• ARSENAL RATINGS: Bernd Leno - 6: After a busy evening between the sticks in Arsenal’s midweek League Cup win over Liverpool, the German enjoyed a lazy afternoon at the Emirates today - until he was picking the ball out of the net with eight minutes to go. Reuters
    ARSENAL RATINGS: Bernd Leno - 6: After a busy evening between the sticks in Arsenal’s midweek League Cup win over Liverpool, the German enjoyed a lazy afternoon at the Emirates today - until he was picking the ball out of the net with eight minutes to go. Reuters
  • Hector Bellerin - 7: Provided perfect cross from the right to set up Saka’s opener. Good performance form the reliable right-back. EPA
    Hector Bellerin - 7: Provided perfect cross from the right to set up Saka’s opener. Good performance form the reliable right-back. EPA
  • David Luiz - 6: Early scares for Brazilian when he was caught in possession but keeper Leno was on hand to sweep up and lucky to escape punishment for pulling Burke’s shirt when Scot was almost through on goal. Sloppy distribution as well in rocky first half. Hardly put under any pressure after the break until a tense finale. AP
    David Luiz - 6: Early scares for Brazilian when he was caught in possession but keeper Leno was on hand to sweep up and lucky to escape punishment for pulling Burke’s shirt when Scot was almost through on goal. Sloppy distribution as well in rocky first half. Hardly put under any pressure after the break until a tense finale. AP
  • Gabriel - 7: Brazilian defender signed from Lille appears to have slotted easily into Arteta’s defensive plan, although Sheffield United failed to put them under much pressure until the last 10 minutes. Getty
    Gabriel - 7: Brazilian defender signed from Lille appears to have slotted easily into Arteta’s defensive plan, although Sheffield United failed to put them under much pressure until the last 10 minutes. Getty
  • Kieran Tierney - 7: Some dangerous crosses from left as Arsenal tried to build-up some pressure during first half. Gave McGoldrick too much space as he allowed the Sheffield United attacker curl home a late goal. Getty
    Kieran Tierney - 7: Some dangerous crosses from left as Arsenal tried to build-up some pressure during first half. Gave McGoldrick too much space as he allowed the Sheffield United attacker curl home a late goal. Getty
  • Dani Ceballos - 7: Tried to drive Arsenal forward from midfield in first half but team as a whole struggled to find any momentum. Excellent first-time pass after break was inches away from finding Aubameyang in front of goal. Getty
    Dani Ceballos - 7: Tried to drive Arsenal forward from midfield in first half but team as a whole struggled to find any momentum. Excellent first-time pass after break was inches away from finding Aubameyang in front of goal. Getty
  • Mohamed Elneny - 7: Important part of the Gunners’ engine room and helped Arsenal dominate midfield. Part of the move that set up the opener for Saka. PA
    Mohamed Elneny - 7: Important part of the Gunners’ engine room and helped Arsenal dominate midfield. Part of the move that set up the opener for Saka. PA
  • Bukayo Saka - 7: Confident header home on the hour mark - with practically his first contribution on the attacking front - after a slick Arsenal move. First England call-up this week and now his first goal at the Emirates. Reuters
    Bukayo Saka - 7: Confident header home on the hour mark - with practically his first contribution on the attacking front - after a slick Arsenal move. First England call-up this week and now his first goal at the Emirates. Reuters
  • Willian - 5: Winger was non-existent as an attacking force in first half – like most of his teammates to be fair. Not much better after the break. Disappointing afternoon's work from the Brazilian. AP
    Willian - 5: Winger was non-existent as an attacking force in first half – like most of his teammates to be fair. Not much better after the break. Disappointing afternoon's work from the Brazilian. AP
  • Eddie Nketiah - 5: Nearly in on goal in first minute but first touch let him down. Weak header straight at Ramsdale was game’s first effort on target after 28 minutes. Offered little else and was substituted before the hour. EPA
