Going into the final stages it looked as though Arsenal would fall further behind in the race for Champions League qualification. The saviour yet again though, was Alexis Sanchez, who struck late on to break Southampton hearts.
Below are my player ratings from what was a vital win for Arsenal. You can rate the Arsenal team yourself hereÂ
Emiliano Martinez- 7/10– Whilst the Argentinian didn’t have many saves to make, his distribution was impressive throughout and he commanded his box very well. Improved massively over the last two years.
Calum Chambers- 6/10– Against his former club the right-back had a solid game. Defended well throughout but gave the ball away on numerous occasions going forward.
Per Mertesacker- 7/10– Passed out well from the back, whilst being solid in the air. Looks more comfortable now Koscielny is back.
Laurent Koscielny- 8/10– Like Mertesacker he passed out from the back very well, initiating a lot of the Arsenal attacks. Showing no signs of discomfort after his recent injury troubles.
Nacho Monreal- 6/10– Decent display from the Spaniard. Clearly more comfortable at left-back rather than in the centre, got forward well.
Mathieu Flamini- 7/10– Receives a lot of stick from the Arsenal faithful but did a good job screening in front of the defence. Put in some very good tackles at important times as well. One of Arsenal’s better players on this occasion.
Aaron Ramsey- 6.5/10– Far more sensible in his range of passing. Kept it simple and provided a crucial assist at the death.
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Santi Cazorla- 7.5/10– Arsenal’s stand-out performer over the last few games. Really excelling in the CAM role and kept things ticking over in the midfield. Man of the Match.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain- 6/10– Disappointing display against his former club. Struggled to get into the game and was hauled off early on for Giroud.
Alexis Sanchez- 6.5/10– Not one of his finest displays, but popped up with a crucial goal.
Danny Welbeck- 6.5/10– Missed a couple of good chances, but ran the channels very well. Once his finishing is polished I feel he can be close to the finished article.
Subs:
Olivier Giroud- 7/10– Changed the game when he came on. Won everything in the air and was important in the build-up to the goal.
Lukas Podolski- 6.5/10– Looked positive when he came on. Got balls in and ran at the defence. Hopefully he’ll play more regularly over the next run of fixtures.
Do you agree with the scores given after Arsenal’s vitally important victory over Southampton?
Rate the Arsenal team yourself hereÂ