Player Ratings: Arsenal vs Everton
Man of the match: Seamus Coleman? (Getty Images)
The match at the Emirates must have left Chelsea and Tottenham fans pleased. Both teams were looking for three vital points in the race for a Champions League spot but a goalless draw was all they could muster.
The match had its moments and Arsene Wenger looked particularly unhappy with the way the referee on the night, Neil Swarbrick, let the game proceed. Everton manager David Moyes has targeted 5 wins out of the remaining 5 games in a bid to reach the top four but only time will tell if they can break the London clubs stronghold.
Here are the player ratings from the game at the Emirates:
Arsenal:
Wojciech Szczesny 6/10: Both sets of goalkeepers had very little to do in a game that was mostly played in midfield. However, the Poland international made a few routine saves in his first appearance in five matches
Bacary Sagna 6/10: Looked lethargic at times, but did well against Steven Pienaar and also made a few of his trademark runs down the flank. The Frenchman needs to work on his crossing though.
Per Mertesacker 7/10: Dealt well with the aerial threat offered by Marouane Fellaini and Co. But the German looked a bit off-pace against Victor Anichebe but all in all, his experience proved vital for the Gunners.
Laurent Koscielny 7/10: Complimented Mertresacker well and made several key interceptions to keep the Toffees at bay.
Kieran Gibbs 6.5/10: Ran his socks off after starting in place of Nacho Monreal. Attacked and defended with equal prowess and had a decent go at the goal after Fellaini failed to clear the ball but his shot could only go above the goalpost.
Aaron Ramsey 8/10: Did everything right except for scoring. The 22-year-old Welshman made two vital blocks in the six yard box for his side, tackled well and didn’t allow the Everton players to spend too much time on the ball. Ramsey was equally good going forward as well and had three shots on goal; the same as Olivier Giroud.
Mikel Arteta 6.5/10: A combative performance against his former side. The Spaniard showed all his class and experience while passing the ball forward for his teammates. Also matched Everton’s aggression while going in for tackles.
Jack Wilshere 6.5/10: His lack of match fitness was evident from the beginning and was constantly on the receiving end of crunching tackles. Spent much of his time rolling on the ground before being substituted in the 68th minute.
Theo Walcott 6/10: Created trouble with his pace and forced the Everton players into making nasty challenges. Remained invisible in the first half but created a couple of chances in the second before being substituted along with Wilshere.
Olivier Giroud 4/10: Flop of the match. The Frenchman failed to make even one good connection with the ball and should have scored at least one goal, given the number of chances he had. His first touch was heavy on many occasions and this performance should provoke Wenger to buy a decent striker over the summer.
Olivier Giroud of Arsenal attempt at goal goes wide during the Barclays Premier League match against Everton at Emirates Stadium on April 16, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)
Santi Cazorla 7/10: The Spaniard at his sublime best once again. He sprayed the ball around nicely and had a couple of shots himself.
Subs:
Lukas Podolski 6/10: The German replaced Walcott and had a good chance to score but was guilty of spending too much time with the ball at his feet.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 6/10: The youngster replaced Wilshere and showed his usual burst of pace on a couple of occasions.
Nacho Monreal: Came on in the 90th minute for Gibbs and made no real contribution to the game.
Everton:
Tim Howard 6.5/10: The American made a few more saves than his Arsenal counterpart but wasn’t particularly tested by the Arsenal attack.
Seamus Coleman 8.5/10: This has been the breakthrough season for the 24-year-old since joining the club in 2009. He made great runs while going forward and his block against Giroud while he was one-on-one with Tim Howard was exquisite. Man of the match surely!
Phil Jagielka 7.5/10: The Englishman looked his usual composed self and commanded the box well. His slide tackle to stop Cazorla from scoring in the first half was inspirational.
Sylvain Distin 7/10: The veteran had Giroud in his back pocket for most of the match. A typical performance from the no-nonsense defender.
Leighton Baines 6.5/10: Baines looked a bit troubled against the pace of Walcott but still managed to impose himself on the game. He was precise with delivering set pieces but was forced into making nasty tackles by both Walcott and his replacement Oxlade-Chamerlain.
Steven Pienaar 6/10: The South African missed a great chance as early as in the 6th minute of the match and had plenty of time to reprimand for his miss but couldn’t do much.
Darron Gibson 6.5/10: The former Manchester United man had a torrid time while defending against the pace of Arsenal and could have been sent off for a block on Theo Walcott while already on a yellow card. However, he was fantastic while spreading the game from his position of a deep-lying midfielder.
Mikel Arteta and Ross Barkley compete for the ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on April 16, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)
Ross Barkley 8/10: Another youngster who proved his mettle against a tough opposition. He created a chance for himself but his shot went inches away from the goal post. Defensively, he was rock solid too.
Kevin Mirallas 7/10: He ran his socks off before being replaced by Jelavic. But was found guilty of a heavy first touch and few loose passes.
Marouane Fellaini 6.5/10: Playing deeper than usual, the Belgian didn’t allow Arsenal to settle down and play their passing style of football. He was also a constant threat with his aerial ability.
Victor Anichebe 5.5/10: He could have done much better against a comparatively slower backline. A disappointing outing for the 24-year-old.
Subs:
Nikica Jelavic, Bryan Oviedo and Steven Naismith: All three of them came on late in the second half and didn’t have much time to make an impact.