A truly woeful first-half performance cost Arsenal as they were on the wrong end of a shock 2-1 home defeat by Watford.
It took just 13 minutes for Arsenal's first-half nightmare to begin as goals from Younes Kaboul and Troy Deeney put Watford in the driving seat. The Gunners improved dramatically after the break, not that it was difficult given how poor the first half was.
Alex Iwobi pulled a goal back shortly before the hour mark and, although Arsenal controlled most of the second half they just couldn't find that all-important equaliser and instead dropped a big three points.
Take nothing away from Watford as they just about deserved their win after a dominant first half, but our opening 45 minutes was arguably our worst of the season and simply not good enough.
Aaron Ramsey, who was forced off with an injury after 19 minutes, sent an early volley over the bar before Watford grabbed two quick-fire goals. Etienne Capoue tapped a free-kick to Kaboul for the defender to fire home via a deflection off Ramsey. It was soon 2-0 as very poor defending allowed Capoue to run through before being denied by Petr Cech and Deeney was on hand to score from the rebound. Dream start by Watford, but terrible defending from the Gunners.
Arsenal's woes continued when Ramsey was withdrawn before the Gunners had a penalty appeal turned down when Nacho Monreal went down in the box. The full-back was shown a yellow card after what looked like a correct decision.
Cech kept Arsenal in the game with two vital saves before the break as he tipped over Sebastian Prodl's header before parrying Daryl Janmaat's effort soon after. Watford were more than worthy of their 2-0 half-time lead and we were going to need one hell of a second-half performance to turn it around.
Theo Walcott was introduced for Olivier Giroud at half-time and Arsenal started the second half with a lot more purpose than they had done in the first. The substitute shot just wide within two minutes of coming on before forcing Heurelho Gomes into a save soon after.
Gomes then produced two big saves, which went a long way to deciding the result because if he hadn't made them then maybe, just maybe, Arsenal could have nicked something from the game. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Iwobi exchanged passes before the latter's shot was superbly kept out by the Brazilian shot-stopper. Gomes was called into action again sooner after and this time produced a fine save to keep out Mesut Ozil.
Arsenal finally broke the Watford resistance after 58 minutes when great work by Alexis Sanchez saw the Chilean lift in a cross for Iwobi to steer a shot into the far corner. On another day I would have thought, 'right this is it, we are going to turn it around' because we were all over Watford at this point. But there was also a sense that it really wasn't going to be our day and so it proved.
The hosts tried to push for an equaliser with Monreal sending a volley just off target, but it was substitute Lucas Perez that came closest to snatching a point for Arsenal. The striker, who was introduced after 67 minutes, hit a thumping striker against the crossbar six minutes from time. It was a great hit and maybe deserved better, but the fact it hit the bar summed up Arsenal's day.
Arsenal continued to push forward and wasted another opportunity in stoppage time as Perez shot straight at Gomes as Watford held on for the victory.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Paul Caygill was delighted following his side's shock win at the Emirates.
"It was the best 45 minutes of the season in the first half," said Caygill. "You will find that a lot of Watford fans went there tonight expecting a drubbing.
"However I had 2-1 Watford in my head because they always do the unexpected when you least expect it. We just need to follow up with a result against Burnley on Saturday."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
With leaders Chelsea dropping points in a 1-1 draw at Liverpool, this should've been a great opportunity to narrow the gap ahead of our trip to Stamford Bridge in our next league game.
Although I am normally an optimistic fan even I don't expect us to get anything at Chelsea, but I thought we could at least go there full of confidence and on a winning note after beating Watford. How wrong I was as we now head to our London rivals on the back of a poor defeat and with our slim title chances rapidly fading away.
