West Ham vs Arsenal Player Ratings

Arsenal never really got their passing rhythm going as West Ham worked hard to disrupt their play the whole game.

The home side took the lead with a sublime finish from Mohamed Diame but Olivier Giroud's determination to get into dangerous positions paid off as he got the equalising goal just before the break.

Arsene Wenger's shrewd move to bring on Theo Walcott paid off in the 77th minute when the England international raced through and scored with a clinical finish, and Santi Cazorla's strike from distance added the icing on the cake as the Gunners secured maximum points.

West Ham

Jussi Jaaskelainen - 6.5

Jaaskelainen proved he is no longer as stable as he used to be, especially compared to his previous displays against the Gunners during his time at Bolton.

However, in his defence, the three goals he conceded were all of the highest quality and there was little he could have done about them.

Winston Reid - 7

Reid regularly weighed in with full-blooded tackles to deny the Arsenal midfielders shots from distance, but he got himself a yellow card for a harmless-looking tackle.

George McCartney - 6

Had a assist to his name for West Ham's goal after Arsenal were caught on the break. It was a stroll in the park for him when he was up against Gervinho but the introduction of Walcott unsettled him and the Hammers eventually lost the plot.

James Collins - 7

The ex-Aston Villa man was caught ball watching for Arsenal's equaliser but was otherwise solid at the back, making vital blocks and interceptions to frustrate the already-poor Arsenal midfield.

Guy Demel (off 75') - 6

Demel marked Podolski well and kept him quiet, but the German international's quality showed as he managed to lay on an assist for Giroud on the one occasion he managed to slip past the Hammers full-back.

Matthew Jarvis - 6.5

The former Wolves winger was direct in his approach in the wide areas, patiently waiting for Andy Carroll to get into position before whipping in a cross.

Mohamed Diame (off 82') - 7

Got his first Premier League goal against the Gunners, and what a finish it was from an acute angle. Was silly to get into the referee's book for his celebration and looked dangerous every time he ran with the ball.

Ricardo Vaz Te (off 62') - 5.5

Drifted in and out of the match and was hardly noticeable till he kicked Mannone in the head and ended up dislocating his shoulder after an awkward fall, adding insult to injury.

Mark Noble - 6.5

A hardworking midfielder who went for every ball and consistently put in crosses into the Arsenal penalty box for his target man.

Kevin Nolan - 6

Stole in behind Jenkinson and sidefooted the ball wide mere seconds before the break from a freekick. Should have played to the whistle as he had two glorious opportunities to score but lacked the finishing touch.

Andy Carroll - 9

Sam Allardyce is well aware of Arsenal's Achilles heel and Carroll was ever-present to win the aerial balls and torment the visitors' defence. Arsenal struggled to cope with his physical presence at both ends of the pitch and he did not deserve to be on the losing end of the game.

Subsitutions

Matthew Taylor (on 62') - 6

Showed that he still has a wicked left foot with his cross field passes and shots from distance but they didn't really bother Mannone.

James Tomkins (on 75') - N/A

Carlton Cole (on 82') - N/A

Arsenal

Vito Mannone - 6.5

Left his line to clear the danger on a few occasions and was generally quite successful, except for one occasion where Carroll got to the ball before him but could not keep his shot on target. Mannone, unlike his predecessors, got away with it and his error did not cost his team points.

Per Mertesacker - 6

The Germany international looked uncharacteristically comfortable on the ball but he never got the better of Carroll despite the height difference.

Thomas Vermaelen - 6

Just like Mertesacker, he did not have much joy when he was up against the mighty Carroll but easily cut out the through-balls from West Ham.

Carl Jenkinson - 6.5

The full-back's impressive run of games goes on as he is slowing getting the hang of how his team-mates function, bombing forward efficiently without getting caught out of position.

Kieran Gibbs (off 56') - 5.5

Had a poor game and always looked a fraction too slow to react to the danger. Was later replaced after picking up an injury.

Mikel Arteta - 6.5

With the abundance of talent upfront, Arteta is now playing a lot deeper than when he first arrived but still distributes the ball well and almost never loses the ball.

Aaron Ramsey - 6.5

The bullish midfielder ran his heart out and was involved in every challenge. Despite his size, he kept the ball well and showed he was no pushover.

Santi Cazorla - 7

Blessed with the ability to be ambipedal, Cazorla was not able to pull the strings in midfield like he did in the previous few game,s but managed to score a scorcher from distance. Definitely one of the buys of the season in the Premier League.

Gervinho (off 61') - 5

Was deployed on the wings despite his impressive goalscoring run and was terrible. With the likes of him and Podolski repeatedly drifting to the middle, it became increasingly evident that Arsenal lacked width.

Lukas Podolski (off 85') - 6.5

The attacking aspect to his game was compromised with his tracking back, which undoubtedly came from the defensive-minded Steve Bould.

Olivier Giroud - 7

Giroud got into the opposition penalty box and was finally rewarded with a goal! He later showed that he also has an eye for a pass and set up Walcott for Arsenal's second. Slowly adapting to life in the Premier League.

Subsitutions

Andre Santos (on 56') - 6

Not the best of defenders and has a tenancy to dive into tackles needlessly.

Theo Walcott (on 61') - 7

Was quiet after his introduction but he turned out to be the catalyst for Arsenal's comeback, contributing a goal and an assist.

Laurent Koscielny (on 85') - N/A