Arsenal vs West Ham United: Complete Player Ratings

Arsenal beat West Ham United in emphatic fashion on Saturday evening. Here are the player ratings from the 5-1 victory.

What a performance that was. While there was a time of uncertainty part way through the second half, the five goals were ultimately deserved. It was one of Arsenal’s best displays of the season so far and now sets them up to make a bid for the top of the table through the stacked festive period.

Here are the player ratings from the 5-1 win.

Petr Cech enjoyed a relatively peaceful day thanks to West Ham’s lack of attacking penetration. He faced one shot on target in the first half and was a spectator for West Ham’s only goal. That effort on Payet’s free kick was very half-hearted, though.. GK. Arsenal FC. PETR CECH. 6.9

7.5. Gabriel Paulista stepped in at right back to fill the void left by Hector Bellerin, something Carl Jenkinson couldn’t do successfully in the cup in midweek. The Brazilian stepped up to the challenge of facing Dmitri Payet, and shut the Frenchman down for the most part.. RB. Arsenal FC. GABRIEL PAULISTA

8.9. Skhodran Mustafi put in a very solid performance, coordinating all of the attacking and defensive movements down the right flank during the second half. His accurate passing was what kept Arsenal’s possession game ticking throughout the match, and he stopped a handful of West Ham breakaways. Alongside Laurent Koscielny Arsenal’s new arrival looks like the key to keeping the side defensively sound.. CB. Arsenal FC. SHKODRAN MUSTAFI

8.3. Nacho Monreal enjoyed lots of free space in the first half and he dominated the play, combining with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain throughout the opening period to unsettle West Ham. In the second half Oxlade-Chamberlain enjoyed much more space, and he went forward a little less. However, he didn’t get lazy and never stopped halting attacks from the right side.. LB. Arsenal FC. NACHO MONREAL

7.8. Granit Xhaka enjoyed a solid first half and protected the back four very well. He was substituted early in the second half for Aaron Ramsey, who changed little about the match. Alexis Sanchez was the star of the show and Xhaka worked the ball through the middle of the field without misplacing his passes, giving Sanchez space to roam.. MID. Arsenal FC. GRANIT XHAKA

MID. Arsenal FC. FRANCIS COQUELIN. 8.2. Francis Coquelin got booked for a silly play in the first half, kicking the ball into touch for no reason. The Frenchman’s tackling was disciplined, though, and he stayed on the field and disrupted the counter attacks consistently.

THEO WALCOTT. 6.4. Disappointing from Theo. While he was not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, he was overshadowed by a sensational Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain trio.. MID. Arsenal FC

MESUT OZIL. 8.9. Mesut Ozil scored the opening goal and played a big part in the counter attacks that led to the Gunners’ second half dominance. His passing unlocked the West Ham defense and they didn’t adequately close him down.. MID. Arsenal FC

8.5. Very very good from the Ox. Direct, intentional and purposeful, he was willing to run at defenders, commit challenges and create chances. Is starting to push Theo Walcott for a regular starting berth also.. MID. Arsenal FC. ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN

ALEXIS SANCHEZ. 9.6. (MAN OF THE MATCH) Is there really any point in discussing this? While the three goals were equally wonderful in their own way, his overall display was what was so incredible. Relentless movement, great pace, creativity and intelligence. Sensational.. MID. Arsenal FC

Arsenal FC. AARON RAMSEY. 6.8. Had a few nice touches late in the game and was busy throughout. Will have bigger tests to come as he gets more starts but didn’t have too much responsibility on Saturday.. SUB

There is no rating for either Mohamed Elneny or Alex Iwobi given the lack of time they spent on the pitch.

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