Arsenal secured comfortable progression into the Carabao Cup quarter finals with a 3-0 victory over Preston North End.
The Gunners were dominant from the off at Deepdale and got in front when Gabriel Jesus hammered home Jakub Kiwior’s knockdown for his first goal since January. Then came something a little special as Ethan Nwaneri took his chance yet again by curling home a beauty of an effort from the edge of the box.
Substitute Kai Havertz then added a third with a thumping header before the hour mark to secure the game.
Tommy Setford: A smooth debut for the 18-year-old. Had very little to do on the night in terms of saves and was decent enough with his distribution. 7.
Jurrien Timber: Got forward really well down the right flank. His final ball to Raheem Sterling on two occasions was a little off though. 7.
William Saliba: A very steady return to the side for the Frenchman. Slight surprise to see him play as many minutes as he did but Arteta clearly wanted to go strong. 7.
Jakub Kiwior: Two assists from centre back! His second for Kai Havertz in particular was a superb cross. Really solid defensively aside from that. 8.
Oleksandr Zinchenko: It’s been a tough few weeks for the Ukrainian but he was really solid at Preston. Inverted well, was secure in possession and created a few overloads down the left. 7.
Jorginho: This level of match is a doddle for the Italian. Looked effortless throughout as he led the midfield. Did his chances of more first team minutes no harm at all. 7.
Ethan Nwaneri: The 17-year-old is simply remarkable for someone so young. He might be so good that we have to forget about his age. The goal exhibited the sort of main character energy that seasoned pros at the top of the game for years have. Absolutely superb. 9.
Mikel Merino: A mature performance from the Spaniard. Nearly got a superb assist for Nwaneri. Led the youngster through the game. 7.
Raheem Sterling: Just wouldn’t go in for him on the night. Looked bright in attacking areas and created chances for his teammates. Defensively a touch lax at times though. 7.
Gabriel Jesus: My word did he need that goal. Celebrated it with real weight off his shoulders. Good all night aside from that and his movement was superb. 8.
Gabriel Martinelli: A quiet night for the Brazilian. Took a whack in the first half but fought hard after. Might have wanted a goal against this opposition. 6.
SUBSTITUTES –
Kai Havertz: A brilliant header for his goal. The kind the German has made a real habit of since rediscovering his scoring touch. 8.
Thomas Partey: Preston did get some early joy down his side after he came on at right back. Eventually managed to lock it down though. 6.
Bukayo Saka: Lively as ever down the right hand side when he came on. Slightly strange to see him after his recent hamstring troubles though. 7.
Myles Lewis-Skelly: Another solid cameo from Lewis-Skelly. Defended one potentially perilous moment in front of his own goal with poise. Showed versatility to move into midfield. 7.
