It ended up being a more difficult afternoon than many had predicted, but these are the type of encounters that are often forgotten come the end of the season, yet are potentially invaluable once all 38 matches have been played.
Wojceich Szczesny - 7 – He had a couple of nervy moments late on, but his performance in the first-half was key in keeping Arsenal level at the break, making decent saves from Steve Sidwell and Ashkan Dejagah.
Bacary Sagna – 7 – Sagna didn't have a great deal to do defensively, and got forward well, especially in the second-half, often providing useful support down the right-hand side.
Per Mertesacker – 6 – There were no glaring errors from the captain, but his lack of pace made him a vulnerable target at times in the game. Both Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent made runs in behind the German, which may have led to goals on other occasions.
Laurent Koscielny – 8 – This was a fine performance from the Frenchman. With 4 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 11 clearances, he was Arsenal's star man at the back. He constantly covered his fellow defenders, and positioned himself well to deal with a series of crosses from Sascha Riether.
Nacho Monreal – 7 – There were a couple of occasions when he left his flank a little exposed, but he was a regular thorn in Fulham's side when attacking. He dovetailed nicely with Santi Cazorla, and will give Arsene Wenger a selection headache of whether to keep playing him or restore Kieran Gibbs to the side.
Mathieu Flamini – 7 – We didn't see as many of the robust tackles that we're used to seeing from Flamini, which contributed to Fulham's impressive first-half showing. But he was much improved after the break, keeping the midfield solid, and using the ball tidily, without ever complicating things.
Jack Wilshere – 7 – It was a case of “nearly, but not quite” for Wilshere early on. He constantly tried to get Arsenal moving, but much of what he attempted missed its target. However, he got his radar in during the second-half, creating the first goal, winning a number of free-kicks (5), and finding his mark with all 6 of his long passes.
Serge Gnabry – 7 – Gnabry had something of a shoot-on-sight policy in the first-half. They didn't hit the target, but showed that the young German wasn't overawed. He almost scored a sumptuous goal at 0-0, only to be denied by a good save from Maarten Steklenburg. It should be remembered that Gnabry is still only 18.
Mesut Ozil – 6 – While I think some of the recent criticism of Ozil has been overstated, this was a lacklustre display. It's not Ozil's job to dominate matches, but he was bought to add a cutting edge in the final third. Today, he failed to make any decisive contributions, which is unlike him. Substituted late on for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Santi Cazorla – 8 – This was more like the Cazorla of last season. He was constantly Arsenal's most threatening attacking player, and he picked up the slack from Ozil. Two fantastic goals, and a livewire presence in the final third. Gooners will want to see more of this as the season progresses.
Olivier Giroud – 7 – Even when Arsenal laboured in the first-half, Giroud was a willing outlet, often holding up the ball well, and trying to link with the midfield. This was also a feature of his second-half display, and once again, he finished the match despite picking up an injury.
SUBS
Lukas Podolski – N/A – Nearly scored with his first touch. Looked lively.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – N/A – Had a half-chance which he headed over.
Arsene Wenger described the match as a “stable victory”, which sums it up pretty well. Arsenal haven't been operating at their best for a little while, but they continue to win matches that they would have drawn or lost in seasons past. Not only is this team very talented, but they now have a maturity that was once lacking.
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