Arsenal grabbed the winner in a poor performance but how big could that result be. Cech saved Arsenal on numerous occasions before a corner put Newcastle in trouble which saw Koscielny poke the winner in after a header from Giroud.

Cech – 9 – Cech was fantastic pulling off a couple of excellent saves.

Bellerin – 7 – Got forward to good effect but his final ball was poor. Okay defensively

Mertesacker – 6 – Looked nervous throughout but defended well in parts.

Koscielny – 7 – Defended well at times but looked shaky. However, he did score the winner.

Monreal – 7 – Solid once again and shows how important he is.

Flamini – 7 – Put in some good tackles but need to make sure he remains disciplined.

Ramsey – 7 – Should have scored late on to make it 2-0 after some excellent work. Needs to learn to sit in these types of games like Cazorla so that Arsenal are not opened up.

Oxlade – Chamberlain – 6 – Okay in the first half but didn’t have the best of second halves.

Ӧzil – 6 – A quiet game from Ӧzil who couldn’t always get involved. However, did provide the corner which led to the goal.

Walcott – 6 - Ineffective for most of the game but kept trying.

Giroud – 6 - Got the assist but didn’t really get a chance.

Subs

Campbell – 6 – Looked bright after coming on for Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Gibbs – N/A – Didn’t have much time to influence the game.

Chambers – N/A - Didn’t have much time to influence the game.

Overall, an important win for Arsenal who extend their lead at the top after Leicester dropped points. Arsenal could be six points clear of Manchester City by the end of the day if City lose which could be important in the coming months. The performance was poor but all that is important is the three points.