Gunning For Success

: Laurent Koscielny, 7.7

Arsenal entertained Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium after the international break, looking for a win after their previous result, in which they lost 3-1 to Southampton. They were dominant in the opening fifteen minutes, and it paid off when Jack Wilshere's corner was turned into his own net by Russell Martin, who was fighting for the ball in the air with Laurent Koscielny. The score remained the same for the entire match, Arsenal not being able to add to their impressive display, in which Norwich barely had a chance. Attendance: 59,688.

: Thomas Vermaelen, 8.1

After winning their last game, Arsenal should have been full of confidence heading into the home game against Everton. However, during the match, the Toffees managed to get in a good amount of chances, with Arsenal not being able to get them on target, bar one. It finished up as a bore draw, with Everton playing the better attacking football. Attendance: 60,338.

: Kieran Gibbs, 7.6

Arsenal faced their first and only away game in the league as they travelled to Wales to play troubled Swansea, who sat bottom of the table after some poor displays. Swansea were dominant for most of the game, but in the second half, Diego Costa, signed for £24 million in the summer, netted his first league goal for the club when Frenchman Olivier Giroud chipped a lovely ball through to the Spaniard, who was running into the penalty area. He controlled, blasted it at goal, but Michel Vorm saved it. However, he pushed it straight into the path of Costa, who finished it off on the rebound.
Attendance: 20,727.

: Kyriakos Papadopoulos, 7.7

After beating Real Sociedad to earn safe passage through to the Group Stages, Arsenal played their first game against German side Schalke at the Emirates Stadium. Just eight minutes in, Olivier Giroud scored the opener, when he was played through perfectly by captain Jack Wilshere. He lifted his leg to control it, let it bounce, before driving it home. The score remained the same and Arsenal will be happy with the three points. Elsewhere in Group B, Galatasary slipped up at home to Steaua, losing 1-2. Attendance: 60,338.

: Carlos Vela, 8.8

Arsenal fans were expecting an easy win at Molineux, and it seemed to be happening for them when club returnee Carlos Vela opened the scoring just before the half hour. Diego Costa crossed a ball from the byline, which looked to be going out. However it curled beautifully into the area, and Vela volleyed it in at the near post.

Tim Krul was brought on for his debut during the half time break. After half time, Vela doubled the lead when his 22 yard free-kick was fumbled into the net by Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. The goal was credited to Vela. Diego Costa extended the lead when he was played through into the penalty area from a lovely pass from Mesut Özil using the outside of his foot to guide it past the defender. Costa ran onto it and fired it first time, low into the bottom corner. The game seemed wrapped up.


But after Jamie Paterson whipped in a corner, it caused confusion in the penalty area and Anthony Forde was first to react, seizing the ball on the penalty spot and smashing it into the net. There was a slight chance of a very late comeback when Kevin Doyle scored in the third minute of stoppage time when Aaron Ramsey lost possession on the halfway line. The Arsenal players were up the other end of the pitch for a corner, bar a few, leaving the goal exposed. Jake Cassidy got the ball out wide, and crossed a low ball in towards Doyle, who calmly slotted past Krul. The game finished 2-3, with Arsenal fans blaming Krul for the two goals conceded. Attendance: 30,852.

: Eden Hazard, 9.0

Arsenal travelled to Stamford Bridge, where they were hoping to earn at least a point against José Mourinho's Chelsea. And they gave a very good display, Carlos Vela opening the scoring after twenty minutes when Chelsea midfielder Ramires tackled Michael Bradley on the halfway line. The ball ran through to the Mexican, who took a touch to bring it inside the area and then fired it past Petr Čech, who stuck a hand out in vain.

Chelsea waited until just past the 70th minute to grab the equalizer, Frank Lampard playing a ball to Eden Hazard on the edge of the penalty area, and the Belgian drilled it low past the Arsenal goalkeeper. However, with time running out, Arsenal struck again, Vela whipping in a corner towards Thomas Vermaelen, who headed it at goal. Čech tipped the ball onto the post but it came straight back out to Vermaelen who put Arsenal back into the lead. Late into added time, Chelsea equalized, a fair result, given how the two sides played. Eden Hazard played in a cross towards Ramires which dissected the Arsenal defence and Ramires ran in behind to earn the point. A great game for the neutrals, and both sides will be happy with a draw. Attendance: 41,798.

: Laurent Koscielny, 8.2

After the impressive display against Chelsea, Arsenal headed into their home game against West Bromwich Albion, confident of a victory. And their first goal came just nineteen minutes into the match, when Laurent Koscielny seized on a game of defensive pinball in the West Brom box after a Carlos Vela corner. The defenders couldn't clear it, and instead kept bouncing it off of their heads. Koscielny reacted to one of them before the defender, and nodded it past Ben Foster. The match ended 1-0, with Arsenal giving a good performance, but yet again, failing to score the goals to go with it. Attendance: 59,486.