No matter what happens in the rest of the title race, the Chelsea game is about so much more than that. It is not often that we win at Stamford Bridge these days so we will have a big point to prove. Play like we did in the first half and we have no chance! Play like we did when Chelsea came to the Emirates then you never know! Either way we have a point to prove! I'm nervous about the match and not convinced we can do too much at Stamford Bridge, so here's to hoping we can somehow come up with the goods and produce something special on the day.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Saturday, 28 January 2017
Wel-back with a cup double
If ever there was a way to reach the last 16 of the FA Cup then that was it after Arsenal produced an excellent performance in a thumping 5-0 win at Southampton.
Danny Welbeck, who was making his first start since May, was superb and deservedly grabbed two goals before a Theo Walcott hat-trick put the result beyond doubt.
Going into the game we knew it would be tough with Southampton having already knocked us out of the EFL Cup, where they have since reached the final, earlier in the season.
We also didn't have the easiest time of things in the last round with a late goal from Olivier Giroud helping us to edge past Championship side Preston.
With both sides making multiple changes it was hard to tell how the game would pan out, but fortunately we turned on the style at St Mary's and thoroughly deserved the win.
The performances of Welbeck and Walcott were very encouraging and we will need them to produce similar goal-scoring performances in the big upcoming games against Watford and Chelsea that could go a long way to deciding the fate of our season.
The first 10 minutes were fairly uneventful apart from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sending a shot wide against his former club, but the Gunners did break the deadlock soon after through Welbeck. The striker latched onto a great flick from Lucas Perez before chipping the goalkeeper with a composed finish that went in off the underside of the crossbar.
Welbeck was playing as someone with renewed confidence and looked very lively on the ball, which was very pleasing to see, and just seven minutes later he got his name on the scoresheet again. Oxlade-Chamberlain sent a ball over the top, which Welbeck did well to bring down before sliding the ball beyond Southampton's young goalkeeper Harry Lewis.
At the other end Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina was let off the hook when Southampton were unable to capitalise on his positioning as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg volleyed over the bar. The Colombian shot-stopper redeemed himself soon after when he produced a decent save to tip Shane Long's strike away for a corner.
Arsenal should have made it 3-0 when Oxlade-Chamberlain sent in a good delivery from a free-kick, but Shkodran Mustafi sent his header wide. Southampton also had a chance from a free-kick soon after, but Hojbjerg's effort went into the side netting and just off target.
Arsenal added a third nine minutes before the break as Lucas Perez picked out Welbeck with a great pass, before the striker squared it for Walcott to slide in and poke home from close range.
Arsenal were in complete control and Welbeck had a chance to complete his hat-trick within three minutes of the restart, but his effort was deflected wide for a corner. Youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles put in a good shift for the visitors at the back, but he was unable to get his name on the scoresheet as he shot over from the resulting corner.
Hector Bellerin shot straight at the goalkeeper as Arsenal continued to try to add to their lead, while Jordy Clasie sent an effort off target at the other end.
Walcott scored his second of the afternoon 21 minutes from time thanks to great work from Oxlade-Chamberlain and substitute Alexis Sanchez. Oxlade-Chamberlain, who showed a great range of passing on the day, beat his man before picking out Sanchez and the Chilean then cut the ball back for Walcott to score from close range.
Southampton were struggling to create too much in attack as Clasie volleyed over the bar, while Josh Sims attempted to inject some life into the hosts with a run into the box. But the youngster's run was matched by Maitland-Niles, who did excellently to force the ball out of play.
Although Welbeck was my personal man of the match, Walcott also deserves a lot of praise for his display after completing his hat-trick five minutes from time. Another great pass from Perez found Sanchez, who set up Walcott to beat Lewis with a low strike.
Sims forced Ospina into a decent late save before Arsenal very nearly added a sixth goal in the final minute of normal time, but Lewis rushed off his line well to block Perez's effort.
It was a great win and keeps our cup run going, but we need to really make things count by getting a minimum of four points from our next two league games.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Southampton fan Mavis John was disappointed by the result and hopes the confidence of the younger players isn't affected too much from being on the wrong end of a big scoreline.
