Benfica 1-1 Arsenal Player Ratings: Saka stars for Gunners

10:52pm on Thursday 18th February 2021
By Robin Bairner

Arsenal were unable to make great headway in their Europa League tie with Benfica as the teams played out a 1-1 draw in Rome.

For the first time since September 2018, Arsenal named an unchanged side, but it was not enough to inspire them to victory.

Although the Gunners dominated possession, they struggled to create chances but after falling behind they squared the match through a Bukayo Saka equaliser.

Benfica 1-1 Arsenal: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats

But which players stood out most?

✔️ GOOD PERFORMANCE

Bukayo Saka: 7.3

Bukayo Saka continued his recent excellent spell of form by digging his side out of a hole by converting a Cedric Soares cross shortly after Arsenal had fallen behind.

Did not see a great deal of the ball but did something with it when in possession. Had seven touches in the box, three shots, two of which found the target, and completed a couple of dribbles.

But it was not just in possession he was important, he competed in 10 duels, winning six of them, made an interception and completed two recoveries.

❌ BAD PERFORMANCE

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 5.5

Arteta would have deployed his big guns in Rome in a bid to kill the tie off in the first leg. Had Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had his shooting boots on, they may well have done so. He uncharacteristically fired wide when well placed in the first half.

He failed to get a shot on target, completed only 64% of his passes - lower than any starting outfielder - and was offside four times.

A night to forget.

⭐ STAR MAN

Pizzi: 7.6

Now the outright top scorer in the Europa League as he netted his seventh goal of the competition. His opener was a coolly taken penalty early in the second half.

Although this was his highlight, he was otherwise outstanding in the heart of the field. He completed 97% of his passes - misplacing just one of 38, including 10 into the final third - while he had two shots on target and four touches in the box.

Benfica 1-1 Arsenal: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats