Chelsea vs Arsenal Player Ratings

By FOX SPORTS staff

An opening goal for Juan Mata early in the first half was followed by a Frank Lampard penalty to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead at the break. However, the Blues were almost made to pay for not scoring more in the first half when Theo Walcott gave Arsenal a lifeline midway through the second period.

Despite the Gunners' efforts, they were not able to find an equalizer as Chelsea emerged with all three points.

Chelsea

Petr Cech - 6.5

Although Cech was forced into making a few saves during the game, most of the balls directed at him proved to be easy to deal with. The Blues custodian turned in yet another attentive shift to prove why he is one of the most highly rated keepers.

Cesar Azpilicueta - 7.0

At times, the Spaniard was almost an extra winger for Chelsea, pushing up the flanks in support of Eden Hazard. Azpilicueta clearly approached this game with an attacking mind-set and it paid off for his team when his pin-point cross picked out Juan Mata for the opening goal.

Branislav Ivanovic - 6.5

Faced with ineffectual opposition in the first half, Ivanovic had little to do during the first 45 minutes. He certainly saw more of the ball in the second period, but made sure to plant himself in between Olivier Giroud and Cech's goalmouth, so as to prevent the Arsenal striker from getting on the score-sheet.

Gary Cahill - 6.0

Like his central defensive partner, Cahill was likely bored in the first period. That could have been the reason why he was caught out during the run-up to Walcott's goal and should himself lucky that the Gunners were not able to complete their fight-back.

 Ashley Cole - 6.0

The Blues full-back managed to venture up the pitch on a few occasions to help Oscar out in the first half, but was forced to stick to his defensive duties for most of the second period. Despite his efforts, Cole did find himself outpaced by Walcott but his compatriout was only able to capitalize once.

Ramires - 8.0

Ramires' industry has always been his standout quality and his tireless running once again proved pivotal in this match. Following the movement of the ball throughout 90 minutes, the former Benfica man made himself a nuisance to Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere, preventing the Arsenal duo from settling on the ball, and even managed to win a penalty in the first half.

Frank Lampard - 6.5

Notching another goal from the penalty spot, Lampard put in a tidy shift in midfield for Chelsea. Although he can no longer keep up with the blistering counters led by his colleagues, the Englishman held his position and kept the Arsenal midfielders from having an easy time.

Oscar (off 71') - 6.0

It was not a particularly memorable outing for the Brazilian in this game. Although he played an active role in his team's attacks in the first half, Oscar faded away significantly in the second half, warranting his substitution.

Juan Mata - 7.0

The ball seemed to be an extension of Mata's leg as the Blues attacker tormented the opposition defence at will in the first period. Marauding all over the attacking half, the Spaniard was always one step ahead of his rivals and demonstrated a brilliant first touch in the run-up to Chelsea's first goal.  

Eden Hazard (off 87') - 6.5

Try as they might, the Arsenal defence could not take the ball off Hazard when the Belgian took them on in one of his mazy dribbles. His movement and pace forced the Gunners to close him down, opening up plenty of space for his team-mates to exploit in the first half. However, he struggled to maintain that level of quality in the second period.

Fernando Torres (off 80') - 6.5

His fellow attackers were taking on the Arsenal defence at will, but Torres struggled slightly to get involved in the game. Although he ran tirelessly to meet passes and offer options to his team-mates, he was not an integral part of Chelsea's attacking play.

Substitutes

Ryan Bertrand (on 71') - 6.0

Brought on to provide more defensive stability, Bertrand hardly ventured up the pitch. As Chelsea's extra man in front of the penalty area, the Englishman pressured the Arsenal midfielders to prevent them from picking out their team-mates in space.

Demba Ba (on 80') - 6.0

N/A

Marko Marin (on 87') - 6.0

N/A

Arsenal

Wojciech Szczesny - 6.0

The Polish goalkeeper should feel disappointed with his performance in this game, after he flailed during his attempt to stop Mata's opener and gave away a penalty for Chelsea's second goal. His run out of the box during the dying moments of the game was also nearly punished by Ba.

Bacary Sagna - 4.5

Several of the Blues attacks stemmed from Sagna's flank and it was for good reason. The full-back tried in vain to anticipate the movements of Oscar and Mata, but was almost always left trailing in their wake. With the exception of some wayward crosses, Sagna contributed very little to his team's attacks. To compound matters, he seemed to exhaust all his energy in doing so, and that resulted in his failure to fall back in time and protect his flank.

Per Mertesacker - 5.5

Wenger's decision to play Mertesacker in this game proved to be an error as the German struggled to match the pacey Chelsea attackers. The 28-year old could have redeemed himself early in the second half had he not struck his attempt straight at Cech.

Thomas Vermaelen - 6.0

The Arsenal captain was nothing more than a bystander in the first half, and was beaten for pace twice by Torres in the second period. Although he managed to redeem himself by intercepting balls meant for Ba and Ramires, Vermaelen has every right to be disappointed with his performance in this one. 

Kieran Gibbs - 6.0

Although Gibbs contributed very little during his runs up the pitch, he was considerably more reliable than Sagna when it came to retaining possession and covering his flank. The Englishman had slightly more space to explore in the second period when Hazard began to tire, but was not able to come up with anything to alter the score-line.

Francis Coquelin (off 58') - 6.5

Whilst he certainly tried his best to influence the game, Coquelin struggled to deal with the physicality and pressure of Ramires at times. It was surprising to see the young midfielder taken off ahead of Diaby, as he turned in a far better game than his team-mate.

Jack Wilshere - 7.5

One of the few Arsenal players who seemed like he was genuinely interested in getting Arsene Wenger's team back in the game, Wilshere drove forward whenever he was on the ball. The Englishman's composure ensured that he retained possession well, but he struggled to carve openings due to a lack of support from his fellow Gunners.

Abou Diaby (off 74') - 4.5

Dubbed as the answer to Wenger's puzzle prior to the game, Diaby failed miserably to live up to expectations. The midfielder appeared clueless as to what to do with the ball and was made to look a fool against the diligent Ramires.

Santi Cazorla - 6.5

So often a spark of creativity in the Arsenal midfield, Cazorla was hardly ever in possession during this game. The Spaniard was strangely shuttled out to the flank, where he struggled to influence proceedings for most of the match, until a moment of brilliance saw him drift to the centre and play in Walcott behind the Chelsea defence for the Englishman's goal.

Theo Walcott - 7.0

Regardless of whether he deserved his recent pay day from the Gunners, Walcott remains one of the team's most consistent scorers. Capitalizing on his pace to receive balls in space, the former Southampton man got his name on the score-sheet once more after being sent through by Cazorla.

Olivier Giroud - 6.5

The Frenchman cut a lonely figure upfront for most of the game, as his team-mates did not make use of his physical presence, preferring instead to play short passes into the box. Nonetheless, Giroud held his own against Ivanovic and Cahill when called upon, although he could have done more had he been given more support.

Substitutes

Aaron Ramsey (on 58') - 6.0

Although Ramsey did not make a game-changing impact, his energy was a much needed boost to the Arsenal midfield, as it aided his team in their bid to push forward into the Chelsea half.

Arshavin (on 74') - 6.0

The Russian did not take advantage of a rare run out as he failed to make any sort of impression in the game.