Goals from Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott were enough for Arsenal to see off a resilient Leicester City 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
David Ospina 6/10 – Looked a bag of nerves at times but did make two solid saves from goalscorer Andrej Kramaric.
Hector Bellerin 6/10 – Caught out of position a few times but was good on the ball as usual. Pace going forward is proving a big asset to the team.
Per Mertesacker 6.5/10 – Kept the backline organized and made a couple of crucial stops with the game on the line. Distribution could have been better but was far from awful.
Laurent Koscielny 6.5/10 – Opened the scoring in the 27th-minute with a smart finish from Mesut Ozil’s corner and never looked too troubled in defence.
Nacho Monreal 7/10 – Didn’t venture forward much but his defensive performance was as solid as ever. Kieran Gibbs is going to have a tough time winning back his starting place at this rate.
Francis Coquelin 5.5/10 – Perhaps his worst showing since coming back into the side. Slowed down possession too often and lost a few straightforward challenges in front of the back four. Still has a lot to learn but there are clear signs of potential.
Thomas Rosicky 6/10 – Wasn’t quite as bright as some of his recent outings but kept things ticking over in midfield.
Theo Walcott 6.5/10 – Smashed in Arsenal’s second four minutes before the break with a fine finish. End product could have been somewhat better on other occasions but pace was a constant threat.
Santi Cazorla 6/10 – A quieter performance than we’ve become used to from the Spaniard in recent months, although he did show a fair few moments of skill.
Mesut Ozil 6.5/10 – An excellent first-half saw him provide the assists for both of his side’s goals. Seemed to go into his shell after the break, though.
Alexis Sanchez 5/10 – Looked a bit off the pace in his return to the line-up and seemed to be struggling with a knock towards the end of the first-half. Lasted 68 minutes in the end before going off for Giroud.
SUBSTITUTES
Olivier Giroud (Sanchez 68) 5/10 – No real impact after replacing the struggling Sanchez.
Aaron Ramsey (Walcott 73) N/A – Lasted just 10 minutes before limping off injured.
Mathieu Flamini (Ramsey 83) N/A – Came on for his fellow midfielder to defender the lead late on.
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