Arsenal player ratings vs Olympiacos in the Europa League as Martin Odegaard, Gabriel and Mohamed Elneny secure huge 3-1 win. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal beat Olympiacos 3-1 in their Europa League last 16 first leg tie on Thursday as stunning goals from Martin Odegaard, Gabriel and Mohamed Elneny put the tie firmly in the Gunners’ control.
Facing old foes in European competition, Mikel Arteta opted to match that by going for a similar setup from the side that drew 1-1 with Burnley in the Premier League. Hector Bellerin came in at right-back with Gabriel taking Pablo Mari’s spot in the heart of defence, with Willian keeping his place up top alongside Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal started like a house on fire, getting stuck into their opponents and holding them tight in their grip.
Martin Odegaard missed a glorious chance two minutes in and then Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw a deflected header wonderfully tipped onto the crossbar as the Gunners turned the screw.
Arsenal player ratings vs Olympiacos in the Europa League as Martin Odegaard, Gabriel and Mohamed Elneny secure huge 3-1 win
The opening goal came in different fashion, however, as Odegaard unleashed a stunning drive through Jose Sa for his maiden Gunners goal.
In the second half Arsenal continued their dominance, offering Olympiacos nothing in the final third until calamity struck for the third time on the night. Bernd Leno’s dangerous pass into Dani Ceballos was woefully controlled by the Spaniard, who handed the ball to Youssef El-Arabi to curl home.
With Arsenal’s potency waning, Gabriel produced a stunning header from Willian’s delivery to put the visitors’ noses back in front. A quite stupendous leap.
And then, in remarkable fashion, a magnificent strike from Mohamed Elneny put the tie firmly in control ahead of the second leg next week.
German referee Daniel Siebert (L) gives a yellow card to Arsenal’s Brazilian defender Gabriel (C) during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first-leg football match between Olympiacos FC and Arsenal FC at the Karaiskakis Stadium, in Piraeus, near Athens on March 11, 2021. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal Goalkeeper & Defenders Ratings
Bernd Leno (GK) – 4/10 – Safe pair of hands in between the sticks and eager to build out as soon as he received the ball. Was mostly untroubled until he put Ceballos under the cosh with a horrid pass out from the back. He should have gone for the easier ball on this occasion. Errors. Errors. Errors.
Hector Bellerin (RB) – 7/10 – Excellent addition to Saka on the right side, constantly overlaping and providing the width his teammate needed to drift into the half-spaces. His pressing for Odegaard’s goal was superb and his energy levels relentless throughout. Some untidy moments but he hasn’t played in two weeks.
David Luiz (CB) – 7/10 – Frustratingly, Luiz was solid in the heart of defence, cleaning up Olympiacos attacks and getting the ball moving through the thirds. He even contributed as a wall-pass option in advanced areas. However, there is always an error with him and this time he got very lucky.
Gabriel (CB) – 9/10 – Off in a few moments but otherwise a solid partner to Luiz, and was so harshly done by with a yellow card for the same fouls Olympiacos players were committing all game. He pressed when he needed to and covered runners effectively. Oh, and don’t forget:
What. A. Header.
Kieran Tierney (LB) – 8/10 – Such a threatening outlet for any side to deal with. He had Lala in La La Land throughout the 90 minutes, constantly beating the right-back on the outside and laying off a few neat cut-backs and crosses into the box. Better finishing and he’d be on double figures for assists this season.
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<p>— Pain In The Arsenal (@PainInThArsenal) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/03/11/arsenal-player-ratings-vs-olympiacos/"https://twitter.com/PainInThArsenal/status/1370128407770583040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>March 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2 style="color: #333333">Arsenal player ratings vs Olympiacos in the Europa League as Martin Odegaard, Gabriel and Mohamed Elneny secure huge 3-1 win</h2>
<p>The opening goal came in different fashion, however, as Odegaard unleashed a stunning drive through Jose Sa for his maiden Gunners goal.</p>
<p>In the second half Arsenal continued their dominance, offering Olympiacos nothing in the final third until calamity struck for the third time on the night. Bernd Leno’s dangerous pass into Dani Ceballos was woefully controlled by the Spaniard, who handed the ball to Youssef El-Arabi to curl home.</p>
<p>With Arsenal’s potency waning, Gabriel produced a stunning header from Willian’s delivery to put the visitors’ noses back in front. A quite stupendous leap.</p>
<p>And then, in remarkable fashion, a magnificent strike from Mohamed Elneny put the tie <em>firmly </em>in control ahead of the second leg next week.</p>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-112942" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/03/11/arsenal-player-ratings-vs-olympiacos/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1231652343-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Gabriel" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">German referee Daniel Siebert (L) gives a yellow card to Arsenal’s Brazilian defender Gabriel (C) during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first-leg football match between Olympiacos FC and Arsenal FC at the Karaiskakis Stadium, in Piraeus, near Athens on March 11, 2021. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2><strong>Arsenal Goalkeeper & Defenders Ratings</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Bernd Leno (GK) – 4/10 – </strong>Safe pair of hands in between the sticks and eager to build out as soon as he received the ball. Was mostly untroubled until he put Ceballos under the cosh with a horrid pass out from the back. He should have gone for the easier ball on <em>this </em>occasion. Errors. Errors. Errors.</p>
