After a wild game in Los Angeles, ARSENAL defeated Barcelona 5-3.
And Bukayo Saka, who put on a show at SoFi Stadium for England, was directly responsible for the triumph.
Saka gave the Gunners opportunity after opportunity, forcing them to fight from behind twice before Leandro Trossard finally put them in front.
Then, in an effort to earn a spot in Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup when the new Premier League season begins, Trossard scored his second goal.
Jurrien Timber, the new center defender for Arsenal, demonstrated his versatility by excelling in Arteta’s preseason experiment with playing the full-back position.
Who excelled for Arsenal and who struggled? Every single player at SoFi Stadium is rated by us:
AARON RAMSDALE – 6
Ramsdale stopped Raphinha’s shot before Lewandowski slammed it in, but he was helpless to save Barcelona’s opening score. The strange free-kick strike that made the score 2-2 was likely his fault, but the goalkeeper had every right to be incensed at Odegaard for diverting the ball earlier.
JURRIEN TIMBER – 6
Prior to Barcelona’s opening goal, Raphinha outran Timber far too easily. But from that point on, the Dutchman displayed composure and adaptability, successfully containing Barca’s speedy wingers at the left-back position. The £40 million man for the Gunners put up a promising showing.
WILLIAM SALIBA – 7
Composed, quick, and certain… With Saliba serving as the defensive line’s main pillar once again, Mikel Arteta must be ecstatic.
GABRIEL – 6
tenacious and diligent as usual.
BEN WHITE – 5
The right-back gave a somewhat passive performance and appeared unsteady when Barcelona wingers went after him.
KAI HAVERTZ – 7
The majority of the game, he remained unnoticed, only to bring Arsenal level right before halftime. Havertz occasionally comes out as awkward, although he usually performs well under pressure.
THOMAS PARTEY – 5
In Los Angeles, it appeared sluggish and listless. Lewandowski’s opening goal was made possible in part by Partey’s lackadaisical defense of Barca’s counterattack.
MARTIN ODEGAARD – 6
The Arsenal star’s early play was marked by a great deal of inaccuracy. Barcelona’s first goal came primarily as a result of Odegaard giving up the ball near the field’s middle. As the game progressed, he gained confidence and scored an important header to set up Havertz’s equalizer.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 8
Excellent work from the former Brighton star. He repeatedly attempted to fool Andre ter Stegen with sneaky shots, and in the second half he ultimately succeeded in putting the Gunners in front for the first time. Before leaving the field, he then scored another goal. Gabriel Martinelli, it’s your turn.
BUKAYO SAKA – 8
His missed penalty won’t erase the reality that Saka’s bullying of Barca’s defenders throughout the game is probably giving them nightmares. When he scored Arsenal’s first equalizer, the England star displayed exceptional awareness by taking advantage of a misunderstanding between the center-backs of the Spanish team. Watching him create by accident and play with the ball was delightful.
GABRIEL JESUS – 6
Although the Brazilian striker’s dribbling and teamwork against Barcelona on Wednesday night were visually appealing, he wasn’t very effective.