[Player Ratings] Arsenal 3-1 West Ham: Cazorla Different Class

Arsenal put in an impressive display as they beat London rivals West Ham 3-1 at Upton Park on Saturday evening. Here are player ratings for Arsene Wengers men from our resident Arsenal fan ‘Lloyd the Gooner’:

Mannone 5. Not good enough. Simples.

Jenkinson 6. The inevitable weaker performance after a string of eye catching games. He along with Aaron Ramsey arguably at fault for the first goal.

Mertesacker 7. Carroll was a constant problem but Per didn’t make it easy for him. It would have been an even bigger problem without the big German.

Vermaelen 6. Steady but the defence doesn’t fill you with confidence and he is at the moment one of the reasons why.

Gibbs 6. Quieter than of late.

Arteta 7. Like most of the midfield had a dodgy spell around the middle of this game. As with the others, though, he was good enough to get a second wind and ensure late dominance. How intelligent is he as a footballer?

Ramsey 7. The writer’s indecision is final! Certainly when it comes to this player. At times he looks like a one paced, square –passing waste of a place. Then you see that he has skill, power and an incisive pass in him. Against West Ham we saw mostly the good bits. However, badly at fault for the West Ham goal.

Cazorla 9. Great goal. I mean really great goal! Which is his weaker foot? When he gave the eyes for the late pass to Giroud three Hammers defenders ended up in Green Street!

Podolski 7. Lively apart from during the teams’s collective ‘dip’. The cross for the first goal was top class.

Giroud 7. Take a bow Gooners! We have shown patience and warmed to the big man and hopefully the reward for that is coming. Great poacher’s finish at the Boleyn and a very good assist. His height was useful at set pieces too.

Gervinho 5. Oh dear! Head up Gerv’ you’ve done your bit recently. Just a word of advice if you go on holiday tell the manager so he can pick somebody else!

Subs

Santos 6. Did well and always adds something in attack.

Walcott 7. A really fine finish that simply reinforces the view that we have a Michael Owen type forward rather than a winger in Theo. Slowly Theo is getting stronger and shrewder in his play. Once again what a great finish!

Koscielny. Who knows a break might be just what he needs.

Do you agree with these ratings? Get involved in the comments section.

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