Arsenal were able to grind out a 2-1 win over Sunderland at the Emirates thanks to a superb double from star striker Robin van Persie. (You can watch the goals here) Despite a lot of possession, the Gunners weren’t able to create that much but grabbed a vital win with a Van Persie special. There were signs early on that Arsenal were getting back to somewhere near their best but once the equaliser went in the nerves came flooding back and we struggled for long periods to break down a stubborn Sunderland defence. Here are my ratings:
Szczesny – 8 – Made a match-winning save with the score at 1-1. A vital stop.
Jenkinson – 7 – Had a decent game, getting forward at every opportunity and putting in a few good crosses. Wasn’t tested too much defensively though.
Mertesacker – 7 – Solid enough, gave away a few silly fouls but marshalled the back line well.
Koscielny – 7 – Like his defensive partner, Kos dealt with the Sunderland attacks well but with Arsenal dominating possession, was tested that often.
Gibbs – 6 – Went off early in the second half but was pretty quiet in the first half.
Song – 7.5 – Strange game from him as he played very well for most of the game, cutting out Sunderland moves and getting forward, but then was also frustrating as he mis-placed passes on occasion.
Rosicky – 7 – Some surprising surging runs from our No.7 and he seems to be getting back to his best as he’s putting together a good run of games.
Arteta – 6.5 – Did ok, but still doesn’t get in the game enough and isn’t being a creative force like he should be.
Walcott – 5.5 – Apart from one good run Theo was a peripheral figure for the most part. Needs to get himself in the game more.
Gervinho – 5.5 – Like Walcott, made one good run that lead to the opener but can’t recall him doing anything else of note. Subbed off after a quiet game.
RVP – 9 (MOM) – Great finish for the first, and a long over-due wonder goal from a free-kick. What would Arsenal do without him? Let’s hope we don’t have to find out anytime soon!
SUBS:
Santos – 6.5 – On for Gibbs and did reasonably well, solid enough back up for the English youngster.
Arshavin – 7.5 – Made a difference with some tricky runs and at least he was making things happen and committing the Sunderland defenders. Unlucky with a shot that went just wide and also had another decent strike that was saved. Much better from Andrey.
Benayoun – 7 – Not much time on the pitch but did ok, kept the ball well late on when we were holding out for the win.
