Arsenal vs. Leicester City Player Ratings

Petr Cech did not have much to do today other than patrol the edge of his box and clear long balls up to Leicester City’s talisman Jamie Vardy. The Czech giant made a number of good clearances to maintain Arsenal’s possession in the second half, and that was the biggest part he needed to play today. . GK. Arsenal FC. PETR CECH. 6.9

RB. Arsenal FC. HECTOR BELLERIN. 7.1. Hector Bellerin was very active on the right wing, combining well with Theo Walcott and alex Oxlade-Chamberlain during Arsenal’s second half of dominance. The Spaniard also tracked down Jamie Vardy multiple times, stopping the speedy Englishman from getting in behind the Arsenal defense. Some more accurate balls to Olivier Giroud would be appreciated, though.

CB. Arsenal FC. LAURENT KOSCIELNY. 6.7. Laurent Koscielny had, as usual, a solid first half against the Foxes’ attackers, not getting ‘out-foxed’ too often by Riyad Mahrez and maintaining a solid shape. His injury forced him off at halftime, and that limited his contribution. However, he played well in his 45 minutes on the field, winning <a href=

7.0. Amazingly, Per Mertesacker was not capitalized upon by the Leicester City forwards today, which is something I expected to happen after seeing him in the starting lineup. The German missed a headed chance in the box – which ended up not being grave – but defensively he was solid and that was exactly what his team needed.. CB. Arsenal FC. PER MERTESACKER

Arsenal FC. NACHO MONREAL. 6.8. Nacho Monreal was extremely active during the second half, providing a number of dangerous passes from the left flank. Granted, he gave away a dubious first-half penalty that could have ended up costing his team the game. Luckily, he and his team fought back to render his ‘mistake’ obsolete.. LB

MID. Arsenal FC. FRANCIS COQUELIN. 6.7. Francis Coquelin was unsurprisingly subbed off after Arsenal went up a man, as his defensive steel in midfield was not the quality necessary to give the team the desired result. Throughout the first half he was his usual combative self, but he was not able to stay out of the referee’s book and that brings his rating down. While above average, it was a pretty neutral performance from the Coq.

6.8. Aaron Ramsey had a frustrating game for Arsenal, missing the target with a lot of his shots when a player like him should really be testing the goalkeeper with shots from the edge of the area. He had a relatively successful game on the passing front. He had some great moments of linkup play and some of his outside-of-the-boot swerve passes were a joy to watch. Need some more end products, though, Aaron!. MID. Arsenal FC. AARON RAMSEY

7.1. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had a solid game on the flank for Arsenal, even though he wasn’t on the field during the exciting comeback his team pulled off late on. The Englishman’s confidence looked sky-high compared to where it has been at some points this year, undoubtedly buoyed by the goal he scored last week against the Cherries. Hopefully he can keep it going – when Alexis is off form, it’s crucial that the Ox be able to cause problems for opposing defenders.. MID. Arsenal FC. ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN

MESUT OZIL. 7.9. MAN OF THE MATCH. The assist king Mesut Ozil put himself on the stat sheet yet again. He created six chances and provided the most key one of the match, a brilliant delivery to be tapped in by the returning Danny Welbeck. The German also kept possession very well, which was crucial in Arsenal’s breakdown of a rigid, 10-man Leicester City. This rich vein of form continues for Ozil, and his confidence looks unwavering. . MID. Arsenal FC

Alexis Sanchez would have a significantly lower match rating if it were not for his insane work ethic. Not only does it galvanize his teammates, but it opens up space for them due to defenders having to constantly monitor the Chilean. He missed a lot of chances today. Hopefully he can correct the problems currently plaguing his finishing abilities.. MID. Arsenal FC. ALEXIS SANCHEZ. 6.7

Olivier Giroud played a huge part in the offensive push Arsenal made in the second half, winning 13 of 19 aerial duels in the Leicester area and providing a key assist for Theo Walcott. In fact, the Frenchman nearly scored the winner for Arsenal in the last few minutes of the game, but he was stopped by a brilliant save from Kasper Schmeichel. Overall. A very solid performance from the Gunners’ frontman.. ST. Arsenal FC. OLIVIER GIROUD. 7.5

6.9. Calum Chambers came on in the second half for the first time in a while in place of the injured Koscielny. He was surprisingly composed against two of the hottest attackers in the Premier League. The Englishman made a number of key tackles as well as keeping Jamie Vardy relatively isolated in the Arsenal defensive third.. DEF. Arsenal FC. CALUM CHAMBERS

7.4. Theo Walcott came into the game at just the right moment, and he gave his team an equalizer after he was the lucky recipient of an Olivier Giroud knockdown in the box. Walcott has been dry of goals in recent weeks, so this was a huge step for him. He created a lot of space on the right wing with his runs in behind the defense, and through him and his teammate the Gunners pulled a victory out of their metaphorical hats.. MID. Arsenal FC. THEO WALCOTT

7.8. Danny Welbeck didn’t change the game in many intangible ways after he came on late in the game. But all he needed to do was get on the end of a Mesut Ozil free kick and give his team a win. A crucial confidence boost for the newly fit Englishman, and hopefully he can restore his place in the Arsenal team. On the day, he was truly Dat Guy.. MID. Arsenal FC. DANNY WELBECK