Chelsea 0-1 Arsenal: Player ratings as Gunners complete rare league double over Blues | Premier League 2020-21

Arsenal completed a Premier League double over city rivals Chelsea for the first time since 2003-04 after a narrow 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

An uncharacteristic mistake from Jorginho allowed Arsenal to snatch an early lead through Emile Smith Rowe, and the Blues were never able to recover from that.

Despite boasting a mammoth 68% possession in the game, Thomas Tuchel's side failed to create many chances. Christian Pulisic appeared to have scored the equaliser at the hour mark, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Arsenal, languishing near mid-table before the match, didn't threaten Chelsea for large swathes but maintained good defensive shape. The visitors were also aided by Bernd Leno's heroics between the sticks.

The defeat plunges the Champions League finalists down to fourth in the standings, two points off Leicester City, who pulled off a memorable 2-1 victory at Old Trafford last night. Arsenal, meanwhile, are up to eighth and suddenly in with a chance of qualifying for European football next season.

On that note, let's have a look at the player ratings of both teams.

---

Chelsea

Kepa Arrizabalaga - 7/10

His name on the teamsheet initially raised eyebrows, but the out-of-favour Spaniard justified Thomas Tuchel's decision with a decent performance. The Chelsea custodian did well to save Jorginho's horrendous backpass but was beaten in the follow-up.

Cesar Azpilicueta - 6/10

It was not the best of games for the Chelsea captain, as he was given a torrid time by Arsenal's marauding forwards. That limited Azpilicueta's impact at the other end of the field.

Thiago Silva - 7/10

The veteran Brazilian centre-back held his ground well and looked decent in possession. However, Silva could have a tough time getting over the nutmeg by Smith Rowe.

Kurt Zouma - 6/10

It was an off day for the Frenchman, as he was nowhere near his best. Zouma did not make a single tackle or make a clearance either. He got a chance at the other end but blazed his effort wastefully wide.

Reece James - 7/10

He was energetic and made some darting runs forward. But James only looked dangerous after Giroud came on. The Englishman some good crosses, but Giroud failed to make the most of them.

Billy Gilmour - 6/10

Chelsea's rising star was underwhelming against Arsenal and was constantly overrun in midfield.

Jorginho - 5/10

A calamitous backpass to Kepa handed Arsenal an invaluable opening goal, but Jorginho found his feet as the match wore on.

Ben Chilwell - 6/10

Chilwell made plenty of runs down his wing but couldn't really impact the game.

Mason Mount - 7/10

Mount was Chelsea's biggest threat again but often found himself boxed up in advanced areas and was denied a clear shot at goal with a superb block.

Christian Pulisic - 6/10

Pulisic produced a rather underwhelming outing. He rarely threatened Arsenal; he had the ball at the back of the net, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Kai Havertz - 6/10

He should've taken his chance in the first half but lacked composure and ended up firing into the stands.

---

Ratings of Chelsea substitutes against Arsenal:

Oliver Giroud - 6/10

Giroud missed a big chance in stoppage time, but credit must go to Leno for pulling off a good save.

Callum Hudson-Odoi - 6/10

Hudson-Odoi replaced Gilmour at half-time but barely proved to be an upgrade, as he cut an anonymous figure all night.

Hakim Ziyech - 5/10

Ziyech had very little time to light up the Bridge.

Arsenal

Bernd Leno - 8/10

Despite his exit rumours, Leno continues to prove his worth to Arsenal, as the German custodian sizzled against Chelsea, making some key saves to protect his side's lead. His effort to deny Mount in the first half particularly stood out.

Rob Holding - 8/10

With a confident performance against Chelsea, it's safe to say Holding recovered well from his disastrous European outing against Villarreal last week. His positional awareness was excellent, and he distributed the ball accurately. The centre-back also made six clearances in the game.

Pablo Mari - 7/10

Mari looked shaky early on and nearly gifted a goal to Havertz in the first half. But he found his feet as the match wore on and helped Arsenal keep a clean sheet.

Gabriel - 7/10

His passing was suspect most of the time but got almost everything else right on the night. The Brazilian made the most clearances in the game (10).

Bukayo Saka - 6/10

Saka looked out of his depth while playing in an unfamiliar right-wing back. He also struggled to contain Ben Chilwell. So it was not surprising to see him being taken off with 25 minutes left to play.

Mohamed Elneny - 7/10

Elneny worked tirelessly off the ball and produced a superb block for denying Mount in the first half.

Thomas Partey - 7.5/10

It was a much-improved performance from the Ghanian, as he played his role of battering ram to perfection. Partey broke up Chelsea's play with vital interceptions while also laying passes forward.

Kieran Tierney - 7/10

Tierney has been a revelation this season as he turned in another good shift for the Gunners. He made one key pass and five clearances against Chelsea.

Martin Odegaard - 7/10

Odegaard pressed well when in possession but also threw his weight around in defence by dropping behind when Arsenal were on the back foot.

Emile Smith Rowe - 9/10

A truly world-class performance from Smith Rowe, who ran around tirelessly, exploring holes in Chelsea's defence and looking to make something happen. He scored the winner, but the highlight of his game was a nutmeg he pulled off on Chelsea veteran Thiago Silva.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 7/10

He was quick to pounce on Jorginho's mistake and set up Smith Rowe for the winner. But that was all he could do on the night as the Gabonese star faded and offered precious little in attack.

---

Ratings of Arsenal substitutes against Chelsea

Hector Bellerin - 7/10

He looked promising going forward, producing a decent performance before he got injured.

Alexandre Lacazette - 6/10

The Arsenal striker replaced his partner-in-crime Aubameyang in the 79th minute to add some firepower but never really threatened Chelsea.

Calum Chambers - N/A

He didn't have enough time to prove himself.