<p><strong>Hector Bellerin (RB) – 7/10 – </strong>Excellent addition to Saka on the right side, constantly overlaping and providing the width his teammate needed to drift into the half-spaces. His pressing for Odegaard’s goal was superb and his energy levels relentless throughout. Some untidy moments but he hasn’t played in two weeks.</p>
<p><strong>David Luiz (CB) – 7/10 – </strong>Frustratingly, Luiz was solid in the heart of defence, cleaning up Olympiacos attacks and getting the ball moving through the thirds. He even contributed as a wall-pass option in advanced areas. However, there is always an error with him and this time he got very lucky.</p>
<p><strong>Gabriel (CB) – 9/10 – </strong>Off in a few moments but otherwise a solid partner to Luiz, and was so harshly done by with a yellow card for the same fouls Olympiacos players were committing all game. He pressed when he needed to and covered runners effectively. Oh, and don’t forget:</p>
<p>What. A. Header.</p>
<p><strong>Kieran Tierney (LB) – 8/10 – </strong>Such a threatening outlet for any side to deal with. He had Lala in La La Land throughout the 90 minutes, constantly beating the right-back on the outside and laying off a few neat cut-backs and crosses into the box. Better finishing and he’d be on double figures for assists this season.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/03/11/arsenal-player-ratings-vs-olympiacos/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Midfielders </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-112944" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/03/11/arsenal-player-ratings-vs-olympiacos/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1306555245-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Martin Odegaard" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">PIRAEUS, GREECE – MARCH 11: Mady Camara of Olympiakos and Martin Odegaard of Arsenal battle for possession during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 First Leg match between Olympiacos and Arsenal at Karaiskakis Stadium on March 11, 2021 in Piraeus, Greece. Sporting stadiums around Europe remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2><strong>Arsenal Midfielders Ratings</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Thomas Partey (CM) – 6/10 – </strong>Not his best day even if his stats don’t necessarily back up that claim. His feints on the ball and shoulder drops to dummy his opponents are a joy to watch, but on occasion his second touch let him down and he lost his bearings.</p>
<p>Looked sharper in the second half but came off early, either as an injury warning or as part of his rehabilitation.</p>
<p><strong>Granit Xhaka (CM) – 7/10 – </strong>If there was evidence wanted that his mistake at Burnley was just a blip in the renaissance he’s enjoying then Thursday’s game proved it. Rarely put a foot wrong.</p>
<p><strong>Martin Odegaard (AM) – 7/10 – </strong>What a goal. Xhaka vs Liverpool vibes with the sting in that shot. Interestingly, he’d allowed sloppiness to seep into his game in the minutes building towards that strike, with a few weak touches and a hospital ball to Leno.</p>
<p>Involved throughout either as a false nine or dropping into midfield alongside Thomas Partey, he’s finding his feet.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/03/11/arsenal-player-ratings-vs-olympiacos/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Forwards </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2><strong>Arsenal Forwards Ratings</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Bukayo Saka (LW) – 8/10 – </strong>Unreal engine, Outstanding drive. As ever, Saka covered every blade of ground either on the pitch or off it, getting bruised and battered along the way but ever easing his foot off the gas.</p>
<p>A constant threat down the right side, his relationship with Bellerin was well-worked as he drifted infield</p>
<p><strong>Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) – 6/10 – </strong>Made a string of dangerous runs, particularly in the first half, as the Olympiacos back four were constantly on edge. Came inches from opening the scoring but the lack of goalscorers on the pitch makes Aubameyang’s presence seem less fruitful.</p>
<p><strong>Willian (LW) – 7/10 – </strong>Did what was asked of him and being a linking tool and final pass player in the left half-space to account for Tierney’s overlaps. As an attacking threat, you would still want more from him.</p>
<p>Another assist for the Brazilian as he assisted his fellow countryman.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/03/11/arsenal-player-ratings-vs-olympiacos/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Substitutes </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p>https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1370120761889918988</p>
<h2>Arsenal Substitutes Ratings</h2>
<p><strong>Dani Ceballos – 4/10 –</strong> The lack of spacial awareness in this side is no better witnessed than with Ceballos. He marginally gets off the hook for Leno’s dangerous pass, but if Prtey received that ball he doesn’t dally and gives it first time.</p>
<p>Apart from that, he did well, annoyingly.</p>
<p><strong>Mohamed Elneny – 10/10 – </strong>Why the heck not?</p>
<p><strong>Emile Smith Rowe – N/A – </strong>Not on long enough for a rating.</p>
<p><strong>Nicolas Pepe – N/A – </strong>Too dangerous not to be playing more.</p>
<p><strong>Alexandre Lacazette – N/A –</strong> Barely touched the ball in the few minutes he was on.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
