Not much fun, but when it’s over it’s fun to have endured something not much fun and see the benefit of it by going top of the league. If you get what we mean.

Here’s how the players rated.

Wojciech Szczesny: 5/10 – When he booted the ball of Remy’s head I was all ‘Wooooooaaaah!’, but then when it went wide I was all ‘Pheeeeewwwwww!’ Lucky boy today.

Bacary Sagna: 8/10 – Bacary says NO. 9 clearances. The best backs-to-the-wall defender around.

Per Mertesacker: 8/10 – The BFG: Big f*cking Gandalf – You shall not pass. 16 out of 16 clearances. Boom.

Laurent Koscielny: 7/10 – A bit sloppy on the ball but made 13 clearances himself and got stuck in at the end.

Kieran Gibbs: 6/10 – Exposed a couple of times down the left, went off with what we can only assume is an injury.

Mathieu Flamini: 8/10 – Got booked for winning the ball, as was the way of Lee Probert, but a combative, energetic performance topped by a nostalgia filled 20 minutes at left back.

Jack Wilshere: 6/10 – Very good in the first half, but lost the ball a bit carelessly at times in the second. Attempted 11 take ons, was successful with only 4.

Santi Cazorla: 6/10 – Like Wilshere, better in the first half, but got kicked from pillar to post and never got a free kick all day (apart from the one we scored from!). Haha, Tiote.

Theo Walcott: 6/10 – A game, much like the one against Chelsea, which didn’t really suit him. Doesn’t like being made play the ball under pressure, there was little space behind for his pace to exploit, and thus struggled to make an impact.

Tomas Rosicky: 7/10 – Tireless running and pressing, even late on, and refused to take any nonsense from Newcastle’s perpetual foulers. Got himself a nice retribution yellow card too.

Olivier Giroud: 7/10 – His hold-up play was really very good today, got little or no service, but he scored the winner. Even if he should have had another he was the difference between 1 point and 3 today. The goal will do him good.

Subs

Mikel Arteta: 6/10 – Came on just at a time when we were being put under big pressure. Played his part.

Nicklas Bendtner: 6/10 – Made a couple of good blocks/headers as he came on for a tiring Giroud.

Carl Jenkinson: 6/10 – Personally, I thought he was right to hold onto the ball when Krul was racing back. We need to slow things down and try and keep the ball rather than just give it straight back to them.

Bonus rating

Lee Probert: please read the rules/10

Feel free to debate and discuss in the comments, but please read the comment policy first and don’t get angry with each other, or me, about imaginary points.

And watch out for something new and exciting coming to our player ratings in the next few days!

Download the Sportng app and submit your own ratings!