Post-Arsenal 3-0 AC Milan Selection Dilemmas

Arsenal stunned the world last night by coming out all guns blazing.

For 90 minutes and for the first half in particular, Arsenal more than matched a quality AC Milan side whilst desperately trying to level the scores.

Considering the 4-0 deficit they were facing, a lot of credit must go to the players, the manager and the fans as it was considered a lost cause by most.

Performances over the last two weeks have been simply brilliant. The North London derby win, the Anfield upset and now the crushing of potential UEFA Champions League contenders.

Some players have really stepped up to make this happen whilst some continue to drag the side down. Who's stock has risen and who's has plummeted?

Enjoy the slideshow!

Goalkeeper

Wojciech Szczesny came up big at the Emirates Stadium to keep a clean sheet.

Sure, he made a pretty bad error which Zlatan Ibrahimovic should have capitalised on and subsequently put the tie to bed, but he was more or less solid throughout.

He made himself big to force Stephan El-Sharaawy's miss from close range in the first half and managed to block Antonio Nocerino's close range effort to keep Arsenal in the game.

The Polish 'keeper has been getting better and better and Arsenal fans must be relieved to have found a reliable No. 1 choice for years to come.

Defence

Laurent Koscielny is now a shoe-in.

When he received a red card on his debut last season and then continued to splutter through his first year of English football, I didn't anticipate typing that sentence.

His goal-scoring header was easy but he got himself into a position to find the net and contributed towards the clean sheet Arsenal took away with them. He was immense at the San Siro during the first leg and the Gunners suffered when he limped off.

Thomas Vermaelen, back in a central defensive role owing to Kieran Gibbs' fitness, looked comfortable as ever and dominant in the air.

Speaking of Gibbs, he had a good game. He's still a little suspect and coming up against high class opposition has only reaffirmed my thoughts that Arsenal should look at the left-back slot again.

Andre Santos returning probably isn't considered good news for all Arsenal fans as his chaotic play can be deemed questionable at times.

Bacary Sagna is back and despite misplacing a few passes, the Frenchman remains the solid first choice and rightly so.

Midfield

So...Tomas Rosicky remembered how to score?

His finish, both in the North London derby and against AC Milan, was world class. To beat Cristian Abbiati from where he was was an achievement—drilling the ball perfectly into the corner.

At the moment, considering Arsenal's resurgence and the Czech midfielder's return to form, you'd probably have to consider him undroppable.

The same cannot be said for Theo Walcott. The clash at the Emirates Stadium last night only served to remind us, yet again, that the Southampton youth product is completely out of form.

His cross into the box which fortuitously led to Rosicky's goal was absolutely awful and he made almost no impact on the wing throughout the game.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was far more impressive and his latest performance will only serve to reinforce the clamours for him to be a regular starter and complete 90 minutes.

Gervinho left us wanting too. His work leading up to the penalty area is fantastic but he can't quite produce the cross or finish that matters. It should come with time.

Striker

Robin van Persie missed a golden chance to draw Arsenal level but it doesn't affect his stock—he's still the most prolific player in the Premier League and the most invaluable asset Arsene Wenger has at his disposal.

The chance wasn't easy and AC Milan goalkeeper Cristian Abbiati made a tremendous save to deny the Dutchman.

Arsene Wenger threw on Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-Young to try and force a goal—something which didn't pay dividends.

In defence of Park, he's not played much football and can't be expected to be sharp when coming on to save a game.

Marouane Chamakh is far from sharp too, but did he actually touch the ball when he came on the pitch? It almost seemed like the Arsenal players didn't want to pass to him.

The Morroccan's time is pretty much up in North London and no one will be surprised to see him go. Park Chu-Young will stay though, as Arsenal need the shirt sales in Asia.

Your Thoughts

Who have you been impressed with over the last two weeks in regards to the Arsenal playing staff?

They've certainly stepped it up a gear, as if they weren't even aware they were on course to miss out on UEFA Champions League football as it stood.

If they continue this form, they'll be set to achieve fourth place in the league and even pressure rivals Tottenham for third.

Who will step up and carry the team and who should be considered deadwood for the summer transfer window?

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