Please leave ratings for all players who have played 20 mins or more.

Scoring is from 3 to 10 as follows:

10 - Out of this World
9 - Excellent
8 - Very good
7 - Good
6 - Average
5 - Below Par
4 - Poor
3 - Abysmal

From tv

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 8
Mee 7
Ward 7
Boyd 7
Marney 6
Hendrick 7
Defour 6
Gray 7
Barnes 6

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 9
Mee 9
Ward 7
Boyd 6
Hendrick 7
Marney 6
Defour 7
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Heaton 7

Lowton 7
Keane 8
Mee 7
Ward 7

Boyd 6
Hendrick 6
Marney 6
Defour 6

Barnes 6
Gray 6

Subs:

Barton 7
Tarkowski 7
Vokes 6

Heaton 7
Lowton 6
Keane 9
Mee 6
Ward 7
Boyd 6
Hendrick 7
Marney 5
Defour 7
Barnes 5
Gray 7

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 9*
Mee 8
Ward 7
Boyd 6
Hendrick 7
Marney 6
Defour 7
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Did we drop a bit too deep after the equalizer?

A much more encouraging display with a bit more attacking intent, think we had half a dozen shots or so on target. Two negatives were getting no points plus an injury, two positives were how well we responded to going behind and how good Joey looks coming on as a sub.

Heaton 7 (Good saves and handling but routine, not sure if he could have done better with the 1st, it just seemed to spin away from him)
Lowton 7
Ward 8
Keane 8 MOM
Mee 8 (Very harsh to judge him on that final moment, he had an outstanding game throughout)
Boyd 7 (Lacked that bit of pace going forward against a team of Arsenals level but played well)
Marney 7 (Hope it isn't serious, was playing well, again)
Hendrick 7 (Bit sloppy on occasion but assured and involved in some of our best play)
Defour 7
Barnes 7 (Unsettled them and won a pen, has a bit more presence away than Vokes)
Gray 7 (Used his pace well with what little he got, one point extra for the goal, although he does give me kittens with his penalties)

Subs, Barton 7, Tarkovsky 7, Vokes 7

Heaton 6
Lowton 7
Keane 9
Mee 8
Ward 7
Boyd 7
Hendrick 6
Marney 6
Defour 6
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Watched on TV.

Heaton 6
Lowton 7
Keane 9
Mee 7
Ward 7
Boyd 6
Hendrick 5
Marney 6
Defour 6
Barnes 6
Gray 7

Barton 6
Tarkowski 7
Vokes 6

UTC!

Heaton 8
Lowton 8
Keane 9
Mee 7
Ward 7
Defour 7
Marney 6
Hendrick 6
Boyd 8
Barnes 6
Gray 5

Tarkowski 8
Vokes 8
Barton 8

A very resolute performance but a bit disjointed going forward. We created a few chances but many times in good positions we wasted a ball with a bad touch or wayward pass - often under no pressure. Andre was particularly culpable. It gave Arsenal a huge amount of ball and eventually it told.

The subs improved us massively though. Barton drove us forward, Tarkowski held the ball and Vokes won headers and caused chaos.

I've knocked a point off Ward and Mee for the goals but both could be harsh - Ward had just had a knock and Mee's man was offside, but ultimately we failed to win 2 headers and it cost us a possible win (though more likely a point because we would have sat in for the draw). Just seen the replay again and Ben was two yards behind Keane and one of our others in dropping back to challenge for the cross, he switched off.

To pacify those who think our players can do no wrong when we play a top side, I'd say that our team, even those I think struggled or made errors, is miles better than some of the clowns lower down the league, e.g. Djilibodji or whatever he is called, who will be facing a 3 match ban unfortunately which should improve Sunderland for 3 games.

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 9
Mee 8
Ward 8
Boyd 7
Hendrick 6
Marney 6
Defour 6
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 9*
Mee 9 - shame about the pen.
Ward 7
Boyd 5
Marney 6
Hendrick 7
Defour 7
Barnes 6
Gray 7

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 9
Mee 8
Ward 7
Boyd 6
Marney 6
Hendrick 6
Defour 7
Gray 6
Barnes 6

Great effort from the lads. Main area of improvement needed is creativity and better link up between midfield and attack

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 8
Mee 7
Ward 7
Boyd 5
Marney 5
Hendrick 6
Defour 6
Barnes 5
Gray 6

Barton 6
Tarkowski 6

Strange game today. Defensively we were excellent and really well organised. In attack I thought our passing was generally poor and we were utterly bereft of any pace. Our tempo with the ball was painfully slow. That said, we actually caused Arsenal quite a few problems, and had a decent number of shots on target.