    Eddie Nketiah - 5: Nearly in on goal in first minute but first touch let him down. Weak header straight at Ramsdale was game’s first effort on target after 28 minutes. Offered little else and was substituted before the hour. EPA
  • Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 7: Had been very quiet until 36th minute when his curling, dipping shot was tipped over by Ramsdale. Left limping and unhappy with Berge after his first-half challenge. Ambitious acrobatic effort hit tamely at keeper just before break. EPA
    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 7: Had been very quiet until 36th minute when his curling, dipping shot was tipped over by Ramsdale. Left limping and unhappy with Berge after his first-half challenge. Ambitious acrobatic effort hit tamely at keeper just before break. EPA
  • SUBS: Nicolas Pepe - 7 (On for Nketiah 56’): Sheer pace down the right wing followed by a quality finish with his left foot, going in off the post, to score his first of the season and put Arsenal 2-0 up. The £72m man now has to start doing it on a regular basis. Getty
    SUBS: Nicolas Pepe - 7 (On for Nketiah 56’): Sheer pace down the right wing followed by a quality finish with his left foot, going in off the post, to score his first of the season and put Arsenal 2-0 up. The £72m man now has to start doing it on a regular basis. Getty
  • Granit Xhaka – (On for Ceballos 81’) N/A. AP
    Granit Xhaka – (On for Ceballos 81’) N/A. AP
  • Ainsley Maitland-Niles - (On for Saka 87’) N/A. Almost gifted McGoldrick with an equaliser after making a mess of a cross but recovered to deflect his shot wide. PA
    Ainsley Maitland-Niles - (On for Saka 87’) N/A. Almost gifted McGoldrick with an equaliser after making a mess of a cross but recovered to deflect his shot wide. PA
  • SHEFFIELD UNITED RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale - 6: Awful pass out from the back in first half handed possession to Ceballos who found Aubameyang but keeper redeemed himself by tipping striker's shot over. Joined the Blades’ attack in injury-time as they tried to grab a leveller. AFP
    SHEFFIELD UNITED RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale - 6: Awful pass out from the back in first half handed possession to Ceballos who found Aubameyang but keeper redeemed himself by tipping striker's shot over. Joined the Blades’ attack in injury-time as they tried to grab a leveller. AFP
  • John Egan - 7: Captain led by example as Blades rediscovered their defensive solidity, particularly in first half, after tough start to season. EPA
    John Egan - 7: Captain led by example as Blades rediscovered their defensive solidity, particularly in first half, after tough start to season. EPA
  • Chris Basham - 6: Did nothing wrong at the back and made some important challenges but was sacrificed with 15 minutes to go for an attacking option in Sharp. PA
    Chris Basham - 6: Did nothing wrong at the back and made some important challenges but was sacrificed with 15 minutes to go for an attacking option in Sharp. PA
  • Jack Robinson - 7: Another who should be happy with his defensive contribution as Arsenal found chances hard to come by and struggled to make a breakthrough for more than an hour. AP
    Jack Robinson - 7: Another who should be happy with his defensive contribution as Arsenal found chances hard to come by and struggled to make a breakthrough for more than an hour. AP
  • George Baldock - 6: Should have been booked after half an hour for poor tackle from behind on Saka. Right wing-back helped keep Aubameyang relatively quiet. EPA
    George Baldock - 6: Should have been booked after half an hour for poor tackle from behind on Saka. Right wing-back helped keep Aubameyang relatively quiet. EPA
  • John Lundstram - 6: Huffed and puffed with any moment of real quality. Blazed one volley miles over the bar in injury-time. Getty
    John Lundstram - 6: Huffed and puffed with any moment of real quality. Blazed one volley miles over the bar in injury-time. Getty
  • Sander Berge - 6: Norwegian midfielder was booked for after catching Aubameyang with his follow-through in a first-half tackle. Some incisive passes right at the death as his team chased a point. AFP