: Diego Costa, 9.0

A tough game was predicted for Arsenal as they hosted Manchester City, but after just three minutes, they were in the lead through Spanish striker Diego Costa. Micah Richards tackled Mesut Özil on the edge of the Manchester City area. The ball ran through to Costa, who simply slotted it past Joe Hart. The lead didn't last long, however, as just four minutes later, David Silva equalized for City. When ex-Arsenal man Samir Nasri played the ball to Silva on the edge of the box, he ran inside, shimmied past two players, and finished. It was a fantastic individual goal, and he had every right to celebrate. A possible goal of the season was just produced.

Midway through the second half, Arsenal took the lead again, Costa with his second goal. It came when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got inside the area, and squared the ball to the Spaniard, whose shot deflected off of a City player on the way in. In early injury time, American midfielder Michael Bradley was sent off for a second bookable offence, but it was too late to make an impact. A good win for Arsenal, and their first big win of the season means that they could be optimistic about what November held for them. Attendance: 60,338.

: Varela, 7.5

Arsenal should have been clear winners here as they travelled to Romania. However, Nicolae Stanciu killed their expectancy when he scored the only goal of the game on twenty minutes to cause an upset. Alexandru Bourceanu swung in a corner towards Stanciu, who nodded past the keeper to maintain Steau's 100% record in the group and ending Arsenal's. Elsewhere in the group, Schalke lost at home to Galatasary. Attendance: 42,412.

: Carlos Vela, 9.2

After the "embarrassing" defeat in the previous game, Arsenal hosted Galatasary at the Emirates Stadium, where they hoped to get back on track. Diego Costa opened the scoring for the Gunners after just three minutes when Carlos Vela flighted a cross towards the far post. Costa jumped highest to put Arsenal into the lead. The lead was doubled just minutes before half time when Vela led a break from a Galatasary corner. He played in another good cross, this time finding captain Jack Wilshere, who slipped it in at the near post.

After half time, Arsenal scored the final goal, with Vela and Wilshere linking up again, this time Wilshere playing through the Mexican winger, who smashed the ball past Muslera in the Galatasary game. Vela gave another brilliant performance in this competition, and the fans are really beginning to appreciate him. Elsewhere, Schalke ended Steaua's 100% record by beating them 2-1 in Germany. Attendance: 60,338.

: Matt Jarvis, 9.4

Although it is classed as one of the minor cup competitions, it is still nice to win it, and Arsenal hoped to progress to the next round as they travelled to their London "rivals" West Ham. Mohamed Diamé put West Ham into the lead just six minutes in when Matt Jarvis passed the ball to the edge of the area where the Senegalese international was waiting, and he bent the ball into the top corner. Two minutes after, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain equalized when Mathieu Flamini chipped a ball into the penalty area from just inside the West Ham half. Oxlade-Chamberlain controlled and powered the ball past the West Ham keeper to level it up. Not long after, West Ham retook the lead when Joe Cole got the ball out wide and crossed it in towards Matt Jarvis, who simply tapped the ball past the Arsenal keeper. They extended the lead further when Joe Cole drilled a low ball into the box towards Kevin Nolan, who passed it into the net.
Thomas Vermaelen received his marching orders when he lunged in two-footed on Modibo Maïga to put Arsenal in an even worse position.


After half time, Laurent Koscielny pulled one back after he reacted first when Carlos Vela's 35 yard free-kick was tipped onto the post. Koscielny ran into the box and tapped it in to put Arsenal back into the game. But the game seemed to be wrapped up when Jarvis grabbed his second when Răzvan Raț played the Englishman into the penalty area, and Jarvis punted it in with ease. And it wasn't over for Arsenal as West Ham scored again after Kieran Gibbs gave away a free kick in a promising area. Noble stepped up to take it and dispatched it into the top corner. So Arsenal have been dumped out of the Capital One Cup, not too disappointing for them, but they will feel they should have done a lot better. Attendance: 35,016.

: Carlos Vela, 8.8

After an impressive run in the league, Arsenal visited The Stadium of Light in their first game of November, where they came up against Sunderland. They took the lead just before the half hour mark when Wes Brown brought down Diego Costa in the penalty area, although replays have since suggested that the Spaniard dived. Carlos Vela confidently stepped up to make it 0-1 to the away side, with boos ringing out around the stadium for the referees' decision. Just a minute before half time, Mike Jones angered home fans yet again. This time, however, he had every reason to, when Andy Wilkinson tripped Vela just inside the Sunderland half, earning him a second yellow card.

