Arsenal stars have been slammed for their performances after their shock 2-1 Champions League defeat to Lens – with French newspaper L’Equipe handing five players a 4/10 rating.

The newspaper are known for giving out particularly harsh player ratings after big games and they did not hold back when highlighted the performances of several Arsenal players during the defeat.

The Gunners had gone ahead through Gabriel Jesus’ smart finish before being stunned by goals from Adrien Thomasson and Elye Wahi. 

The Norwegian was claimed to have lacked his ‘usual influence’ as Arsenal fell to an away defeat.

Five Arsenal players were handed 4/10 ratings by French side L’Equipe after losing 2-1 to Lens

Defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was brutally given a 3/10 after his ‘uncomfortable display’ – while David Raya (L) received a 5/10

It added that the playmaker ‘showed surprising clumsiness’ when he miscontrolled a ball, with his impact ‘insufficient’. 

Gabriel, Fabio Vieira and Leandro Trossard were also given 4/10 ratings, along with their under-fire midfielder Kai Havertz.

‘Another match during which the German had little influence, despite his left volley repelled by Samba,’ L’Equipe commented on Havertz’s display.

‘He often lacked accuracy, like his lost ball which resulted in a cross from Frankowski, or his late intervention on gradit, which would have merited a yellow card.’   

‘Another match during which the German had little influence, despite his left volley repelled by Samba.

Leandro Trossard (L) and Kai Havertz (R) were also given four out of tens by the French outlet

‘He often lacked accuracy, like his lost ball which resulted in a cross from Frankowski, or his late intervention on Gradit, which would have merited a yellow card.’

The worst rating was given to Takehiro Tomiyasu, who received a 3/10 for his ‘uncomfortable display’.

‘Starting in White’s place, he didn’t seem comfortable. Late in the duels, and on the attack of the balls, as well as on the action of the Lens equaliser. 

‘He almost scored in the 66th minute from a corner.’

Manager Mikel Arteta was not spared from the brutal verdicts as he too was handed a 4/10 rating.

The publication took issue with his selection choices and substitutions.

‘His choice to start Tomiyasu in place of White was not very convincing, just like the choice to prefer Fabio Vieira to Nketiah when replacing Saka,’ it said. 

‘Similarly, his changes at the end of the match had little impact.’

Arsenal’s best rated players were Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus, who both got a 6/10.

On Rice, they said: ‘True to his reputation, the Englishman [had a lot of touches] and showed formidable precision in his passes. But he rarely posed any danger, with the exception of a nice breakthrough in the 35th [minute] and his influence faded a little in the second half. 

They were also kinder to goalscorer Jesus after he got on the scoresheet – although criticised him for failing to influence the second period.

‘The Brazilian made perfect use of his first dangerous ball before making some very nice moves, such as a chest deflection for Saka. In the second half, he barely physically faced Danso and showed nervousness.’

Mikel Arteta refused to make excuses and said Lens deserved credit, calling them a good side

Arteta refused to make excuses for Arsenal’s first loss of the season, instead choosing to praise the French side for their performance after the game. 

‘Let’s not [make] excuses,’ Arteta said.

‘First of all, congratulations to Lens. They are a really good side. Really well coached. We knew it was going to be a really tough match.

‘In the boxes we had four or five chances we didn’t put away and we didn’t defend the boxes well enough.

‘It’s true there were moments in the second half we struggled to be more threatening in the final third and find spaces.

‘They defended with those numbers really good. That’s something to take for the next game.’