PLAYER RATINGS | Arsenal 3-0 Monaco: Bukayo Saka brace sinks Monaco

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UEFA Champions League, Round 6, 11/12/24

Bukayo Saka netted a brace as Arsenal dispatched AS Monaco with relative ease (3-0) at the Emirates Stadium as they bolstered their credentials for a top-eight finish in the UEFA Champions League ‘League Phase’. 

The Match 

Adi Hütter said that his Monaco side “wouldn’t hide” at the Emirates, promising to make life difficult for the hosts but they did nothing of the sort in the first half. There was a lack of intensity as Les Monégasques were left chasing shadows. Anytime that Arsenal stepped on the accelerator, they caused the visitors problems and they should have been out of sight by halftime. 

Gabriel Jesus missed two glorious chances, the second a one-on-one that drew a world-class save from Radoslaw Majecki. Martin Odegaard also missed a one-on-one for the profligate Gunners. They did nonetheless lead at the break thanks to Bukayo Saka, who met Jesus’ pass to the back post. 

Soungutou Magassa came off at the break for the Principality club and it was a tactical switch that saw Aleksandr Golovin drop deeper and allowed Eliesse Ben Seghir and Maghnes Akliouche to tuck in and have more influence on proceedings. Thilo Kehrer went close with a header, whilst Breel Embolo was inches away from an equaliser, shooting just wide on the turn after Takumi Minamino intercepted a misplaced William Saliba pass. 

The pressure, however, could not be sustained and Arsenal steadied the flow of chances. Managing the match, they then pounced on a misunderstanding between Salisu and Majecki to double the lead with Saka picking up the pieces and slotting home his second on the night. 

Down but not quite completely out, a late Kai Havertz flicked finish from a Saka cross put the cherry on the cake late on as Monaco succumbed to back-to-back defeats in the Champions League. The result sees Arsenal burst into the top three, whilst Monaco slip to 16th. 

Arsenal player ratings 

David Raya – 5

Myles Lewis-Skelly – 7

Thrust into the line-up amid an injury crisis, the academy product rose to the challenge. It was his bravery to take on his man that created Arsenal’s opener whilst Maghnes AKliouche and Vanderson were subdued going forward and struggled to get the best of Lewis-Skelly. 

Jakub Kiwior – 7

William Saliba – 6

Thomas Partey – 5

Mikel Merino – 5

Declan Rice – 6

Martin Odegaard – 6

Gabriel Martinelli – 4

Gabriel Jesus – 4

Impressive in his defensive work and the provider for Arsenal’s opener, the Brazilian was nonetheless wasteful in front of goal in the first half. 

Bukayo Saka – 8

The scorer of a brace and at the heart of things for the third, he very much got the better of Henrique, finding space in behind him. A decisive performance and one that rightly earned him the man of the match award.

Monaco player ratings 

Radoslaw Majecki – 7

A world-class performance in the first half with two huge saves from Jesus was somewhat sullied by the late misunderstanding with Salisu that gifted Arsenal their second. 

Caio Henrique – 4

Mohammed Salisu – 3

Thilo Kehrer – 5

Vanderson – 4

Lamine Camara – 6

Soungoutou Magassa – 3 

A sloppy first half, marked by two dangerous losses of possession, he was replaced by Takumi Minamino (5) at the break. 

Eliesse Ben Seghir – 4

Aleksandr Golovin – 5

Maghnes Akliouche – 4

Breel Embolo – 4

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from the Emirates Stadium