This was a game where the result mattered, not the performance. And it's just as well, because this was a stuttering Arsenal display. However, it brought 3 points, so Gooners everywhere will breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Wojciech Szczesny - 5 – The Pole is in a bad run of form at present. He made a poor effort to stop the shot from Andreas Weimann that led to the equaliser. Can count himself lucky that it didn't cost Arsenal two points.
Carl Jenkinson - 6 – He did a decent job of trying to shackle the pacey Gabriel Agbonlahor. Struggled when trying to augment the right flank going forward, but improved in the second-half. However, his positioning still needs a bit of work.
Per Mertesacker – 7 – When you don't notice Mertesacker, it generally means he's played well. Today was one of those occasions. He managed to stop the backline being caught square, and made a number of crucial clearances when Villa pressed for a 2nd equaliser late on.
Thomas Vermaelen - 6 – The captain had the unenviable task of combating the threat of Christian Benteke, and dealt with him relatively well. However, he often left Nacho Monreal isolated when defending the left-hand side. Also, can he please stop booting the ball up the pitch from the kick-off.
Nacho Monreal - 7 – For most of the match, he looked vulnerable defensively, and had a negligible impact supplementing the attack. But he made a pivotal contribution with his assist for Cazorla's winner. We shouldn't underestimate the quality of the ball; it wasn't a hopeful cross, but a deliberate pass to pick out his fellow Spaniard.
Mikel Arteta – 7 – It's puzzling that he wasn't given the responsibility to dictate the tempo in the first-half. Slotted into his deep-lying role when Diaby was substituted, and he looked better as a result. The vice-captain is another one who does a lot of good work that goes unnoticed. Was part of the move that led to the winning goal.
Abou Diaby- 5 – It's beyond me why Diaby was the deepest of Arsenal's midfielders when he's often more effective shuttling in between the lines. Lacking the technical skills of Arteta, he was unable to exert control of the match. Was substituted with what could be yet another injury.
Jack Wilshere - 7 – While his application wasn't in question, for about 90% of this game, Wilshere was having an off-day; not always making the right decisions, and often missing his target when he tried to pass incisively. However, his crucial ball to Monreal late on showed how important he is to Arsenal, even when not at his best.
Theo Walcott - 5 – He was sometimes ignored by his teammates when trying to make runs beyond the Villa defence. But otherwise, this was like the old Theo. He didn't get close enough to Giroud, his final ball was average, and he was too far away from goal to make much of an impact.
Olivier Giroud - 5 – He could have done with more support, as the Frenchman often had two men on him whenever he received the ball. However, that doesn't excuse Giroud's ordinary display. He didn't do enough to link the play, and should have done better with a header that hit the bar in the second-half.
Santi Cazorla - 8 – I said after the Bayern Munich game, that Cazorla can only afford to drift away from the flanks if he creates problems for the opposition. Against Bayern, he didn't do that. But against Villa, he emphatically did. Not only did he score both goals, but most of Arsenal's more threatening moments came from Santi.
SUBS
Aaron Ramsey – n/a – Brought some more energy to the midfield, and then did solid work at right-back in the closing stages.
Lukas Podolski – n/a – He looked a touch off the pace. I imagine not getting a regular starting place in recent weeks doesn't really help.
Laurent Koscielny – n/a – Was brought on in the final moments to preserve the lead.
Arsenal won't get 4th place if they continue to play like this, but by the same token, they must also find a way to win matches when they're not operating near their best. Better performances will be needed in the upcoming weeks, but with Everton losing and Tottenham having to go to West Ham on Monday night, this could end up as a decent weekend for Arsenal.
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