"That was certainly not a joy to watch and I'm just relieved Arsenal didn't score more!" said John. "Although there were 10 changes to both teams, there was an obvious gulf between the two - as certain pundits said, it was definitely men against boys.
"With so many inexperienced players in our team, our defending was woeful, the ball was given away too easily and we just couldn't cope with a superior Arsenal team.
"I just hope the confidence of our young players hasn't been knocked too much. Here's an interesting stat - the last time we reached the League Cup final we were knocked out of the FA Cup by none other than Arsenal!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
That certainly was an FA Cup performance to be proud of and, while this competition is very important to me we really must start proving ourselves in the league and put in a serious title challenge.
With leaders Chelsea among our next two opponents this is our possible chance and we can't afford any slip-ups. It is still Chelsea's to lose and they are the favourites, but if we can produce a memorable week and beat Watford and them then who knows. I'm not saying we will do it as I still think this year will be Chelsea's, but we have at least given ourselves a chance.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Danny Welbeck, who was making his first start since May, was superb and deservedly grabbed two goals before a Theo Walcott hat-trick put the result beyond doubt.
Going into the game we knew it would be tough with Southampton having already knocked us out of the EFL Cup, where they have since reached the final, earlier in the season.
We also didn't have the easiest time of things in the last round with a late goal from Olivier Giroud helping us to edge past Championship side Preston.
With both sides making multiple changes it was hard to tell how the game would pan out, but fortunately we turned on the style at St Mary's and thoroughly deserved the win.
The performances of Welbeck and Walcott were very encouraging and we will need them to produce similar goal-scoring performances in the big upcoming games against Watford and Chelsea that could go a long way to deciding the fate of our season.
The first 10 minutes were fairly uneventful apart from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sending a shot wide against his former club, but the Gunners did break the deadlock soon after through Welbeck. The striker latched onto a great flick from Lucas Perez before chipping the goalkeeper with a composed finish that went in off the underside of the crossbar.
Welbeck was playing as someone with renewed confidence and looked very lively on the ball, which was very pleasing to see, and just seven minutes later he got his name on the scoresheet again. Oxlade-Chamberlain sent a ball over the top, which Welbeck did well to bring down before sliding the ball beyond Southampton's young goalkeeper Harry Lewis.
At the other end Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina was let off the hook when Southampton were unable to capitalise on his positioning as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg volleyed over the bar. The Colombian shot-stopper redeemed himself soon after when he produced a decent save to tip Shane Long's strike away for a corner.
Arsenal should have made it 3-0 when Oxlade-Chamberlain sent in a good delivery from a free-kick, but Shkodran Mustafi sent his header wide. Southampton also had a chance from a free-kick soon after, but Hojbjerg's effort went into the side netting and just off target.
Arsenal added a third nine minutes before the break as Lucas Perez picked out Welbeck with a great pass, before the striker squared it for Walcott to slide in and poke home from close range.
Arsenal were in complete control and Welbeck had a chance to complete his hat-trick within three minutes of the restart, but his effort was deflected wide for a corner. Youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles put in a good shift for the visitors at the back, but he was unable to get his name on the scoresheet as he shot over from the resulting corner.
Hector Bellerin shot straight at the goalkeeper as Arsenal continued to try to add to their lead, while Jordy Clasie sent an effort off target at the other end.
Walcott scored his second of the afternoon 21 minutes from time thanks to great work from Oxlade-Chamberlain and substitute Alexis Sanchez. Oxlade-Chamberlain, who showed a great range of passing on the day, beat his man before picking out Sanchez and the Chilean then cut the ball back for Walcott to score from close range.
Southampton were struggling to create too much in attack as Clasie volleyed over the bar, while Josh Sims attempted to inject some life into the hosts with a run into the box. But the youngster's run was matched by Maitland-Niles, who did excellently to force the ball out of play.
