Arsenal were listless in the first half, and alacritous in the second, leaving them with the grand total of 1 Premier League point in the month of January so far.

WOJCIECH SZCZESNY - 5 - As in recent weeks, he wasn't helped by his defence. But he should have done better with the first goal, could have been sent-off in the build-up to the second, and almost made a huge contribution to a third after doing his best Manuel Almunia impression when Demba Ba was played through on goal.

BACARY SAGNA - 4 - The first half was probably his worst in an Arsenal shirt. Not only was he hapless in defence, but his distribution was atrocious. He defended better in the second half, but was still dreadful as an attacking force.

PER MERTESACKER - 5 - Was also very culpable for Chelsea's two goals, and his propensity to try and play offside often puts him out of kilter with the rest of his back four. As 2012 has become 2013, his strong early season form appears to have been left behind.

THOMAS VERMAELEN - 6 - Did well to clear a Ba effort off the line, although it was the Belgian who played Ba onside in the first place. However, he was the best of a rotten bunch at the back in the opening 45 minutes, and improved in the second half, making a good tackle which led to Arsenal's goal.

KIERAN GIBBS - 6 - Initially he offered little going forward, and always looks vulnerable defending in 1 vs 1 situations. However, when playing well, he often functions as Arsenal's "out-ball", and in the second half, he augmented the attack very well, and was more solid at the back.

ABOU DIABY - 4 - Appalling in the first half. Lethargic in possession, which led to him being robbed of the ball too easily for Chelsea's 2nd goal. He failed to effectively protect the defence, as Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, and Oscar had the run of the Stamford Bridge pitch. There was a marginal improvement after half-time, but still nowhere near good enough. In his defence, expecting him to play 3 matches in 8 days is asking a lot.

FRANCIS COQUELIN - 7 - Always a busy player, but lacked intelligence with his positioning, leaving the defence exposed. But got his head together and was a key presence in the second half, breaking up play and  setting the platform for Arsenal to dominate possession. It's not surprising that the Gunners looked less threatening when he had to depart with an injury.

JACK WILSHERE - 5 - The issues with him playing further forward were highlighted as he barely got a touch of the ball as Chelsea dominated the early exchanges. Was more of a presence in the second half, but his drive and penetration lacked its usual incisiveness. He also delivered some pretty ordinary set-pieces. Again, it could be a case of fixture congestion catching up with him.

THEO WALCOTT - 7 - Was maddeningly caught offside on too many occasions, but was a lively presence in the first half. Maintained this in the second, taking his goal with an unerring finish. The fact that Rafa Benitez needed to bring on Ryan Bertrand, so he and Ashley Cole could double up on Walcott, was evidence of his threat. Now, if only we could stop him taking corners.

OLIVIER GIROUD - 5 - Worked hard, and did some good work as a target man. But he was moribund in front of goal. He should have scored at 0-0, and didn't do enough with a tame header in the second half. His application couldn't be faulted, but his killer instinct was substandard. When Giroud plays like this, it's like we've signed a French version of the Stoke striker, Cameron Jerome.

SANTI CAZORLA - 6 - Anonymous in the first half, not offering Gibbs enough protection. He moved inwards off the left flank in the second, but still didn't influence proceedings in the way he had been in the early part of the season. Looks horribly jaded, and the only reason I haven't rated him as a "5 out of 10" is his one sublime piece of play in the contest, which created the goal for Walcott.

SUBS

AARON RAMSEY - 6 - Came on for the injured Coquelin, and while lacking the tenacity of the young Frenchman, he was neat and tidy in possession. Like some of his more recent appearances, Ramsey seems to be regaining some of the form he showed before he had his leg broken at Stoke.

ANDREY ARSHAVIN - 2 - When Arshavin is summoned from the bench, you always know that it's a roll of the dice. Sometimes you roll a six. Today, it wasn't even a one. Had Diaby been fit enough to complete 90 minutes, we probably wouldn't have even seen the Russian.

An embarrassing first-half display, which meant that despite the spirited second-half response, Arsenal deserved nothing from the match. As I write, the much coveted 4th place in the league is 6 points away. By the time you read this, it could be as many as 9 points.

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