Wilshere was Arsenal’s shining star for Cardiff win

Arsenal 2 – 0 Cardiff City Player Ratings

Szczesny – 7.5
Didn’t have too much to do but when Cardiff had the occasional counter attack, he was aware and made a crucial save a minute before the final whistle.
Sagna – 8
It is remarkable how he’s returned to his usual assured self after what was a very poor season for him last year. He was defensively very solid and was decent in the attacking third.
Mertesacker – 7.5
He didn’t do anything bad defensively and was very solid but I have down marked him from an 8 simply because he missed two very good chances with his head when it was 0-0. He should’ve scored at least one even as a CB.
Koscielny – 8
Just quality defending by our French centre back and he was doing his best to start attacks as well as the clock ticked on.
Monreal – 7.5
Defensively struggled a little bit but provided very good width offensively and combined with Cazorla well.
Arteta – 7
Didn’t have to do much with his defensive output as Cardiff rarely threatened. However, he was pretty decent with his forward passes today. They didn’t split Cardiff open but gave others the opportunity to do so.
Flamini – 6
Didn’t really offer us much at all. This game wasn’t suited to him as there was no real need to defend and he can’t really offer us anything in attack. We played much better when he was substituted off.
Walcott – 7.5
Very good today and put in some brilliant crosses that should’ve been finished by Mertesacker and Bendtner. He did well for his goal and is proving why he’s one of the most productive wide players in Europe.
Wilshere – 8 (MOTM)
We saw glimpses of his old self today as he rode challenges whilst somehow still holding the ball coming out of it. Created a lot of openings and made space with his movement in the second half. He’ll still struggle this season for consistency but as long as he gets games, he’ll be back to his best next season.
Cazorla – 7
A lot better from him today. Created good chances and the majority of his passes came off today.
Podolski – 5
Very poor. He lacks movement, can’t hold up play, isn’t tall enough to reach crosses and his first touch/passing is not even close to Giroud’s. Just doesn’t seem suited to the lone striker role.
Substitutions:
Bendtner – 7
He came on and made a lot space with his hold up play and passing. Had a couple of chances to score and managed to net a very important winner. It’s a shame he’ll probably be out for the next two to three weeks.
Rosicky – 7.5
Provided the much needed injection of pace in our attack and his directness ensured we kept applying pressure to Cardiff’s defence. His substitution was vital to our win.
Vermaelen – N/A
Only came on for a few minutes.