Here are my Arsenal player ratings from today’s 2-1 away win against Crystal Palace:
Petr Cech – Had a fairly quiet afternoon in fairness. Picked the ball up from the back of his net and made some decent interceptions from Palace’s crosses. A better day at the office for the experienced goalkeeper. 6/10
Hector Bellerin – Was restricted going forward because the pace and trickery of Wilfried Zaha, but did well to nullify the Palace winger’s threat. 6/10
Per Mertesacker – Came out on top of aerial battle he was in and got some vital blocks in as well. Solid performance from the lanky German. 7/10
Laurent Koscielny – Was excellent in the air but turned his back on the goal which wasn’t good to see. 6/10
Nacho Monreal – Held his own against Yannick Bolasie early on and Zaha later in the game. Good performance from the 29-year-old. 6/10
Francis Coquelin – Was rash in many challenges today and could have been sent off before the first 45 minutes as a result. 5/10
Santi Cazorla – Kept things ticking in midfield and looked more assured in the deeper role alongside Coquelin. His passing was on point and always looked for the killer ball. 7.5/10
Alexis Sanchez – Had bags of energy and is clearly a workaholic. Slightly rusty in the final third but won the header which led to the own goal. 6.5/10
Aaron Ramsey – Started off brightly, getting into threatening positions, but lost his way in the second-half. Rushed things and at times delayed the pass. Wasteful in front of goal. 5/10
Mesut Ozil – Set up Giroud’s first goal with a lovely cross to the Frenchman and looked slick on the ball throughout. Worked hard for the team and always looked to make things happen. Man of the Match for me. 8/10
Olivier Giroud – Lovely scissor-kick finish to set Arsenal on their way but his hold-up play was inconsistent today. 7/10
SUBS:
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – Came off the bench to replace Coquelin and played on the right wing. Showcased his pace and powerful dribbling once again and got into some good goal-scoring positions. Didn’t neglect his defensive duties either. 6.5/10
Mikel Arteta – Came on for Sanchez in the 75th minute to provide more cover for the defence. Did ok. 5/10
Kieran Gibbs – Replaced Ozil with eight minutes to play and was told to play in front on Monreal at the left. Was brought on defend and played his part to see out the win. 5/10
Ramsey is poor again.