ARSENAL continued their fine form after beating Real Madrid with a professional win over Ipswich Town.
There were very few signs of tiredness in Mikel Arteta’s side despite the brilliant win in the Spanish capital.
Arteta used the match against the Tractor Boys as a dress rehearsal ahead of the Champions League clash against PSG on April 29.
The manager opted to drop makeshift forward Mikel Merino back into the midfield while Leandro Trossard took the striker role.
The plan worked nicely as the Belgian netted the opening goal with a neat finish in the 14th minute.
He continued to impress as he played a key role in Arsenal’s second, which was tapped home by Gabriel Martinelli.
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Trossard made it a brace for himself in the second half as he got the better of Palmer for a second time in the 69th minute.
Ethan Nwaneri put the cherry on top as his deflected effort made it four in the closing stages.
Here’s how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated Arteta’s men from inside Portman Road…
David Raya – 7
He could have nipped down the tunnel to go to the toilet at several stages during the game and I would not have noticed. That’s how little I was made to look at Arsenal’s goal.
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Benjamin White – 7
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In need of minutes and rhythm following complications from his knee surgery, White got just that here. A solid run-out and some air in the lungs.
There are still signs he is not totally up to speed, and looks to currently be the second choice at right back behind Jurrien Timber.
But he is such a good squad option to have, especially in games like this – a reliable figure that barely puts a foot wrong.
William Saliba – 8
It looked at times like the Frenchman was being forced to play against a bunch of school kids, barely breaking a sweat. It felt unfair for him to be on the pitch, he’s that good.
If anything, it was just a useful 90-minute slog of building more of a relationship with Jakub Kiwior, something the pair need if they are to reach the Champions League final next month.
Jakub Kiwior – 7
The Pole has received nothing but praise for his recent Champions League outings against Real Madrid, and rightly so, keeping Kylian Mbappe and co at bay comfortably.
From Spain to Suffolk, as is often the case with Kiwior, there were a few nervy moments on the ball, needing to be bailed out by Declan Rice after an underhit pass from the back.
Mikel Arteta even found time to angrily berate the defender early on.
Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7
The perfect game for the Ukrainian to come in for – just his seventh start of the season in all competitions. It was as if this contest was designed with him in mind.
Lots of time on the ball, given plenty of space to cut inside and not a lot of defending or chasing back to worry about.
He was so comfortable that he even moved into midfield on the hour mark.
Clearly an understudy to Myles Lewis-Skelly right now, he should make the most of this as it is unlikely he will be getting much action from here on in, especially if Arsenal remain in Europe and continue to keep the title race alive for as long as possible.
Martin Odegaard – 7
Back to his creative best, and looked to be having so much fun with Bukayo Saka as his sparring partner down the right.
Boy have we missed this sort of performance from the Norwegian – the cute, dinked passes, the dictating around the box, the orchestrating of everything good Arsenal produced.
So unlucky not to grab a late goal as his long-range stinger rattled the inside of the post.
Declan Rice 72′ – 7
He is oozing with confidence right now and it shows, bossing any midfield he sets his eyes on, galloping his way into any space he so chooses.
His corner deliveries are also still on the money – it is just a shame he does not have someone to convert with usual suspect Gabriel out for the season.
Mikel Merino 56′ – 8
No matter the position, wherever Merino plays at the moment he is involved in goals, just like he proved over two legs against Madrid with a goal and two assists.
There was another assist here and wasn’t it a beauty? A first-time, no-look, back-heeled flick from Bukayo Saka’s cut-back straight into the path of Gabriel Martinelli at the far post.
He was deployed in midfield, but often roamed forward and drifted into pockets of space with Leandro Trossard regularly switching to the flanks.
Bukayo Saka 56′ – 8
Spent most of the first half being booed by the Ipswich fans, mainly because he was on the end of an awful studs-up tackle by Leif Davis that had the defender shown a straight red.
But the jeers were also as a sign of respect – they witnessed a player at the top of his game rip them apart at times down the right and should have had a hat-trick of goals and assists inside the first 45 minutes but for several missed sitters.
Understandably was brought off in the 57th minute to protect him for bigger games to come.
Gabriel Martinelli 72′ – 8
Just like in Madrid, the Brazilian can drift in and out of games, on the periphery of attacks, and then in the blink of an eye he is in the right place at the right time.
The movement for his goal and Arsenal’s second was superb.
These are the sorts of consistent, weekly numbers he needs to be producing if he wants to keep his place on that left wing with next season and a big summer transfer splurge in mind.
Leandro Trossard 82′ – 9
This was a real chance to prove his worth to Mikel Arteta down the middle – a potential option for the Champions League semi-final first leg.
There were some good moments, his two goals included.
For both, he calmly slotted into the corner from close range, thanks largely to some pretty dire defending, while he also got involved in some impressive attacks down the right with Saka.
The Belgian was also wasteful – an identical set-up to his goal saw him take a touch when he could have fired it home first time, but to mark him down for that would be harsh.
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Ethan Nwaneri 56′ – 8
Had a few darting runs down the right that came to nothing and then a bit of luck as his shot cutting inside deflected off two Ipswich defenders and in.
Has lost a bit of momentum since Saka’s return from injury but that will do him the world of good.
Myles Lewis-Skelly 56′ – 6
Came on at left-back but was quickly moved inside into a holding midfielder role – his natural habitat from his Arsenal academy days. Unsurprisingly, the 18-year-old was not fazed at all.
Raheem Sterling 72′ – 6
You really have to feel sorry for the guy. He still looks rusty and it’s the business end of the season, but that’s because he has hardly been played.
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Kieran Tierney 72′ – 6
Another chance for the Arsenal fans to serenade their favourite Scot before he departs this summer.
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji 82′ – N/A
A Premier League debut for the 22-year-old.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
