Arsenal player ratings vs Cardiff City: The partnership prevails

RB: Hector Bellerin – 6/10

He didn’t see as much of the ball as he would have liked, but he made the most of his limited possession. He was involved in the best move of the game, as his first-time ball across almost met the feet of the surging Aaron Ramsey. It was by no means a poor performance from the Spaniard.

CB: Shkodran Mustafi – 6/10

He got his first goal of the season in impressive style. He showed a lot of determination to beat Sol Bamba in the box, and his header was ferocious enough to beat the Cardiff City goalkeeper. He proved to be a menace from set pieces on more than one occasion, and he was also pretty solid at the back (for the most part).

CB: Sokratis Papastathopoulos – 6/10

He showed grit, which is what I liked. He wasn’t afraid to commit fouls, which was alarming at times, but he made it through the match without being sent off. He could have conceded a penalty in the second half, but luckily it was just an overreaction from the Cardiff faithful.

LB: Nacho Monreal – 7/10

I really liked Monreal’s performance today. He was bright, positive and productive for Unai Emery. He loves to bomb down the left flank, and he made his presence known today. There were a few instances where he linked up with Mesut Ozil and company, and he was also a threat on the goal scoring front.