armory produced a blistering second-half display to blow away oxford united And keep the Gunners’ 15th FA Cup goal alive 3-0 win Monday at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.
Sporting an all-white kit as part of the club’s “No More Raid” anti-violence campaign, Arsenal initially saw a very different side dominating the Premier League and it was manager Karl Robinson’s Oxford team who Initially impressed. Phases.
But the quality of the Gunners eventually shone through and the midfielder Mohammed Elneni scored a rare goal when converted Fabio Vieirabefore the cross Eddie NketiahK’s breathtaking brace left mouths watering in their FA Cup fourth round tie Manchester City later this month.
Positive
Two pinpoint assists wouldn’t have done any harm to Vieira’s confidence, while Nketiah’s finishing was world-class and could have played a vital role in his absence Gabriel Jesus in the coming months.
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“Boring, boring Arsenal” sang the home fans at Oxford as the Gunners opted to change their selected throw-in takers twice in a matter of seconds. The visitors’ chants lacked intensity and even looked troubled by the League One opponents in the first half.
Manager Rating (out of 10)
Mikel Arteta, 6 — As expected, Arteta made changes for this latest cup clash. The Gunners boss rotated his entire defense and midfield and it showed as th
Player Rating (1-10 with 10 = Best)
gk matt turner8 — Looked eager to impress, and he did. Commanded his box well and denied Matty Taylor with a smart stop when the Oxford man was face-to-face. His crude turn with the ball at his feet won’t hurt either.
d f takehiro tomiyasu7 — First start since October for Tomiyasu, who should have done better when his low cross was straight down the throat of Oxford goalkeeper Edward McGuinty. A decent second-half performance capped off with well-timed challenges.
d f Rob Holding5 — The big defender wanted a penalty kick as he thought he had been pulled down to the ground by an Arsenal corner but in reality there was nothing to it. got away with some difficult moments including a risky back-pass and a poorly headed clearance.
d f Gabriel6 — He looked a little lethargic when he delivered a brilliant back-pass past his goalkeeper, but appeared more determined when he headed back a dangerous cross. cyrone brown,
d f Kieran Tierney6 — Understanding. took no chances in the opening exchanges against a positive Oxford side, opting to clear their lines under pressure rather than play on. He too was keen to push forward and won a corner after a good conversation with Vieira.
mutual fund Mohammed Elneni7 — Well done to slow things down and prevent Taylor from making a clear path towards the area after a poor header from Holding. proved an unexpected scorer when he met Vieira’s corner with his head. It was his first goal for Arsenal since May 2021.
mutual fund Albert Sambi Lokonga5 — The hardworking midfielder lacked a bit of fire and struggled to keep control of the game in the middle. He was shouting for a penalty when his effort hit the outstretched arm of Elliot Moore, but referee David Coote waved off Arsenal’s protests.
mutual fund Fabio Vieira9 — first showed up to his class just before the 15 minute mark when he blinked javan andersonbefore cutting inside and lifting a neat pass towards the back post. Won the game for his team with two great assists.
family Welfare Bukayo Saka7 — Brown was thought to have been behind when he fumbled, but the officials saved the Oxford man, awarding a free-kick for elbowing. Did the usual things well before coming back after a knock as you would expect from a player of his quality.
family Welfare Eddie Nketiah9 — Barely sniffed in the first 45 minutes, but came to life in the second half. He extended his fine scoring run when he rounded McGinty and slotted into an empty net before taking a delightful moment over the goalkeeper.
family Welfare Gabriel Martinelli6 — Took off his socks but had little to show for it. The home fans cheered when Anderson was sent twice for the hotdogs, but the real culprit was the pitch, which was a slip-and-slide.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes receive no rating)
df, oleksandr zinchenko(Tierney, 61″), 6 — A betting attempt in the Oxford car park broke down in the last minute.
mutual fund granite facade (Laconga, 61″), 6 –Changed out the under-par Lokonga and tightened things up in the middle.
mutual fund Emile Smith Rowe(Saka, 75″), n/r– He almost put a gloss on things when his attempt went narrowly wide.
d f ben white(Tomiyasu, 81″), n/r– wrapped things up of late with a brief cameo.
family Welfare marquinhos(Vieira, 82″), n/r– First FA Cup appearance for the teenager but he had little time to make an impact.