Although Welbeck was my personal man of the match, Walcott also deserves a lot of praise for his display after completing his hat-trick five minutes from time. Another great pass from Perez found Sanchez, who set up Walcott to beat Lewis with a low strike.
Sims forced Ospina into a decent late save before Arsenal very nearly added a sixth goal in the final minute of normal time, but Lewis rushed off his line well to block Perez's effort.
It was a great win and keeps our cup run going, but we need to really make things count by getting a minimum of four points from our next two league games.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Southampton fan Mavis John was disappointed by the result and hopes the confidence of the younger players isn't affected too much from being on the wrong end of a big scoreline.
"That was certainly not a joy to watch and I'm just relieved Arsenal didn't score more!" said John. "Although there were 10 changes to both teams, there was an obvious gulf between the two - as certain pundits said, it was definitely men against boys.
"With so many inexperienced players in our team, our defending was woeful, the ball was given away too easily and we just couldn't cope with a superior Arsenal team.
"I just hope the confidence of our young players hasn't been knocked too much. Here's an interesting stat - the last time we reached the League Cup final we were knocked out of the FA Cup by none other than Arsenal!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
That certainly was an FA Cup performance to be proud of and, while this competition is very important to me we really must start proving ourselves in the league and put in a serious title challenge.
With leaders Chelsea among our next two opponents this is our possible chance and we can't afford any slip-ups. It is still Chelsea's to lose and they are the favourites, but if we can produce a memorable week and beat Watford and them then who knows. I'm not saying we will do it as I still think this year will be Chelsea's, but we have at least given ourselves a chance.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 22 January 2017
Sanchez stuns Clarets with late penalty
Phew! That's how I would sum up my thoughts of Arsenal's late 2-1 win over Burnley at the Emirates.
Yet again we needed a late goal to beat them. Laurent Koscielny's 90th-minute winner was the difference at Turf Moor back in October and this time a dramatic injury time penalty from Alexis Sanchez won the three points for the Gunners.
Shkodran Mustafi's headed goal put Arsenal in front shortly before the hour mark, but the dismissal of Granit Xhaka after 65 minutes gave Burnley hope of a comeback. It looked like the Clarets had done enough to seal a point when Andre Gray netted a penalty in injury time, but there was still time for Sanchez to turn the game on its head.
It was a huge three points and moves Arsenal up to second in the table, but Chelsea's 2-0 win over Hull means their London rivals still have an eight point gap over them.
I can't see us catching Chelsea, but you never know, and we just have to keep focusing on our own game. Although it was an excellent result, we do need to become a lot more clinical in attack - 24 shots and only 8 on target isn't really good enough and had it not been for Sanchez's late intervention it could have come back to haunt us.
Until Xhaka's red card we had looked fairly comfortable and in control of the game, but we should have put the result beyond doubt earlier rather than having to rely on the penalty.
Mesut Ozil was denied by Tom Heaton in the Burnley goal before later having two efforts blocked. Koscielny sent a header over the bar and Sanchez curled a shot just wide as the Gunners failed to make the most of their chances in the first half. At the other end, Ashley Barnes' fierce drive was turned away by Petr Cech.
Arsenal started the second half brightly, but still continued to waste chances as Aaron Ramsey and Sanchez both sent efforts off target.
The Gunners finally broke the deadlock after 59 minutes when Mustafi headed home his first goal for the club from Ozil's corner. It was a good finish by the summer signing, who has yet to lose when on the field for Arsenal.
But Arsenal's hard work was undone when Xhaka was shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on Steven Defour six minutes later. What had looked comfortable for Arsenal was now set to become a nerve-wracking final 25 minutes.
Burnley nearly made their numerical advantage count via a Defour free-kick, but Cech produced a great saved to push the midfielder's effort over the bar.
Arsenal also came close to scoring when Francis Coquelin tried his luck, but Heaton produced a fine save to keep the substitute out before an excellent tackle from Ben Mee denied Danny Welbeck late on. But the Gunners still led as the game entered seven minutes of injury time, only for Burnley to snatch what looked like a point from the penalty spot. Coquelin fouled Barnes in the box and it seemed like it would be a big two points dropped as the striker fired his spot-kick up the middle of the net.
