Watford 2-2 Arsenal: 3 Players who were poor for the Gunners and 2 who weren't | Premier League 2019/20

#1 Ainsley Maitland-Niles – Poor

Maitland-Niles endured a torrid evening

The Englishman has been thrown into the deep end since Hector Bellerin suffered a long-term knee injury against Chelsea last season. Subsequently, Maitland-Niles has enjoyed a prolonged run of games and for a major chunk of that stint, he has been pretty good for the Gunners.

However, Sunday wasn’t one of those days as the full-back turned in an abject display.

The Englishman started the game visibly slower than his teammates and looked lethargic until he presented himself on the right flank to cut the ball back for Aubameyang to score.

Unfortunately, though, that was the only bit of encouraging play he partook in.

Apart from the assist, the full-back was led a merry dance on the left wing by Deulofeu. The Spaniard got the better of him on a plethora of occasions and that ultimately prompted Emery to bring on Lucas Torreira, in order to protect Maitland-Niles from the winger.

Additionally, the full-back played himself into numerous dangerous situations by opting for questionable passes, despite simpler avenues being available.

At 22 years of age, Maitland-Niles still has plenty of time to mature and develop into a consistent, top-notch defender.

Yet, one just reckons, that he might not look back too fondly at Sunday’s visit to Vicarage Road, years down the line.