The game was wrapped up after half time, when Vela grabbed his second of the game. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain took the ball out wide and superbly picked out the Mexican winger, who has been in excellent form since rejoining Arsenal. He rose highest in the box and headed the ball low at goal. It took a bounce and Itumeleng Khune fumbled it into the net. The South African goalkeeper really should have done better. A solid performance from the Arsenal team, against a Sunderland side who never really posed a threat. Many fans of the Black Cats will be wondering whether they could have done a better job if Mr Jones had spotted the dive from Diego Costa, but the game is over, and they were outplayed. Attendance: 37,956.

: Per Mertesacker, 8.2

After being completely outclassed in their last game against West Ham in the Capital One Cup, Arsenal were hoping to avoid another embarrassing defeat to their London rivals, this time with the home advantage. However, despite dominating them for the entire game, the only goal of the game for Arsenal came in the 83rd minute, when German defender Per Mertesacker headed fellow countryman Mesut Özil's corner to bag the three points. Attendance: 60,338.

: Carlos Vela, 7.8

On a very impressive run, Arsenal headed to the Britannia Stadium where they would face high flying Stoke City. Arsenal captain Jack Wilshere gave them the lead after just two minutes. Olivier Giroud's cross was only cleared to Carlos Vela, who passed it first time to Wilshere, and the Englishman didn't have any trouble putting the ball into the back of the net. Not long afterwards, Stoke were level through Austrian international Marko Arnautovic. Jonathan Walters' ball found him in space, he fired at goal, only to be thwarted by the Arsenal keeper, not once, but twice, as Wojciech Szczęsny followed up with another save. However, the defence couldn't help the Polish keeper and Arnautovic finally got his goal, with Szczęsny on the floor. Five minutes before half time, Carlos Vela drifted a free kick into the box, and powerful Frenchman Giroud headed it past the keeper to regain the lead for his side. The score remained the same, but late into the second half, Stoke captain Robert Huth was sent off for a second bookable offence. Attendance: 27,740.

: Dean Moxey, 8.3

Arsenal hosted recently promoted Crystal Palace, as they looked to keep up their unbeaten run. However, that came under threat when Tom Ince scored an early goal. Dean Moxey whipped a corner in, the Arsenal keeper couldn't reach it, and it ended up on the head of Ince at the back post. Just after half an hour had been played, Marouane Chamakh, sold by Arsène Wenger in the Summer, came back to haunt Arsenal. Owen Garvan's corner found Moxey, whose shot was blocked into the path of Chamakh, and the Moroccan fired in with ease at his old stadium.

Whatever Jens Lehmann said to his players at half time must have had some effect on his players, because minutes after half time, Carl Jenkinson's long throw into the box was headed on by Jack Wilshere into the path of Diego Costa, who drilled the ball into the bottom corner. It was a lovely move from the team. Arsenal grabbed a much needed equalizer just after the hour mark, when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain beat three players to get into the penalty area, before crossing low to Mathieu Flamini who volleyed past Speroni. The game finished at 2-2, with Arsenal cursing themselves for their poor first half display, but they will find some positives in the way they came back strongly in the second half. Attendance: 60,338.

: Michael Bradley, 8.3

After beating Galatasary 3-0 in their home tie, Arsenal were nervy going into the away match against the Turkish side, with their stadium known to have a cagey atmosphere. Diego Costa opened the scoring after half an hour when Mesut Özil chipped a ball through to him in the penalty area. The Spaniard took a touch and smashed it past the keeper. Just eight minutes later, the game was level again, when Hakan Balta took advantage of Wojciech Szczęsny's poor positioning following Burak Yılmaz's pass and the Polish keeper could only flap at the ball. The game finished 1-1, putting Arsenal in a strong position heading into their final two group stage games.

Elsewhere in the group, Schalke beat Steaua 1-3 in Romania. Attendance: 52,695.

: Aaron Ramsey, 8.3

In their penultimate group stage game, Arsenal visited Germany where they would face up against Schalke. Carlos Vela opened the scoring and extended his %100 penalty conversion record since rejoining Arsenal after he was brought down in the box by Atsuto Uchida. Just two minutes later, the Mexican crossed a ball in from a wide free kick, finding Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who finished past the keeper with ease. Christian Fuchs pulled one back in the 25th minute with a 20 yard free kick which burst the net.

After half time, Arsenal sealed the win, after Kieran Gibbs' cross was cleared straight into the path of Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who finished the goal with a powerful shot which beat the keeper. Elsewhere in the group, Steaua lost out to Galatasary at home 0-1.
Attendance: 54,442.