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With Fulham having confirmed their Premier League status for another year, it was a vital game for the Gunners in their bid to finish in the top four. Following Steve Sidwell’s sending off in the 12th minute, it seemed an easy task for the away team, but the Gunners made it difficult for themselves as they couldn’t manage to add another goal to Mertesacker’s header in the first half. But all’s well that ends well and Arsene Wenger’s side are now placed in the third spot, 2 points ahead of Chelsea and 5 points ahead of Spurs, having played 2 games more than these sides.
Wojciech Szczesny 7/10: Had a lot to do in the second half and did well to keep Fulham from scoring. Was consistently troubled by Dimitar Berbatov. Overall, a decent outing for the Polish international.
Bacary Sagna 6.5/10: Lacked pace and commitment to go forward. But made a few important tackles in defence and didn’t allow in-form winger Kacaniklic much time on the ball.
Per Mertesacker 7/10: Did well to cut out Emmanuelson’s cross in the 2nd minute of the match. Had to make a few last ditch saves throughout the match. Scored the winner for the Gunners two minutes before half time.
Laurent Koscielny 6/10: Didn’t look comfortable against the attacking trio of Emmanuelson, Ruiz and Berbatov. Started the game well but lost steam in the second half.
Nacho Monreal 6.5/10: Starting in place of Kieran Gibbs who played midweek in the 0-0 draw against Everton, Monreal attacked and defended with equal prowess throughout the 90 minutes. Proving to be an astute January signing from Wenger.
Mikel Arteta 7.5/10: Held together the Arsenal midfield and didn’t allow Fulham players to pass the ball around freely. Never looked shy to get involved in a tackle and win the ball back. Solid performance from the Spaniard.
Aaron Ramsey 6.5/10: Carried forward his recent good form and supported Rosicky and Arteta in the middle. Made a few misplaced passes and was the target of boos from the home crowd for going down easily.
Tomas Rosicky 6.5/10: The Arsenal number 7 sprayed the ball around neatly and played a pivotal role in keeping the ball that allowed the Gunners to dominate possession throughout the match.
Santi Cazorla 6/10: Had a bad day as per his high standards. Made a few key passes but looked a bit off-colour. Had a decent chance to score but his shot was bravely defended by Hangeland. Was brought off in the dying stages to introduce Thomas Vermaelen as Arsenal looked to hold on to their slender advantage.
Theo Walcott 6.5/10: Found the back of the net early in the match only to see his goal being ruled out for offside. Made his trademark runs on the right flank in the first half. Provided the delivery with the free kick that led to Arsenal’s goal. Was taken off midway into the second half.
Olivier Giroud 5/10: The French striker’s misfortune continued as he managed to stay invisible throughout the match until he was shown a straight red in the dying stages of the match.
Substitutions
Lukas Podolski 6/10: Playing down the left wing, the German international failed to leave his mark on the match but is expected to start the next game in Giroud’s absence.
Jack Wilshere 6/10: Came on in the middle of the second half and played a few key passes whenever Arsenal tried to counter attack.
Thomas Vermaelen: Came on the first minute of injury time before the end of the match.
Fulham
Mark Schwarzer 6.5/10: Making his 500th premier league appearance, the Australian stopper was a spectator for the majority of the match as Arsenal couldn’t manage to produce a final ball to compliment their possession and passing.
Stanislav Manolev 7/10: Proved to be a tricky customer for Arsenal defenders and made a few great runs.
Philippe Senderos 7.5/10: Complimented his captain well in the center of defence. Had to up his game a notch following Sidwell’s sending-off but dealt with everything in an ardent manner.
Brede Hangeland 7/10: Could have done better to defend Arsenal’s goal but overall, a great game for the Fulham captain. Never looked shy to put his body on the line for his team.
Kieran Richardson 6.5/10: A decent outing for the former Manchester United man. Stayed in his position and tackled well to break Arsenal’s movement. Supported the attack well down the left flank.
Eyong Enoh 7/10: On loan from Ajax, the Cameroonian international marshaled the midfield well after Sidwell was sent off early in the game. Battled to win every ball from the feet of Arsenal players.
Steve Sidwell 0/10: Returning from a 3 game ban, the former Arsenal player got himself a straight red for a rash challenge on Arteta in the 12th minute. Flop of the match.
Bryan Ruiz 6/10: Was forced to drop deep and defend for his side. But the Costa Rican international is a delight to watch when he has ball in between his feet. Guilty of not producing accurate crosses into the box.
Urby Emanuelson 7.5/10: The man from Milan ran his socks off and his creativity proved to be a nuisance for Arsenal defenders. Nutmegged on a few occasions and produced some quality crosses into the box. Looked tired at the end and was taken off with just three minutes to go.
Alexander Kacaniklic 7/10: Moved the ball around well. Made a few mazy runs to leave the Arsenal defence gaping but couldn’t produce quality delivery for the men in the opposition box.
Dimitar Berbatov 7/10: Was a target of boos from the visiting fans due to his Tottenham connection. Had a great chance to score in the 20th minute but his shot was kept out by Szczesny. Teamed up well with Emmanuelson and Kacaniklic but was unlucky to see all his efforts go in vain.
Substitutions
Kerim Frei, Mladen Petric: Came on in the final few minutes of the match and didn’t have enough time to make an impact.
