[Player Ratings] Arsenal 2-0 Cardiff: Wilshere Back To His Best But Bendtner The Hero

Arsenal needed two late goals from Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott to beat Cardiff 2-0 at the Emirates on Wednesday afternoon to ensure we remain top of the Premier League.

Here are my ratings from the game:

Szczesny 6/10

Not his busiest afternoon but did make two decent saves and commanded his area well.

Sagna 7/10

His header was parried by Marshall before Bendtner fired home the opener. The Frenchman was constantly bombing forward to help out in attack and wasn’t troubled in defence.

Mertesacker 6.5/10

Solid at the back but missed two sitters at the other end as he failed to hit the target with two unmarked headers. Luckily it didn’t cost Arsenal two points.

Koscielny 7/10

Not required to be at his best but kept Campbell in his pocket throughout the game.

Monreal 7/10

Was involved in some nice moves in attack and helped set-up the opening goal with his cross finding Sagna. A much better performance following his disappointment against City.

Arteta 7/10

Kept things ticking over in midfield. Doesn’t look as comfortable with Flamini next to him though.

Flamini 6/10

A rather subdued display before being replaced by the more attack minded Rosicky.

Wilshere 8/10

Back to his best after a few below par displays. Wilshere was at the heart of everything for the Gunners and set up Walcott for the second with a lovely assist.

Walcott 7.5/10

Sealed the three points with a delightful chip and was a danger throughout. Put in some excellent crosses as well.

Cazorla 7/10

A much improved performance from the little Spaniard, although he didn’t have his shooting boots on. Not for the first time this season.

Podolski 5/10

Deployed up front in the absence of Giroud but it didn’t work out. He failed to be the focal point in attack the team needed and was eventually replaced by Bendtner.

Subs:

Bendtner 7.5/10 – Superb impact from the bench as he scored the crucial opening goal and worked hard for the team. Unfortunately he picked up an ankle injury and was forced off.

Rosicky 7/10 – Added some much-needed urgency to our attacking play.

Vermaelen N/A

What were your ratings from the game? Share your thoughts below.