Every Arsenal player ranked from best to worst against Ipswich Town
Arsenal's flawless start to the campaign continues. Mikel Arteta's team have now won seven out of seven across all competitions, following Tuesday's night's 4-2 demolition of Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup. Gooners everywhere are now eagerly awaiting Wednesday night's fourth round draw.
Mikel Arteta made nine changes at Portman Road, with only Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel keeping their places, compared to Saturday's starting lineup at the Stadium of Light. So, which starters will have impressed the manager, seeking more regular minutes?
The star of the show in Suffolk was, unquestionably, Max Dowman. The 16 year old scored twice, having only netted for the club once at senior level beforehand, the first seriously showcasing his talent. If anyone needed reminding, Dowman underlined that he was the real deal.
Fair to say, Bruno Guimarães will not be apart of Arteta's Carabao Cup team for long. The Brazilian, now back up to speed after injury, changed the game at Sunderland on Saturday, and was very solid once again. Thus, expect the Brazilian to have earned a starting spot at Brighton this weekend.
Arsenal are FLYING!
Merino puts another goal away for the Gunners 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nrzHHk1bou
While some players require rhythm to build up sharpness, whether he has started ten games in a row or not played for month, you always know what you're going to get from Mikel Merino. The Spaniard racked up a whopping four key passes, as well as scoring the fourth that settled the tie as a contest.
Due to limited defensive options, Gabriel and Ezri Konsa timeshared 45 minutes each. Part of an inexperienced and makeshift back four, the Brazilian helped hold it all together in the first half, registering six defensive contributions.
Arsenal are flying 🔥
Noni Madueke adds a second for the Gunners 🔴 pic.twitter.com/gAVmAI3odx
While he did score his ninth goal for Arsenal, if we're looking for players who've staked a claim for more regular starts, it is hard to make a case for Noni Madueke. Nevertheless, he was successful with four of the five dribbles he attempted, as well as racking up nine progressive carries, lashing the crucial second past Christian Walton.
With neither Benjamin White nor Jurriën Timber in the travelling party, Martín Zubimendi was asked to fill in at right-back. While the Spaniard was not spectacular, he was a solid performer, winning five duels and completing 87% of his passes, and you can't ask much more from a player out of position.
Similarly, on the opposite side, with Piero Hincapié nursing a muscle injury, we saw the return of Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back. The Englishman misplaced only three of 77 passes, while giving very little away defensively, underlining that he is still an option there, despite having been moved into his more natural midfield position since the end of last season.
With Christos Tzolis having been a bit hit and miss thus far, the left winger position is up for grabs. However, Eberechi Eze did not especially shine, despite being key to Dowman's first goal, this performance did not suggest he is going to keep his place in Sussex on Saturday.
Despite a mini-clamour for Illan Meslier, it was Kepa Arrizabalaga who remains the cup keeper. The Spaniard did concede two of the three shots on target he faced, and was a clear downgrade on David Raya, as we already knew.
17 year old Marli Salmon had a bit of a difficult night. Zian Flemming and Jaden Philogene got the better of him a couple of times, albeit nothing major, with Salmon racking up nine defensive contributions. This did though underline that the teenager still has work to do to be in consideration for Premier League minutes.
Lastly, it is becoming increasingly clear that Viktor Gyökeres simply does not fit into this Arsenal team. After touching the ball just nine times in Naples, the Swede racked up only 18 touches across 90+ minutes in Ipswich. He lost the ball seven times, had one off target shot and created zero opportunities for team mates. This though is not all Gyökeres' fault. He does not play to Arsenal's strengths, nor do the team play to his, meaning his importance could diminish as the campaign progresses.
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