There must have been a sense of déjà vu for the Burnley supporters as yet again they lost against Arsenal this season following a controversial late goal. Koscielny attempted to meet Sanchez's cross, but was caught in the face by the high boot of Mee in the box. There is no doubting that it was a very silly foul from Mee, but Koscielny appeared to be in a slightly offside position before this and that is what frustrated the visiting supporters. Sanchez then cheekily chipped his penalty beyond Heaton to win it for Arsenal, who also saw manager Arsene Wenger sent to the stands in the closing stages.
Yes we got some luck at the end, but I do also feel that we were wrongly denied a penalty earlier in the match. Either way it was a huge goal and a big three points and I am delighted with the result.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Burnley fan Chris Horner felt his side were unlucky to come away with nothing to show for it and believes referee Jonathan Moss had a poor game.
"Arsenal had more possession and plenty of shots compared to us, but we gave a good account of ourselves," said Horner. "I'm not really sure how it's a penalty at the end when there is an Arsenal player offside before the foul is committed.
"Ultimately that decision has cost us a point. I thought the officials had a poor game all round. If we carry on playing like that then I think we'll stay up."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We probably haven't heard the last of the penalty debate, but we did what mattered most and got all three points to keep us in contention in the title race.
Although I think our title chances are slim and I can't see Chelsea dropping enough points for us to overhaul them, we have at least given ourselves a glimmer of hope.
We need to get better at taking our chances and will need a strong and fast start in our next league game when Watford visit the Emirates. But before that our focus must switch to the FA Cup and our fourth-round tie at Southampton. Being away from home makes it harder and I know Southampton are likely to be tough opponents, so we will need to produce a very good performance if we are to progress. Southampton have the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final prior to their match against us, so hopefully Liverpool can tire them out for us.
The Premier League and Champions League are the priority, but I would argue against anybody who says the FA Cup doesn't matter. It is still a wonderful competition and the magic of it is still very much alive, proven by the fact that my local side Lincoln and their National League rivals Sutton are still in it. The FA Cup is important to me and I hope we can produce a performance to be proud of at St Mary's.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Yet again we needed a late goal to beat them. Laurent Koscielny's 90th-minute winner was the difference at Turf Moor back in October and this time a dramatic injury time penalty from Alexis Sanchez won the three points for the Gunners.
Shkodran Mustafi's headed goal put Arsenal in front shortly before the hour mark, but the dismissal of Granit Xhaka after 65 minutes gave Burnley hope of a comeback. It looked like the Clarets had done enough to seal a point when Andre Gray netted a penalty in injury time, but there was still time for Sanchez to turn the game on its head.
It was a huge three points and moves Arsenal up to second in the table, but Chelsea's 2-0 win over Hull means their London rivals still have an eight point gap over them.
I can't see us catching Chelsea, but you never know, and we just have to keep focusing on our own game. Although it was an excellent result, we do need to become a lot more clinical in attack - 24 shots and only 8 on target isn't really good enough and had it not been for Sanchez's late intervention it could have come back to haunt us.
Until Xhaka's red card we had looked fairly comfortable and in control of the game, but we should have put the result beyond doubt earlier rather than having to rely on the penalty.
Mesut Ozil was denied by Tom Heaton in the Burnley goal before later having two efforts blocked. Koscielny sent a header over the bar and Sanchez curled a shot just wide as the Gunners failed to make the most of their chances in the first half. At the other end, Ashley Barnes' fierce drive was turned away by Petr Cech.
Arsenal started the second half brightly, but still continued to waste chances as Aaron Ramsey and Sanchez both sent efforts off target.
The Gunners finally broke the deadlock after 59 minutes when Mustafi headed home his first goal for the club from Ozil's corner. It was a good finish by the summer signing, who has yet to lose when on the field for Arsenal.
