Recorded game and just able to watch: white-knuckle stuff. Rosicky great, Gerv good for a half, Giroud continuing to show he is a (slow) one effort player who cannot follow up and maintain attack on ball once he is beaten - that puts great pressure on mid-field as the ball rebounds quickly. Cannot believe when we were under pressure in the final 15 min that Giroud was not subbed for Pods: he would have been able to compete and hold ball in front half better than the French draft horse. Kos OK, Merts was a real mixed bag. Can make some great defensive plays but He just does not fit into the tica-taca style we play. Clear penalty but thought it could have been yellow not red. In fact you could make a case that Arteta's foul near the end was more of a red. Fabianski was very good and kept his cool and Howard Webb believes that to be good ref you need to be the centre of attention: deals more cards than a Las Vegas croupier.
A great win under difficulty. The season will be a great success if we qualify for CL, the Spuds finish 5th and the Stoke Neanderthals get relegated - oh happy day. And one other thing: over the off-season get a true CB to lead the defense and either use Pods up front or get a true MOBILE striker.