Arsenal move into third place as Gunners make ground on their leaders.
Arsenal squeezed past Crystal Palace to move into third place in the Premier League and take full advantage of Man United slipping up against Swansea.
However, it was far from a straight forward victory as Wenger’s men clearly grounded a result in a game which became a physical battle due a poor pitch.
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Here is our the Arsenal team rated.
13. David Ospina – 6
Had a few scary moments which questions his decision making but overall did his job efficiently.
21 – Calum Chambers – 6
Looked comfortable until Yannick Bolasie came on and it was a replica of his performance against Swansea with Chambers left isolated against the winger.
4 – Per Mertesacker – 6
Was nervy throughout and relied on the pace of his partner to hide some of his defensive errors.
6 – Laurent Koscielny – 7
Arsenal’s most reliable defender on a day the whole back four look out of sorts against the aerial bombardment.
18 – Nacho Monreal – 7
Got a foothold in the game after struggling to deal with Wilfried Zaha in the earlier parts of the game.
34 – Francis Coquelin 6
One of his lesser performances in recent weeks with an early yellow card hindering his ability to keep in touch with the game.
19 – Santi Cazorla – 6
Apart from the penalty, the Spaniard wasn’t able to withstand the pressure the Palace midfield put him under.
11 – Mesut Ozil – 8
Arsenal’s best player on the day and picked up position which hurt Palace and should’ve had a goal which was ruled out for offside incorrectly.
23 – Danny Welbeck – 7
The architect of both Arsenal goals, winning a penalty for the first and his rebounded shot landing at the feat of Giroud for the second.
17 – Alexis Sanchez – 7
Worked hard but couldn’t wave his magic and was unlucky not to net a goal after going tantalizingly close.
12 – Olivier Giroud – 7
Fought well and grabbed Arsenal’s all important second goal, couldn’t find the final pass on a few occasions.
Substitutes:
3. Kieran Gibbs – 6
Brought on to protect the left hand side and did it efficiently.
7. Tomas Rosicky – 6
Couldn’t make an impact, offesively or defensively in his short time on the pitch.
5 – Gabriel – N/A
Came on in the last few moments as Wenger reverted to a back three.