But Arsenal's hard work was undone when Xhaka was shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on Steven Defour six minutes later. What had looked comfortable for Arsenal was now set to become a nerve-wracking final 25 minutes.
Burnley nearly made their numerical advantage count via a Defour free-kick, but Cech produced a great saved to push the midfielder's effort over the bar.
Arsenal also came close to scoring when Francis Coquelin tried his luck, but Heaton produced a fine save to keep the substitute out before an excellent tackle from Ben Mee denied Danny Welbeck late on. But the Gunners still led as the game entered seven minutes of injury time, only for Burnley to snatch what looked like a point from the penalty spot. Coquelin fouled Barnes in the box and it seemed like it would be a big two points dropped as the striker fired his spot-kick up the middle of the net.
There must have been a sense of déjà vu for the Burnley supporters as yet again they lost against Arsenal this season following a controversial late goal. Koscielny attempted to meet Sanchez's cross, but was caught in the face by the high boot of Mee in the box. There is no doubting that it was a very silly foul from Mee, but Koscielny appeared to be in a slightly offside position before this and that is what frustrated the visiting supporters. Sanchez then cheekily chipped his penalty beyond Heaton to win it for Arsenal, who also saw manager Arsene Wenger sent to the stands in the closing stages.
Yes we got some luck at the end, but I do also feel that we were wrongly denied a penalty earlier in the match. Either way it was a huge goal and a big three points and I am delighted with the result.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Burnley fan Chris Horner felt his side were unlucky to come away with nothing to show for it and believes referee Jonathan Moss had a poor game.
"Arsenal had more possession and plenty of shots compared to us, but we gave a good account of ourselves," said Horner. "I'm not really sure how it's a penalty at the end when there is an Arsenal player offside before the foul is committed.
"Ultimately that decision has cost us a point. I thought the officials had a poor game all round. If we carry on playing like that then I think we'll stay up."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We probably haven't heard the last of the penalty debate, but we did what mattered most and got all three points to keep us in contention in the title race.
Although I think our title chances are slim and I can't see Chelsea dropping enough points for us to overhaul them, we have at least given ourselves a glimmer of hope.
We need to get better at taking our chances and will need a strong and fast start in our next league game when Watford visit the Emirates. But before that our focus must switch to the FA Cup and our fourth-round tie at Southampton. Being away from home makes it harder and I know Southampton are likely to be tough opponents, so we will need to produce a very good performance if we are to progress. Southampton have the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final prior to their match against us, so hopefully Liverpool can tire them out for us.
The Premier League and Champions League are the priority, but I would argue against anybody who says the FA Cup doesn't matter. It is still a wonderful competition and the magic of it is still very much alive, proven by the fact that my local side Lincoln and their National League rivals Sutton are still in it. The FA Cup is important to me and I hope we can produce a performance to be proud of at St Mary's.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Saturday, 14 January 2017
Five in a row for Giroud
Olivier Giroud scored for the fifth game in a row to continue his fine run of form as Arsenal smashed Swansea 4-0 at the Liberty Stadium.
The French striker's goals have really bailed the Gunners out of late, but this was more of a routine win with own goals from Jack Cork and Kyle Naughton, along with Alexis Sanchez's strike, completing the scoring.
The Liberty Stadium hasn't always been a happy ground for the Gunners to visit and Swansea would have been hoping to have done far better to impress their new manager Paul Clement.
Swansea didn't start too badly and Naughton came close to opening the score when Naughton's low strike was turned away for a corner by Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal.
Gylfi Sigurdsson shot over from outside of the box, but those missed chances proved crucial as Arsenal went on to take the lead after 37 minutes. Giroud failed to make contact with Aaron Ramsey's initial cutback, but Alex Iwobi kept the move alive and sent the ball back into the box towards Mesut Ozil. Ozil's headed attempt was blocked by the Swansea defence, but Giroud was on hand to fire home the rebound from close range.