If we had come away with a point, I don't think it would have been undeserved.

In the end, the linesman cost us. How he didn't see an offside as clear as that from a set piece I'll never know. The referee had a good game and could only call what he could see, so he was right to give the penalty, but the linesman let him down badly. It shouldn't have got that far and we should have had a free kick.

I think we need two wingers and a centre midfielder before the window closes, and we'll be in decent shape.

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 8
Mee 9
Ward 7
Boyd 6
Hendrick 7
Marney 6
Defour 7
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Heaton 7 - though I question him on the first goal, we had a man on the near post but not on the far post, presumably his call because he thought he had it covered.
Lowton -6 - Fine defensively, but balls into the box and going forward are poor
Keane - 9 - excellent today
Mee - 8 -fine today, unlucky on the penalty
Ward 8 - offered quite a lot going forward
Boyd -7 - very solid defensively
Hendrick - 7 - another very good performance from him
Marney 6 - started well but thought he faded
Defour - 8 - in minority here, but thought he was our best midfielder today
Barnes - 6- some really disappointing first touches
Gray - 6 - used his pace and movement well, but see Barnes

Thought all three subs added a lot - a real difference from two years ago.

Heaton 8
Lowton 7
Keane 9
Mee 8
Ward 7
Boyd 7
Hendrick 8
Marney 7
Defour 7
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Barton 8
Vokes 8
Tarks 8

All 3 subs were in my starting 11

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 8
Mee 9
Ward 6
Boyd 6
Hendrick 5
Marney 6
Defour 7
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 9*
Mee 7
Ward 6
Boyd 7
Hendrick 6
Marney 7
Defour 7
Barnes 6
Gray 7

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Ward 7
Keane 9
Mee 9
Boyd 7
Hendrick 6
Marney 5
Defour 8
Barnes 8
Gray 8

Heaton 7 - Some really good saves.
Lowton 6 - That foul on Sanchez invited the pressure which led to their 'goal'.
Keane 8 - Handled their stars fairly admirably.
Mee 8 - As did Ben. Very harsh that his playing offside properly cost him the all important yard. He did his job well all day.
Ward 7 - So reliable.
Boyd 7 - His energy is unbelievable.
Hendrick 6 - Far too many headers gifted possession straight back to Arsenal but a few more were guilty if the same too. Not his best game of late but surprised he was hooked and not DM.
Marney 6 - Hope it's not as bad as it looks.
Defour 7 - That extra bit of quality is so important to us.
Gray 5 - Made the runs and got in behind a good few times only to display no end product. First touch/final ball (composure???) needs to seriously be looked at. They're things which any decent player should be able to improve on and he's not doing so on this evidence.

Heaton - 5 - I personally think he could have done better with the 1st goal, the 2nd he parried a weak off target shot from Sanchez and spilled it for a corner that kept us under pressure.
Lowton - 7 - did well, he just doesn't have the crossing ability like the man he replaced.
Keane - 9 - thought he was excellent, Giroud didn't have a sniff.
Mee - 7 - good apart from the 2nd goal, if the linesman does his job, Mee gets a 9 like Keane because he wouldn't have conceded a penalty.
Ward - 7 - got forward well, his crossing is really hit and miss, he can produce better delivery than we saw today. Defensively fine.
Hendrick - 5 - thought he struggled today, tried his all it just wasn't a normal Hendrick performance.
Marney - 5 - It wasn't a typical Marney performance, barely noticed him which is odd. Maybe the injury he was playing through took a bit of the Marney bite/energy away.
Defour - 7 - did well, he makes passing the ball look so simple, composed and technically excellent. I would certainly prefer him central though to influence the game more.
Barnes - 6 - He brings the ball down well and wins a lot of cheap free kicks, it's a shame he doesn't offer a genuine goal threat on a consistent basis.
Gray - 7 - Hungry, worked hard, caused a threat in behind and battled well he just needed a Vokes/Barnes knockdown to fall to him in the box and it didn't. Away from home he breaks a lot on his own, surrounded by 4 defenders, needs more support and we need to get him in goalscoring positions more. I don't recall him having a shot today, the only time the ball touched him in the box was when Cech bounced it off him.

Overall rating - 7 - we did well, restricted them to very little and we forced a few corners. The pressure from the front was excellent and makes us look more competitive on our travels, it's just a shame we produced the pressure game away at City, Spurs and Arsenal and not at Stoke, West Ham and West Brom because we'd have more points on the board.

