After the exhaustion the Arsenal players would have felt on Wednesday night, this was the ideal way for the Gunners to respond.
A soporific Sunderland gave Arsenal the chance to seize control of the match. An invitation they gleefully accepted, as Arsenal cruised to a comfortable 4-1 win.
Wojciech Szczesny - 7 – Had little to do in the first-half, but made a couple of useful saves in the second. Could do little with Emmanuel Giaccherini's goal, although his punch from the free-kick that led to the goal wasn't the best.
Bacary Sagna – 8 – Sagna was a formidable presence down the right, allowing Tomas Rosicky the freedom to drift inwards, while also defending solidly. He continued to defend ably when having to cover at both left-back and centre-half.
Per Mertesacker – 7 – He controlled his back four well, not allowing the defensive line to be too high, or too deep. Also made some important covering tackles when Sunderland stepped up their game in the second-half.
Laurent Koscielny – 7 – The Frenchman has been in excellent form recently. This was another immaculate display, stopping Jozy Altidore causing any difficulties with his physicality. He headed home the fourth goal before being substituted with an injury, which is a worry for the club.
Nacho Monreal – 7 – Nothing spectacular from Monreal, but there was little wrong with his performance. His coverage of the left flank gave Lukas Podolski the licence to drift infield. Was substituted at half-time with an injury.
Jack Wilshere – 7 – Wilshere was the engine that drove Arsenal's midfield forwards. A pass success rate of 91% shows that his radar was in, and he played important roles in the first and third goals. Nursed a sore hamstring through the final few minutes, when he probably should have left the pitch.
Mikel Arteta – 8 – In games like these, Arteta tends to shine. He had the space to keep Arsenal's attacking game ticking over, as shown by a 93% pass success rate, and finding his target with 10 out of 11 long passes. The captain's defensive game has also improved, as he made 4 interceptions.
Santi Cazorla – 7 – Cazorla was an understated, but key presence in the first-half. His brilliant passing was an important factor of Arsenal's dominance. Not as lively in the second, but this was a strong display from the little Spaniard.
Tomas Rosicky – 8 – Rosicky's bustling presence is often a boon to Arsenal when attacking. He buzzed around the penalty box, often dovetailing nicely with Wilshere. And he made the crowning contribution of the match – a sumptuous finish to a sublime passing move that made it 3-0.
Lukas Podolski – 6 – We saw lots of industry from Podolski, but a fizzing long-range drive aside, he didn't contribute much to the game. Being in and out of the team probably isn't helping. He could still have an important intervention to make later this season.
Olivier Giroud – 8 – He started slowly, but took his two goals with impressive alpomb. Giroud played himself slowly into the match, and linked with the midfield brilliantly as the game progressed, no more so than his role in Rosicky's magnificent third goal
SUBS
Carl Jenkinson – 6 – Struggled at times with Giaccherini.
Mathieu Flamini – N/A – Slotted in at left-back when Koscileny came off.
Serge Gnabry – N/A – Will add to his learning curve at this level.
After their recent onerous fixture list, Arsenal have a brief sojourn before the tough opponents return in a few weeks. It's key that they take maximum points against teams lower down the league, so Arsenal deserve credit for doing a clinical job today. They need to do the same against Stoke next week.
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