Swansea didn't give up in the first half as Nathan Dyer fired a shot over the bar before the hosts saw their appeals for a penalty turned down. Sections of the home crowd believed Laurent Koscielny had fouled Ki Sung-Yueng in the box. But after seeing the replays I genuinely believe the referee made the correct decision in booking Ki for simulation. Yes, Koscielny did stick out a leg, but there was no contact with the Swansea man.
Arsenal started the second half brightly with Ramsey being denied by the feet of Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski before Iwobi's shot was deflected behind for a corner by the home defence.
The Gunners doubled their advantage within nine minutes of the restart and with a hint of luck as Iwobi's shot looped up and over Fabianski via a deflection off Cork for an own goal.
Another Swansea own goal followed 13 minutes later when Iwobi's cross-cum shot went in off Naughton. Iwobi was also involved in Arsenal's fourth and final goal as it was his great work and pass that released Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into the box. Oxlade-Chamberlain's cut back didn't quite reach Ramsey, who was beaten to the ball by an opposition player, but Sanchez was on hand to fire home the loose ball to complete a fine victory for the Gunners.
It could have got worse for Swansea had Fabianski not reacted well to get down low to save Grant Xhaka's long-range effort.
Swansea wasted the chance to score a late consolation goal when Borja headed over from Oliver McBurnie's cross and Arsenal were good value for their victory.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Swansea fan Tim James was left concerned by his side's defensive performance following this latest defeat.
"I fear we're utterly doomed unless we get a couple of centre halves in," said James. "The scoreline was a bit generous, but Arsenal absolutely deserved the result.
"Looking on the bright side, maybe people will see that Bob Bradley wasn't the problem. It's the fact that as soon as we concede, our defence collapses in on itself like a wet cake.
"It was encouraging to see us pressing in the first half, and that looked to be working, but as soon as Giroud scored it was heads down from everyone."
On the penalty incident James added: "Clement made a big deal out of it, but I wasn't too convinced by it to be honest. Koscielny sticks a leg out, no contact, but Ki takes a tumble anyway. I'm surprised if Ki would take a dive, but it's a sign of how desperate we are at the moment."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
A great win at the Liberty Stadium and a much-needed one, but it still isn't nice to see us below Spurs in the table.
I remain unconvinced as to whether we can mount a serious title challenge and we are still eight points behind leaders Chelsea, but at least this was a very encouraging result.
If we are serious then we must make sure we get nothing other than a maximum six-point haul from our next two league games against Burnley and Watford.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The French striker's goals have really bailed the Gunners out of late, but this was more of a routine win with own goals from Jack Cork and Kyle Naughton, along with Alexis Sanchez's strike, completing the scoring.
The Liberty Stadium hasn't always been a happy ground for the Gunners to visit and Swansea would have been hoping to have done far better to impress their new manager Paul Clement.
Swansea didn't start too badly and Naughton came close to opening the score when Naughton's low strike was turned away for a corner by Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal.
Gylfi Sigurdsson shot over from outside of the box, but those missed chances proved crucial as Arsenal went on to take the lead after 37 minutes. Giroud failed to make contact with Aaron Ramsey's initial cutback, but Alex Iwobi kept the move alive and sent the ball back into the box towards Mesut Ozil. Ozil's headed attempt was blocked by the Swansea defence, but Giroud was on hand to fire home the rebound from close range.
Swansea didn't give up in the first half as Nathan Dyer fired a shot over the bar before the hosts saw their appeals for a penalty turned down. Sections of the home crowd believed Laurent Koscielny had fouled Ki Sung-Yueng in the box. But after seeing the replays I genuinely believe the referee made the correct decision in booking Ki for simulation. Yes, Koscielny did stick out a leg, but there was no contact with the Swansea man.
Arsenal started the second half brightly with Ramsey being denied by the feet of Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski before Iwobi's shot was deflected behind for a corner by the home defence.
