Arsenal FC

3.04

• 
  1

  0

  3.00

  Wojciech Szczesny

  Barely had a save of note to make but commanded his box with authority.

• 
  2

  0

  3.00

  Bacary Sagna

  Fortunate not to concede an early penalty for hauling back Kalou but settled down to deliver a typically solid performance.

• 
  1

  0

  3.50

  Thomas Vermaelen

  Demonstrated his appetite for the physical battle by clattering Terry early on and never allowed Torres the space to create any mayhem.

• 
  1

  0

  3.50

  Laurent Koscielny

  Made a string of excellent interceptions, headers and recovery tackles to make up for some occasionally dozy positioning.

• 
  1

  0

  3.50

  Kieran Gibbs

  Made some dangerous forward surges and defended with far greater comfort than many would have imagined.

• 
  1

  0

  3.00

  Tomas Rosicky

  Looked lively early on in the playmaker role but faded as the game wore on and replaced by Diaby with 25 minutes left.

• 
  2

  0

  2.00

  Aaron Ramsey

  Recalled in place of the injured Mikel Arteta, he looked out of sorts and ill at ease alongside Song in central midfield.

• 
  1

  0

  3.50

  Alex Song

  Looked out of sync alongside Ramsey early on but began to take control with some excellent distribution. Created an excellent first half chance for van Persie with perceptive pass

• 
  0

  1

  3.50

  Robin van Persie

  Fizzed with menace and commitment but let down by some sub-standard finishing. Hit the woodwork from two yards in the first period and denied by outstanding Cech blocks at the end of each half.

• 
  1

  1

  2.50

  Theo Walcott

  Looked dangerous only in patches and hobbled off with half-an-hour left after pulling up with a hamstring injury he had originally felt five minutes previously. Could be the end of his domestic season.

• 
  1

  0

  3.00

  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

  Lively and confident on the left flank but his decision-making was haphazard and replaced by Santos with 20 minutes left.

Substitutions

• 
  1

  2

  2.50

  Andre Santos

  Enjoyed his attacking role on the left flank but looked a square peg in a round hole.

• 
  2

  0

  3.00

  A. Diaby

  Hit-and-miss display in central midfield after Ramsey was pushed forward following Rosicky's withdrawal.

• 
  0

  1

  3.00

  Gervinho

  The odd nice touch but lacked cutting edge.

Chelsea FC

3.04

• 
  5

  0

  4.00

  Petr Cech Top of the Match

  Followed his brilliant midweek display with another agile and commanding performance. Made a brilliant block from van Persie just before half-time and another crucial one from the Arsenal skipper late on.

• 
  1

  0

  3.00

  José Bosingwa

  The hearts of Chelsea fans would have been in their mouths whenever an Arsenal attacker ran at their jumpy right back but the Portugese grew in authority as the game progressed.

• 
  3

  0

  3.50

  Gary Cahill

  Built on his excellent midweek performance with another steely display at center back. Made some key interceptions and rarely allowed van Persie to wriggle free into space.

• 
  4

  0

  3.50

  John Terry

  His ribs would have been more than tickled by Vermaelen's robust early challenge but channeled his anger into a commanding display at the back.

• 
  4

  1

  3.00

  Ryan Bertrand

  Proved an able deputy for the rested Ashley Cole with a bright display at left-back. Kept his concentration well to nullify Walcott's threat. Subbed late on for Cole.

• 
  4

  0

  3.50

  Michael Essien

  Classy display in the midfield heartlands but was more effective without the ball than with it. Lacked the burst of pace needed to support the front three.

• 
  1

  1

  3.00

  Oriol Romeu

  Looked rusty after such a long spell on the sidelines but was neat in possession and kept a close check on Arsenal's midfield runners. Subbed late on.

• 
  2

  1

  3.00

  Florent Malouda

  Received a gash on his cheekbone after colliding with Sagna around the half-hour mark but it did not dull his appetite for the physical battle in an unfamiliar central midfield role. Made some important defensive interceptions.

• 
  8

  1

  3.00

  Fernando Torres

  Kept the Arsenal back four on their guard with his energy and excellent work ethic but never looked like getting a sniff of a decent chance, never mind the goal he would have needed to start in Barcelona.

• 
  1

  1

  2.50

  Salomon Kalou

  Zoomed into some dangerous positions but didn't know quite what to do when he got there. Might have won an early penalty had he not delayed his fall by one step. Subbed with 15 minutes left.

• 
  4

  3

  2.00

  Daniel Sturridge Flop of the Match

  His tendency to spend too much time on the ball was a frustrating one for Chelsea, who would have expected him to get more joy against Gibbs. Wasted some good positions on the counter-attack.

Substitutions

• 
  1

  1

  3.00

  Ashley Cole

  The biggest cheer of the day came when the former Gooner was booked for fouling van Persie. Not that he allowed it to bother him in a classy late cameo.

• 
  3

  0

  3.00

  John Obi Mikel

  His calmness and simple ball retention restricted Arsenal's opportunities in the last half-hour.

• 
  2

  1

  2.50

  Juan Mata

  His passing lacked its normal quality.