Player Ratings In Arsenal's 3-0 Victory Over Sunderland

Emirates Stadium, 7 February – Matchday 25 – Arsenal underlined their title credentials with a ruthless 3-0 dismissal of high-flying Sunderland, leaving Regis Le Bris’s side to regroup before a daunting date with Liverpool next weekend.

The contest never reached the heights of the teams’ 2-2 thriller earlier in the campaign, but Mikel Arteta’s men were relentlessly efficient. Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring midway through the first half, and Viktor Gyokeres, introduced from the bench, added a second-half brace to settle the outcome and lift the mood among the home support.

Player Ratings

Arsenal David Raya – 7.4: Seldom extended yet alert when called upon, preserving the clean sheet with a smart second-half stop. Jurrien Timber – 7.1: Solid on the right, timed his tackles well and offered an outlet in possession. William Saliba – 7.1: Composed under sporadic Sunderland pressure, stepping in to intercept before danger materialised. Gabriel Magalhaes – 7.8: Dominant aerially, cleared set-pieces with conviction and started attacks calmly. Ricardo Calafiori – 6.8: Energetic down the left flank, though a couple of loose passes checked his rating. Martin Zubimendi – 7.9: Dictated tempo with metronomic passing and broke the deadlock with a crisp finish. Declan Rice – 7.2: Shielded the back line, recycled possession quickly and kept Arsenal on the front foot. Kai Havertz – 7.0: Drifted intelligently between lines, creating space for runners without finding the scoresheet. Noni Madueke – 6.6: Flashes of direct running but final ball lacked precision. Gabriel Jesus – 6.3: Worked tirelessly, yet snatched at the few chances that came his way. Leonardo Trossard – 7.3: Constant menace with cut-backs and through-balls, unlucky not to register an assist.

Substitutes Viktor Gyokeres – 6.8: Two opportunistic goals in 28 minutes turned a comfortable win into a statement result. Gabriel Martinelli – 7.5: Immediate injection of pace stretched a tiring defence. Piero Hincapie – 6.6: Brought fresh legs to the back line, kept shape intact. Eberechi Eze – 6.7: Neat touches and positive movement in the closing stages. Christian Nørgaard – 6.5: Helped see the game out with sensible possession.

Sunderland Robin Roefs – 5.7: Could do little about the goals but distribution was erratic. Nordi Mukiele – 6.6: Tried to push forward yet found himself pinned back. Daniel Ballard – 6.0: Struggled against Jesus’s movement, booked for a cynical tug. Omar Alderete – 6.5: Won important headers but lacked support. Reinildo Mandava – 5.7: Left channel repeatedly exposed, substituted after 55 minutes. Noah Sadiki – 6.4: Industrious but over-run in midfield. Habid Diarra – 6.8: One of the visitors’ brighter sparks, carried the ball with purpose. Trai Hume – 6.6: Competed gamely without finding a telling cross. Enzo Le Fee – 6.2: Flashes of creativity smothered by Arsenal’s press. Chemsdine Talbi – 6.3: Isolated up top, service was sporadic. Brian Brobbey – 6.4: Replaced Talbi on the hour, held the ball up reasonably.

Substitutes Romain Mundle – 6.7: Added energy down the right. Lutsharel Geertruida – 6.3: Slotted into defence, little time to influence play. Wilson Isidor – 6.4: Few touches in advanced areas. Nilson Angulo – 6.5: Ecuadorian debutant featured for 12 minutes with the result beyond doubt, unable to showcase his flair.

Key Moments Zubimendi’s 27th-minute strike calmed any early nerves, and once Gyokeres converted a low cut-back on 66 minutes the contest was effectively over. The Swede added a third from close range ten minutes later, capping a cameo that will push him up Arteta’s pecking order.

What It Means Arsenal climb to 57 points from 25 matches, trimming the gap to the summit, while Sunderland remain in the European conversation on 38 points despite the setback. Le Bris must now lift his squad for a pivotal clash at Anfield.

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