Despite fielding many substitutes, Mikel Arteta’s side secured an easy victory at the Emirates Stadium.
Player of the Match
While attackers Ethan Nwaneri and Raheem Sterling had standout performances, the most impressive player for Arsenal in their Carabao Cup clash against Bolton was Declan Rice, who received a rating of 8.5 from Sofascore.
In addition to contributing a goal and an assist, Rice excelled in various aspects of play. He completed four key passes, had 41 touches, and achieved a passing accuracy of 97% (30/31).
Heat maps indicated that Rice was particularly active in central areas, especially in the opponent’s third. In this match, he seemed to focus more on attacking rather than simply supporting Jorginho defensively.
Who Was the Worst?
According to Sofascore, Scott Arfield had the lowest rating of 5.4, marking him as the weakest link for Bolton. He became a target for Arsenal to exploit, and Bolton’s inability to retain possession left their defense vulnerable.
In his 69 minutes on the pitch, Arfield made only 21 touches and achieved a passing accuracy of 75% (9/12).
Tactical Statistics
With a superior squad and the advantage of home ground, Mikel Arteta’s team dominated Bolton. In the first half, Arsenal boasted 74% possession, completed 317 passes, and took 12 shots.
In the second half, although they slowed down, the North London representatives still overwhelmed their opponents. They controlled 80% of possession, completed 325 passes, and took 9 shots.
These statistics highlight the significant gap in quality between the two teams. Throughout the match, Bolton managed just 167 passes and recorded 4 shots on target against young goalkeeper Jack Porter.
Notably, Bolton’s players executed 28 tackles, nearly three times more than Arsenal’s 11.
Key Performers
Aside from Declan Rice, the duo of Ethan Nwaneri and Raheem Sterling also impressed in this match. Sterling, in his first start for Arsenal since joining from Chelsea, contributed 1 goal and 1 assist, achieving a passing accuracy of 75% (21/28) with 45 touches.
Nwaneri also shone brightly, scoring a brace and posting impressive stats. The 17-year-old midfielder achieved a passing accuracy of 93% (26/28), had 44 touches, and created 2 key passes.
According to Sofascore, this duo only fell short of Rice in their performances, with both receiving a rating of 8.3.