    Sander Berge - 6: Norwegian midfielder was booked for after catching Aubameyang with his follow-through in a first-half tackle. Some incisive passes right at the death as his team chased a point. AFP
  • Ben Osborn - 6: Stuck to his task in midfield without any telling contributions as the Blades offered little attacking threat from midfield. AP
    Ben Osborn - 6: Stuck to his task in midfield without any telling contributions as the Blades offered little attacking threat from midfield. AP
  • Enda Stevens - 6: Shown a clean pair of heels by Pepe down the Sheffield United left as the Arsenal substitute sprinted through to score the second. Shame, as he had helped completely nullify the threat of Willian. AFP
    Enda Stevens - 6: Shown a clean pair of heels by Pepe down the Sheffield United left as the Arsenal substitute sprinted through to score the second. Shame, as he had helped completely nullify the threat of Willian. AFP
  • David McGoldrick - 7: Barely featured as an attacking option until the 35th minute when he followed up a smart turn by curling a shot high and wide of the target. Fine left-footed finish with eight minutes left hauled the Blades back into the match. Saw injury-time shot deflected wide by Ainsley-Niles. AP
    David McGoldrick - 7: Barely featured as an attacking option until the 35th minute when he followed up a smart turn by curling a shot high and wide of the target. Fine left-footed finish with eight minutes left hauled the Blades back into the match. Saw injury-time shot deflected wide by Ainsley-Niles. AP
  • Oliver Burke - 5: Could feel frustrated that Luiz’s tug of his shirt early on, when the Blades attacker was nearly clean through, wasn’t picked up by officials. Generally just chasing shadows, often left ploughing a lone furrow up front and was clearly furious to be hooked 10 minutes into the second half. AFP
    Oliver Burke - 5: Could feel frustrated that Luiz’s tug of his shirt early on, when the Blades attacker was nearly clean through, wasn’t picked up by officials. Generally just chasing shadows, often left ploughing a lone furrow up front and was clearly furious to be hooked 10 minutes into the second half. AFP
  • SUBS: Ollie McBurnie - 6 (On for Burke 56’) 6: Replaced his fellow Scot early in second half and had his team’s first shot on target after 77 minutes – a curling shot straight at Leno. AFP
    SUBS: Ollie McBurnie - 6 (On for Burke 56’) 6: Replaced his fellow Scot early in second half and had his team’s first shot on target after 77 minutes – a curling shot straight at Leno. AFP
  • John Fleck - (On for Osborn 63’) 5: Made no impact after coming on. Reuters
    John Fleck - (On for Osborn 63’) 5: Made no impact after coming on. Reuters
  • Billy Sharp - (On for Basham 76’) N/A. Getty
    Billy Sharp - (On for Basham 76’) N/A. Getty

Football

Bukayo Saka 7, Willian 5; David McGoldrick 7: Arsenal v Sheffield United player ratings

Gunners seal three Premier League points but are given late scare by the Blades

Gareth Cox

October 04, 2020

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Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe scored within three minutes of each other to give Arsenal a 2-1 win on Sunday and leave Sheffield United without a Premier League point this season.

Arsenal broke the deadlock in the 61st minute when Mohamed Elneny burst into the box and found Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose ball in to Hector Bellerin saw the full-back cross for Saka to head home at the back post.

Bellerin was again the provider for the second as he slipped the ball through to Pepe. The Ivory Coast forward broke into the box unchallenged and fired low past Aaron Ramsdale for his first goal since he turned home a penalty in the 2-1 FA Cup quarterfinal win against Sheffield United in June.

As is often the case with Arsenal, things were not all plain sailing as David McGoldrick curled in a late fine goal from 20 yards to claim Sheffield United’s first league goal of the season.

But the Blades could not find a way to pick up their first points of the campaign after four games.

Above is a gallery with the player ratings for the match. To view the next image, click on the arrows or swipe if on a mobile device.

Arsenal