Heaton 7
Lowton 6
Keane 9
Mee 8
Ward 7
Hendrick 6
Marney 6
Defour 7
Boyd 7
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Heaton 6
Lowton 8
Keane 9
Mee 8
Ward 7
Boyd 6
Hendrick 7
Marney 6
Defour 6
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Heaton 7 - Calm & Collected.
Lowton 7 - Defended well against tricky opposition.
Keane 8 - Excellent positioning throughout
Mee 9 - Just when people begin to question if Tarks should be given a go instead of Mee, he goes and puts in a performance like this. Against a team of international forwards he did not look out of place keeping them quiet. Did some superbly timed tackles.
Ward 7 - Defended well & some good crosses into the box too.
Boyd 7 - Thought it was one of his better games. His defensive work was excellent & always looked to get the ball up the field to counter.
Hendrick 6 - Fairly quiet game
Marney 7 - Kept the ball moving well, when we had it. Pressed well when we didn't have the ball.
Defour 7 - Thought he did well, playing a similar performance to Scotty in the fact he's not a natural there, but is given some instructions to follow and followed them well.
Barnes 6- Better in the second half, but thought he was not at his best today.
Gray 8 - Strong performance. Did well battling with their defenders especially when running the channels. Always looked a threat.

Thought all subs did well when they came one too.

Overall, a very good performance by a team who are increasingly believing they belong at the premier league dinner table and performing as such.

That away win is coming.

Heaton 6
Lowton 7
Keane 8
Mee 7
Ward 7
Boyd 6
Hendrick 6
Marney 6
Defour 6
Barnes 6
Gray 6

Barton 7
Tarkowski 7
Vokes 6

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Ward 7
Keane 9
Mee 8
Boyd 7
Hendrick 6
Marney 5
Defour 7
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Robbed and it's time for justice

TV View

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Keane 8
Mee 8
Ward 7
Boyd 7
Hendrick 7
Marney 7
Defour 7
Barnes 7
Gray 7

Good all round performance nd ruined by a lino.

From TV. A performance streets ahead of anything else I've seen from us away from home this season - the last game I saw in full was at Stoke, and we're clearly a far better unit on the road than then. That's the real positive - the negative was a real kick in the guts late on.

Heaton - 7 - I didn't think Arsenal forced him to make a save I wouldn't expect him to make all afternoon, but he did make a couple of smart stops.

Lowton - 7 - Very solid all afternoon and a useful attacking outlet on occasions.

Ward - 8 - Terrific in defence and a willing runner in attack.

Keane - 9 - Arsenal stretched us a few times, but we had an answer on every occasion, and that was usually because Keane dealt with it effortlessly.

Mee - 8 - Very good, but occasionally a bit last ditch in his defending and that unfortunately came home to roost in the last minute.

Marney - 7 - Got around the pitch to great effect, and with luck his injury isn't as bad as it looked.

Hendrick - 7 - Steady enough, but not quite as imposing as he can be.

Defour - 6 - Diligent in that wide left position, and better than against Southampton, but his delivery again seemed a bit hurried when he got the chance in open play. Was surprised he was hooked though, given that it meant a midfield of Tarkowski and Barton to finish the game.

Boyd - 8 - In a good run of form at the moment, did all the basic stuff as well as ever, and backed it up by offering an end product at the other end.

Barnes - 7 - Caused Arsenal a few problems, and won the penalty, but as ever lacked a little bit of finesse.

Gray - 7 - Thought he stretched the Arsenal back four all afternoon and did as well as could be expected with the scraps he was fed.

Barton - 6 - Did OK, but I thought we lacked a bit of quality in the centre of midfield once Arsenal were down to 10 men.

Tarkowski - 6 - See Barton.

Vokes - 6 - Another sub who I thought influenced the game less than we would want given the game situation.


Overall, this is a real step forward. It would have been lovely to grab a point, not only to keep building the lead over the bottom 3, but also to break this run of defeats on the road and get a bit of a boost going into what will be a critical run of away games. The negatives to the performance were firstly that in the 20-odd minutes for which we played against 10 men, we probably didn't do as much constructively as we might have hoped, and secondly that, once again, we were caught out by a clumsy piece of defending (Mee was excellent, but that sort of clearance is asking for trouble), even if we should have been bailed out by a linesman's flag.

However, if we continue to show that sort of defensive organisation and reliability, coupled with the sort of counter-attacking threat we offered when given the opportunity at the Emirates, then there's no reason to suppose we won't get our rewards in those key battles ahead.

Heaton 7
Lowton 7
Ward 8
Mee 8
Keane 9*
Defour 7
Hendrick 6
Marney 6
Boyd 7
Barnes 6
Gray 6

Heaton 8
Lowton 7
Keane 9
Mee 8
Ward 8
Defour 7
Hendrick 7
Marney 7
Boyd 6
Gray 7
Barnes 7