Beating Swansea 2-0 at the Liberty Stadium needs to be contextualised by the following. We came off a midweek away Champions League match – something that even the great Wenger sides struggled with.
Swansea have only lost twice at home (in all competitions) this season. Well, make that thrice.
Lukasz Fabianski - 7 – Followed up his strong performance in midweek with another solid outing. There was one moment of alarm when he came & missed a Swansea corner, but otherwise acquitted himself competently.
Carl Jenkinson - 8 – Had some early problems with Pablo Hernandez, but improved steadily as the game continued. Became more of a force in attack in the second-half, driving forward whenever possible. Won the corner which led to the first goal.
Per Mertesacker – 7 – This was more like the Mertesacker from the early part of the season. Calm and controlled in defence, keeping the back four in order, especially in the second-half, when Swansea barely threatened.
Laurent Koscielny – 7 – Made some excellent interventions when Swansea tried to play their way through Arsenal. He did a superb job keeping Michu quiet. He will be tough to dislodge from the team on this current form.
Nacho Monreal - 7 – Went ball-watching when Angel Rangel missed an early opportunity, but otherwise defended with minimal fuss. Looks better defensively than going forward, but he was in the right place late on, as he scored the crucial goal than set Arsenal on their way to victory.
Mikel Arteta – 7 – While his defensive work was average on occasion, it didn't help that he had to screen the back four on his own at times. And his 92% pass success rate laid the platform for Arsenal to have the better of the second-half.
Abou Diaby- 5 – One of the most infuriating players in the Arsenal squad (and maybe in the Premier League). Sometimes did well with forward bursts, but his end product was woeful. Was substituted for Ramsey.
Santi Cazorla - 7 – Not at his electric best, but with Jack Wilshere absent, all of the creation came from Santi. This tweet from journalist, John Cross sums him up; “Cazorla's work rate, spirit and desire has been sensational. Never stops running. A truly gifted player with fabulous attitude.”
Theo Walcott - 5 – Another dismal display. Failed to link with his attack effectively, and spent most of the match in Ben Davies' pocket. Arsenal need Walcott to shake himself out of the malaise he currently finds himself in.
Olivier Giroud - 6 – He was having a frustrating afternoon, and if Arsenal had another option, giving him a rest might be a good idea. However, the club don't have that, and Giroud toiled hard without ever looking like scoring. But he deserves credit for providing the assist for Monreal's goal.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 7 – “The Ox” has struggled this season, but this was a good performance. Showed his dynamism and dribbling ability, always looking a threat when he had the ball. Was unlucky to hit the bar twice in the first-half. Was even more unlucky to be substituted before Walcott.
SUBS
Aaron Ramsey – 6 – Gave the team an energy and drive that was lacking for most of the match. Gave the assist for the Gervinho goal that clinched the match.
Gervinho – 6 – Another who played well off the bench. Was a lively presence, and took his goal well at the end. Deserves a lot of credit for making the supporting run to give Ramsey the option.
Kieran Gibbs – n/a – Brought on to keep the points safe. His battle with Monreal for the left-back slot will be interesting to watch.
What was most pleasing was the professional manner in which Arsenal went about their business. They weren't especially fluent in attack, and on days like that, we often tend to lose by letting in a sloppy goal. But the defence kept the back door shut, which always gives you a chance to nick a win. And that's what we did.
The race for 4th place isn't over yet.
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