Match report – By the numbers – Player ratings – Video

Oh Arsenal, if there’s a way to make something difficult, you will find it. If lost in the jungle you would ignore the brand new, well signposted suspension bridge and instead cross the gorge using the old rickety rope bridge like the one from Indiana Jones. Blindfolded. On one leg. While drunk.

1-0 up against QPR, a team so bad they continue to pick Armand Traore on purpose, our relatively simple task was made less so by the needless sending off of Olivier Giroud. Now, let’s get this straight, it was not a head butt. This is a head butt. What Giroud did, however, was to put a very shit referee in a position where he had no choice but to send him off.

If he took exception to the push by Onouha as he went through on goal, fine. I’ve got no issue with that. There are ways and means of expressing that without pressing your head towards an opponent – and he did make contact. Yes, the QPR player’s reaction was pathetic and ridiculous but there’s a very simple way of avoiding that and it’s by not doing what Giroud did in the first place. Should Rio Ferdinand have got a second yellow for grabbing Giroud’s neck? I think so, but it still doesn’t excuse what Giroud did.

He knew himself, the way he walked off the pitch not even daring to look at Arsene Wenger (who stared him down the tunnel) tells you everything you need to know (and the manager’s face is a story in itself). He lost his temper for a few seconds and the result was a silly, needless red card. Not only did it make the rest of the QPR game more difficult, it makes West Ham tomorrow more of a challenge. It leaves an already depleted squad without another player – somebody whose size and physical presence would be very welcome at Upton Park – as well as having to expend all that extra energy to see out the best part of 45 minutes with 10 men. Even against a team as bad as they are it’s tough going.

Arsene Wenger said of the sending off:

It was a deserved red card. Madness is a strong word but he didn’t kill him, he touched him and should not have done it. He should have been in control. Olivier Giroud knows he made a mistake and I know him well enough to think that he will not do it again.

There’s a manager who would normally come out swinging in defence of his players if there was even the slightest chance of doing so. What Giroud did wasn’t the end of the world, and thankfully we hung on for the three points, but let’s not make excuses for him either. The impact of the red card isn’t confined to this one game.

Thankfully there were enough good performers last night for us to cope. Alexis, obviously, stands out with a goal and an assist. It’s impossible not to love him and what he does, but without wanting to sound churlish, if he could move the ball a bit faster at times, and improve his decision making on it by 10-15% he’d be absolutely unstoppable. I do think we’re seeing some effects of fatigue with him though, some of the passing was tired and the penalty was poor.

Santi Cazorla, another of the team’s best players, should have taken it. He’s designated as the number 1 but Alexis wanted it and Santi let him. Next time, he should insist, because he’s probably the number 1 for a good reason and with two successful penalties in recent weeks he’s got the form.

Further back I thought the back four all played well. Although it’s not ideal by any means, Mertesacker and Monreal is about as close as we can get to Mertesacker/Koscielny right now, and the Spaniard did well there again. Debuchy had a storming game, I thought, and was desperately unlucky to concede a penalty when replays showed he clearly got the ball. You can insert something here yourself about the appalling refereeing standards this season – and I mean that across the board, not just for Arsenal – because I’m tired of going on about it.

And what a first Premier League start of the season for Tomas Rosicky. He’s been injured, but also underused and ignored by Arsene Wenger at times, leading to suggestions that all is not right with their relationship, but the Czech international had a fantastic game. Full of energy and quality, topped with a goal that in the end proved decisive. Afterwards, he said:

It was my first start of the season so I wanted to show the boss that he can use me more.

In the absence of Arteta, Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil and Oxlade-Chamberlain, perhaps there’s little choice, but he showed last night he’s somebody who can still make a very positive contribution at 34 years of age. He’s obviously not suited to all opposition or all games, but there’s been enough this season to make you wonder why it’s almost January and he’s only just got his first start. It’s what you want though, when given the chance a player takes it, and it’s good to see him back.

So, a very welcome three points. I thought when we were down to 10 men we defended very well and in a very determined way. We can be thankful that Junior Toilet’s crossing is as bad as it is, but there were moments when we had to throw men in front of the ball and we did that with real resolve. A better team would probably have found a way through, but they are what they are and the end result is a much needed win for us.

Now we have to take stock, see how those legs are for tomorrow’s game, and the reality is that injuries and suspensions mean we have little in the way of genuine options to rotate. We can’t do without Alexis, despite how knackered he seems, but the manager will  know who is feeling what and whether or not he can risk them for what’s going to be a much tougher task than last night.

Till tomorrow.