A late Arsenal surge inspired by Theo Walcott ensured Arsenal romp to a 3-1 win over West Ham United at Upton Park here on Boxing day on a chilly Thursday night. Carlton Cole gave the home side a shocking lead thanks to a blunder from Arsenal Goalkeeper Szczesny who fluffed the ball and spilled it straight on the path for Cole to tap in. However, Theo Walcott had other ideas as he scored an inspired brace within minutes to send the away fans in a frenzy. Lukas Podolski then scored again as the Gunners completed their rout to romp back straight into the top of the table. Here are Arsenal’s Player ratings against West Ham United:
Wojciech Szczesny: A rare mistake from the Polish Goalkeeper meant Wes Ham took the lead in the second half. Should have really done better and something he needs to care of in the new year if Arsenal are to mount for a serious title challenge in the second half of the campaign.
Rating: 2/5
Bacary Sagna: Yet another poor outing from the Frenchman, much to the display of my fanatic Arsenal friend sitting beside me. Arsenal surely need a solid right back in the January Transfer Window.
Rating: 1.5/5
Per Mertesacker: Solid at the back yet again as the German put yet another commanding performance. Did a great job at the back and had nothing to do with the Carlton Cole goal.
Rating: 3/5
Thomas Vermalen: The Belgian showed his lack of match fitness, where much more might have been expected out of him. Had a decent game all round.
Rating: 3/5
Kieran Gibbs: Equally good at barging forward and making runs overlapping the wingers up front. Another performance which shows why he is the first choice ahead of Nacho Monreal.
Rating: 3/5
Mikel Arteta: A tidy performance but yet again lacked creativity in the middle of the pitch.
Rating: 2/5
Aaron Ramsey: Not a great performance as expected out of him these days, did play Walcott through time and again but didn’t deliver what was warranted of him.
Rating: 2.5/5
Mesut Ozil: Hardly showed his potentials today, needs to get into the game more often and should have scored in the second half, as he missed an easy chance en route to goal. He needs a rest.
Rating: 2.5/5
Santi Cazorla: A master class from the Spaniard with incisive vision and lovely deft touches. His second half performance was just incredible.
Rating: 4/5
Theo Walcott: Two brilliant goals and my man of the match. Need I say more?
Rating: 4.5/5
Olivier Giroud: A poor performance from the Frenchman, failed to play in between the channels of the West Ham defence. Should have been more agile up front and most importantly should have scored.
Rating: 2/5
Watch the highlights here:
The Premier League run-in, the backend of the title race for Manchester City sees them…
Everton is having a bad season so far, from their poor form in the league…
Communication is the heartbeat of any successful soccer team. On the field, amidst the flurry…
In the annals of football history, few names evoke as much reverence and admiration as…
Are you new to the world of football betting and would you like to take…
If you are into sports betting, staying ahead of the game is crucial. One way…