambers before the game got away from Galatasaray. However, he should have given more help to his defenders when Arsenal took control in the first half. (6/10)

Attack

Burak Yilmaz: The 29-year-old did well to win and score a penalty for his side, but was kept quiet for long spells of the game. (6/10)

Goran Pandev: Struggling for match fitness in recent weeks, and quickly tired after a bright start to the game. (5/10)

Substitutes

Hamit Altintop: Showed a willingness to fight after being introduced at the second half, but could do nothing to prevent the Gunners from easing to all three points. (6/10)

Bruma: Didn't have the opportunity to trouble the hosts with his pace as the hosts made the pitch look very narrow in the closing stages. (5/10)

Umut Bulut: Barely involved in the latter stages, despite being given over 20 minutes to make an impact. (5/10)


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Danny Welbeck of Arsenal celebrates with team-mates Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alexis Sanchez after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League group D match between Arsenal FC and Galatasaray AS at Emirates Stadium on October 1, 2014
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