But Arsenal were able to recover, both from that inauspicious equalizer and, somewhat, from the last month of crap, and rode second half goals from Giroud (in the proper net, this time) and a returning Aaron Ramsey to win 3-1.
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Bellerin insists all of the players in the Arsenal squad are “ready to step up” to the challenge, and urged his team-mates to “play better football” in their quest to climb to the top of the league table.
Sunderland had missed an early chance to take the lead when they caught Arsenal on the break and Duncan Watmore fed Fabio Borini only for the former Liverpool forward to shoot straight at Petr Cech.
“For us today, the only thing that let us down was we slipped up on the first goal, which we could have defended better”.
That goal, on the stroke of half-time, marked the third match in succession Arsenal had let slip a lead.
That being said, even with all the problems Arsenal have, they should have enough to beat Sunderland and get their first Premier League win under their belts since the end of October. “We were nervy in the first half but in the second showed mental strength and desire”.
Still, they climb to second in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Leicester.
Sunderland, playing in distinctive lime green, have undergone a resurgence under new boss Sam Allardyce.
Allardyce thus fielded a 5-4-1 formation that looked created to come for a nil-nil.
“It was a good performance; I can’t knock the players for their efforts”, he admitted. Aaron Ramsey was far too offensive at times too, and our back line was struggling – relying on Koscielny to race out and make some key interceptions.
It was an injury ravaged Arsenal side that certainly wasn’t at its best, but we got the win and made up some ground on the teams ahead of us.
Ramsey added it was “important to get back to winning ways” after Arsenal had taken just two point from their three Premier League matches in November.
But that changed in the 34th minute when man of the moment Mesut Ozil teed up Campbell – who fired home from just inside the 18-yard-box.
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Sunderland: Pantilimon; O’Shea, Kaboul, Coates; Yedlin, M’Vila, Lens, van Aanholt, Cattermole; Fletcher, Watmore.
