In a game full of controversy, the Premier League champions came out on top thanks to goals from James Milner and Edin Dzeko.
Wojciech Szczesny – 7 – did well to save the penalty but his distribution was poor. Also maybe could have done better with their second goal, only managing to parry out to Dzeko.
Bacary Sagna – 6 – certainly an improvement from recent performances. He made some good tackles, however he really needs to improve on his crossing.
Laurent Koscielny – 1 – I feel harsh giving him my lowest ever rating but due to the fact his only contribution to the game was conceding a penalty and getting sent off, I think it is justified.
Thomas Vermaelen – 6 – he was at fault for their first goal after completely switching off for a quick free – kick. However, his performance in the second half was that of a captain. He drove the team forward and was very combative.
Kieran Gibbs – 6 – he worked very hard but due to the fact we had 10 men for the majority of the game, he couldn’t attack with the same intensity as he is used to.
Abou Diaby – 6 – due to the injury to Arteta (which will rule him out for approximately 3 weeks), Diaby came back into the XI for the first time in 4 months. Understandably, he looked rusty. However, there were promising signs and he came out of the game well.
Jack Wilshere – 7 – the shining light for Arsenal today. He was the victim of several nasty tackles, one of which resulted in Kompany getting a red card. He was a warrior, driving the team forward with complete determination. He didn’t deserve to be on the losing side today.
Santi Cazorla – 5 – he seems to have lost his way a bit over the past few games. However, it is understandable due to the fact it is his first season in the Premier League. Though he needs to find his form soon if Arsenal are going to stand any chance of getting their “top 4 trophy” for the 18th consecutive season.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – n/a – he was very unfortunate, in that he was the player sacrificed when we brought on Mertesacker. It’s a shame because I was looking forward to seeing him play.
Theo Walcott – 5 – it wasn’t easy for him when we went down to 10 men. As a result we couldn’t commit many bodies forward so fewer chances were created. I saw an interesting stat after the game that Chamberlain (who was on the pitch for less than 10 minutes) touched the ball more times than Walcott did in the entire match.
Lukas Podolski – 5 – he made a couple of good bursts forward and got stuck in. However, as with the rest of our attacking players, he wasn’t involved much due to the fact we had 10 men.
SUBS
Per Mertesacker – 6 – Personally, I was bemused as to why he didn’t start. He made some decent interceptions, however he lost too many battles in the air for me today.
Olivier Giroud – 6 – he managed to win some good battles in the air, however he didn’t have much of an impact. One thing I liked about him today was his passion and determination.
Aaron Ramsey – 6 – he didn’t put a foot wrong when he came on. He was involved in some nice bits of play, one of which being a delightful ball through to Walcott, who saw his shot cleared off the line.
The result leaves Arsenal 6 points off 4th with a game in hand. The injury to Arteta simply outlines the fact that Wenger has to strengthen in this transfer window, or risk missing out on that all important fourth spot.
Anyway, on to Swansea at home on Wednesday in the cup.
COYG!
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