Arsenal made it three Premier League wins on the bounce, as they produced an inspired eleven-minute second-half spell to sink Watford 3-0 at Vicarage Road. After beating Manchester Utd 3-0 a fortnight ago, it was crucial for the Gunners to pick up the three points and maintain their momentum. However, how did the Arsenal players fare against Quique Sanchez Flores' newly promoted side?
Petr Cech: 7
The Czech keeper was a relative spectator for much of the evening, with Watford only mustering one shot on target. However, the hosts had a period of pressure midway through the half, and Cech emerged out of his goal and made an assertive clearance with Per Mertesacker struggling. He was a commanding presence throughout and adds a crucial calmness to Arsenal’s backline.
Hector Bellerin: 8
The young Spaniard made his return to Vicarage Road this evening, having enjoyed a brief loan stint with the Hornets during the 2013/14 season. His development since then has been astonishing and he was hugely influential in Arsenal’s offensive play, as Arsène Wenger’s men attempted to trouble Watford from wide areas. Bellerin also provided a fine assist for Aaron Ramsey’s third goal and he was defensively sound throughout.
Laurent Koscielny: 8
There were some concerns about whether Koscielny would recover in time from his hamstring strain for this fixture, but Wenger will have been mightily relieved to welcome back the Frenchman, especially given Gabriel’s absence. Quique Sanchez Flores’ side were very direct, with Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo both operating in central areas.
Koscielny made a vital interception when Watford had a brilliant two-on-one opportunity and he was certainly Arsenal’s more assured centre-half. His pace was a vital asset against Ighalo in particular and he dealt relatively comfortably with the threat posed.
Per Mertesacker: 6.5
Mertesacker struggled somewhat with Watford’s direct offensive nature. As Watford played with two strikers, both centre-backs were required to simultaneously cover and attack the ball. The German’s lack of pace was exposed on a few occasions, as he picked up a caution for a desperate challenge on Ighalo.
His indecision also caused Petr Cech issues in the first-half, but fortunately the former Chelsea man dealt with the danger. However, to his credit, Mertesacker was far more assured in the second period.
Nacho Monreal: 7.5
Monreal has been a revelation for Wenger over the last 18 months. He is a figure of reliability and he produced another excellent display at Vicarage Road. Defensively the Spaniard is sound, whilst he also offers a prevalent attacking outlet, as he linked up well with Alexis Sanchez on occasions. Currently, Arsenal look a far stronger unit with Monreal playing ahead of Kieran Gibbs.
Francis Coquelin: 7
The Frenchman was solid if not spectacular against the newly promoted side. He was outmuscled by Deeney in the opening exchanges which handed the Watford skipper a shot at goal, but in the main he was very solid. His distribution was impressive, although he was stretched on occasion in the opening 45 minutes, as Santi Cazorla lacked positional discipline when Watford attempted to counter-attack. There’s no denying that Coquelin is an instrumental figure in this Arsenal side; if they harbour realistic ambitions of winning the title, he must be kept fit.
Santi Cazorla: 6.5
Cazorla’s distribution in the first half was uncharacteristically erratic, whilst he was also lacking positional discipline and exposed Mertesacker in particular to Watford’s counter-attack. There was an alarming gap between Arsenal’s defence and midfield in some periods of the first half, but this was subsequently rectified in the second. The diminutive Spaniard fed some delightful balls through the congested midfield in the second half and like the team as a whole, he improved significantly in the second 45 minutes of the encounter.
Aaron Ramsey- 7.5
Ramsey received a great deal of criticism from some for his first-half performance; nevertheless he was at the heart of Arsenal’s most promising attacks. He made a fantastic run at the back-post and was found perfectly by Sanchez, but he fired over from close range. He also forged an opportunity for himself in the dying seconds of the first half, but blazed his effort over the bar.
Whilst his profligacy was a concern, he was performing well on the right and after some fantastic work from Bellerin, he scrambled his shot home to register on the scoresheet. He was a prominent figure throughout the 90 minutes and his work-rate and defensive aptitude is a major reason as to why he’s preferred to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at present.
Mesut Ozil: 8
The German playmaker’s impact in the first-half was somewhat limited, as Watford pressed relentlessly and refused to allow Ozil time and space. However, he found Ramsey with a beautifully disguised pass towards the latter stages of the first half, but the Welshman wasted the opportunity.
However, Ozil showed his class in the second half, playing a delightful one-two with Santi Cazorla which led to Alexis Sanchez’s opener, before providing a fantastic assist for Olivier Giroud’s second goal.
Alexis Sanchez: 8
There were some question marks as to whether the Chilean would start at Vicarage Road, given his gruelling exploits on international duty, but he was instrumental in Arsenal’s victory. He had a couple of long-range efforts early on that were well saved by Gomes, but as Watford began to tire just after the hour mark, Alexis came alive and produced a clinical finish for the opening goal. His energy is simply infectious and if the North Londoners are struggling, he’s capable of providing the moment of inspiration necessary to decide matches.
Theo Walcott: 6.5
Walcott has enjoyed a consistent run in the side of late; his performance against Manchester United was arguably his best in an Arsenal shirt. Despite this, he struggled to have the same influence against the Hornets. They sat very deep defensively, refusing to allow Walcott space to run in behind. He had a couple of chances very early on, but found himself isolated for large parts of the first half and he was subsequently replaced by Olivier Giroud just after the hour mark had elapsed.
Substitutes:
Olivier Giroud: 7
Giroud netted a brace for France in midweek and he appeared buoyed by this, as he performed well in the final half hour. He came on immediately after Arsenal had taken the lead and he provided the Gunners with a focal point in attack. He scored Arsenal’s second after Mesut Ozil delivered a delightful cutback into his path, and he almost scored a second, but his thunderous header was thwarted expertly by Gomes.
Mikel Arteta: N/A
Arteta came on for Mesut Ozil in the closing stages and had very little to do, with Arsenal leading 3-0. He provided a useful foil for Coquelin as Watford attempted to find a consolation goal, but in truth he was untroubled.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: N/A
Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced Alexis Sanchez with just under ten minutes remaining, with Wenger looking ahead to Tuesday’s crunch Champions League clash against Bayern Munich. The Ox had a couple of opportunities to run at a fatigued Watford backline, but his end-product was slightly lacking. The Englishman has the talent, but he needs to start making more tangible contributions to earn a consistent starting berth.