Arsenal picked up their sixth successive Premier League victory by beating Newcastle United 2-1 at St James' Park this afternoon.

Olivier Giroud bagged a first-half brace as the Gunners looked in cruise control going into the half-time break.

Urged on by their fans, the Magpies responded and reduced the arrears through Moussa Sissoko early in the second half, but they fell short in their comeback bid.

Below, Sports Mole analyses how each individual player fared in the North East.

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Goal

Tim Krul: Did not see a great deal of action. Blameless for both goals, but did have to keep out Welbeck in the second half to preserve Newcastle's hopes of snatching an equaliser. (6/10)

Defence

Daryl Janmaat: Started at centre-half due to Coloccini's absence and initially struggled, but gradually grew into the encounter. Decent from the Dutchman. (6/10)

Mike Williamson: Allowed Giroud to get the better of him for both of his first-half goals due to some woeful defending - particularly on the second goal where Giroud was allowed to head home without jumping. Really poor. (4/10)

Jack Colback: Endured a testing first half in an unfamiliar left-back role against the plucky Sanchez. Looked slightly out of place, but not as much he could have done under the circumstances. (5/10)

Ryan Taylor: Struggled to contain the lively Welbeck at times and failed to really threaten the Gunners with his famed delivery from set pieces. (5/10)

Midfield

Vurnon Anita: Probably could have done more to prevent Giroud's second, but could only watch the Frenchman's header sneak past him at the near post. Quiet overall from Anita. (4/10)

Moussa Sissoko: Threw Newcastle a lifeline with a well-taken goal on 49 minutes and forced Ospina into a fine instinctive save afterwards. Looked a real menace in the second half. (7/10)

Remy Cabella: Endured an anonymous first half like his attack-minded teammates, but grew into the game after the break and proved a real problem for Monreal. (6/10)

Yoan Gouffran: Had very little impact throughout and should have done a little better when poking a tame effort at Ospina on the hour mark. (5/10)

Sammy Ameobi: Had the beating of Chambers for pace, but did not cause the young right-back anywhere near as many problems as he should have in what goes down as a missed chance from a tactical perspective. (5/10)

Attack

Ayoze Perez: Despite a few good moments, he did not prove much of an outlet for Newcastle as their focal point this afternoon. They need Cisse back as soon as possible. (5/10)

Substitutes

Jonas Gutierrez: Wasted a few promising attacks with a disappointing final ball. Still looks a little rusty having recently returned from a 17-month absence.(5/10)

Goal

David Ospina: Barely anything to do in the first half, but showed why he is Arsenal's number one with an instinctive save to keep out Sissoko in the second half. Quiet, yet alert performance. (6/10)

Defence

Calum Chambers: Mixed display from the youngster, who had several good and bad moments throughout the 90 minutes. Nothing special. (6/10)

Gabriel: Enjoyed a comfortable performance in his first game back following a hamstring injury, and pulled off a few crucial blocks to preserve the lead. Per Mertesacker remains a better option but Gabriel is pushing him close. (7/10)

Laurent Koscielny: Excellent alongside Gabriel. Bailed out his teammate on a few occasions with last-ditch interventions. (8/10)

Nacho Monreal: Struggled to deal with the problematic Cabella in the second half as Newcastle's goal came via Monreal's territory. Not bad overall, but not as impressive as he has been lately. (6/10)

Midfield

Francis Coquelin: Continued to enhance his burgeoning reputation with another assured defensive-midfield performance to stifle Newcastle's attack time and time again. (6/10)

Santi Cazorla: The Spaniard struggled to dictate play as he has done so effectively in recent months. Subbed on 70 minutes. (6/10)

Aaron Ramsey: Saw so little of the ball in the second half, and looked a little sluggish in the first half with some wayward end product. Not his best outing. (5/10)

Attack

Danny Welbeck: Gave Taylor a torrid time on the right wing by using his pace to fashion really promising chances, but his final ball let him down every time.(6/10)

Alexis Sanchez: Looked quite a distance away from his best form again. Desperately needs a break after producing a largely anonymous second-half display. Subbed on 70 minutes. (5/10)

Olivier Giroud: Not always involved but so often decisive, Giroud added to his haul with a couple of goals that proved enough to down Newcastle. Deserves a little more credit from the neutral. (8/10)

Substitutes

Tomas Rosicky: Came on for his capacity to retain possession under pressure, but that skill failed him more often than not. (4/10)

Mathieu Flamini: Added an extra dimension of steel to the Gunners in their bid to preserve the lead. Decent cameo. (6/10)

Written by
Shane Callaghan