Goals:
1-0: Giroud (27, moved away from his marker to turn in Gibbs’ low centre from eight yards)
2-0: Giroud (29, left Friend to meet Sanchez’s corner with a cushioned first time volley)
Bookings: Gabriel (55, foul); Vossen (85, foul)
Referee: Mike Dean (The Wirral) – little need for him to dish out a lot of cautions and allowed the play to flow. 7
Attendance: 59,823
Entertainment: **
ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Szczesny 6; Chambers 6, Gabriel 6, Koscielny 7, Gibbs 7; Flamini 6, CAZORLA 8; Sanchez 7 (Rosicky 72), Ozil 8, Welbeck 6 (Walcott 72); Giroud 8 (Akpom 83). Subs: Martinez (gk), Mertesacker, Monreal, Coquelin.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-1-1):
8 MEJIAS: The goals were not his fault and he made a number of good saves to prevent more from going in;
5 Fredericks: Given a tough afternoon dealing with the overlapping presence of Gibbs and the roaming Gunners forwards
6 Omeruo: Made a couple of telling early blocks but this was a tough afternoon for the defence as a whole
5 Gibson: The young defender was given an insight in to the standards that will be expected of him if Boro go up this season
5 Friend: Could not be faulted for his work-rate even if he allowed Giroud too much space for the second;
5 Bamford: Largely non-existent and never looked like finding the breakthrough like he did at City
6 Leadbitter: Spent the majority of the game having to move left and right to track the Gunners midfield
5 Clayton: Very similar display to Leadbitter in that most of his performance was spent defending;
5 Adomah: Tried a couple of times to turn defence in to attack with little joy;
5 Tomlin: He might claim to have had Kompany in his back pocket but he certainly didn’t have Koscielny or Gabriel in there;
5 Kike: Hardly any chance to make an impression until he headed against the post in the dying seconds
Subs:
Reach (for Bamford 54): One bursting run after his introduction to worry Arsenal. 5
Vossen (for Tomlin 54): Made little impact in an attacking sense. 5
(not used): Ripley (gk), Nsue, Husband, Whitehead, Woodgate.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Santi Cazorla – made the Gunners tick from start to finish to frustrate Boro.
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