The Gunners doubled their advantage within nine minutes of the restart and with a hint of luck as Iwobi's shot looped up and over Fabianski via a deflection off Cork for an own goal.
Another Swansea own goal followed 13 minutes later when Iwobi's cross-cum shot went in off Naughton. Iwobi was also involved in Arsenal's fourth and final goal as it was his great work and pass that released Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into the box. Oxlade-Chamberlain's cut back didn't quite reach Ramsey, who was beaten to the ball by an opposition player, but Sanchez was on hand to fire home the loose ball to complete a fine victory for the Gunners.
It could have got worse for Swansea had Fabianski not reacted well to get down low to save Grant Xhaka's long-range effort.
Swansea wasted the chance to score a late consolation goal when Borja headed over from Oliver McBurnie's cross and Arsenal were good value for their victory.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Swansea fan Tim James was left concerned by his side's defensive performance following this latest defeat.
"I fear we're utterly doomed unless we get a couple of centre halves in," said James. "The scoreline was a bit generous, but Arsenal absolutely deserved the result.
"Looking on the bright side, maybe people will see that Bob Bradley wasn't the problem. It's the fact that as soon as we concede, our defence collapses in on itself like a wet cake.
"It was encouraging to see us pressing in the first half, and that looked to be working, but as soon as Giroud scored it was heads down from everyone."
On the penalty incident James added: "Clement made a big deal out of it, but I wasn't too convinced by it to be honest. Koscielny sticks a leg out, no contact, but Ki takes a tumble anyway. I'm surprised if Ki would take a dive, but it's a sign of how desperate we are at the moment."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
A great win at the Liberty Stadium and a much-needed one, but it still isn't nice to see us below Spurs in the table.
I remain unconvinced as to whether we can mount a serious title challenge and we are still eight points behind leaders Chelsea, but at least this was a very encouraging result.
If we are serious then we must make sure we get nothing other than a maximum six-point haul from our next two league games against Burnley and Watford.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 8 January 2017
More late Giroud heroics sees Gunners progress
I still love the FA Cup, but Preston really had us nervous for long spells until Olivier Giroud's late winner gave Arsenal a dramatic 2-1 win at Preston.
Callum Robinson gave the Championship side an early lead before later having a goal disallowed before goals from Aaron Ramsey and Giroud, who was captaining the side for the first time, turned the game on its head to put Arsenal into round four.
Anything can happen in the FA Cup and no team should ever be underestimated. Arsenal made hard work of the tie and Arsene Wenger's record of having never lost a third-round tie became seriously under threat, but credit should go to Preston for this as they performed admirably.
Giroud tried a speculative long-range effort inside the opening minute of the match, but it was comfortably saved by Chris Maxwell in the Preston goal.
Preston then sparked the game into life with the opening goal after just seven minutes. Aiden McGeady spun past his man before passing it through to Jordan Hugill. The ball then bounced off Hugill and into the path of Robinson for the forward to slot home and send the Deepdale faithful into raptures. It was a very frustrating moment especially given the fact that I was in a room with including a Preston supporter and I also had a Tottenham fan either side of me.
Arsenal tried to muster a response, but Lucas Perez's shot was saved by Maxwell without causing the goalkeeper any real trouble.
Preston were looking the more likely to score and almost got a second when Robinson got on the end of Hugill's cross, but the forward's header was well blocked by Shkodran Mustafi. It really should have been 2-0 soon after though when Robinson beat the offside trap and sent in a cross, but somehow Hugill was unable to connect with it. It was such poor defending by Arsenal and a big let off for them that they were not punished more for it.
David Ospina produced a decent save to keep out Ben Pearson's long-range strike, while Daniel Johnson sent his effort wide as Preston continued put pressure on us. It wasn't feeling too much like we were playing a lower league side and credit to Preston for taking the game to us and carving our defence open, but we also really should have done better.
Arsenal weren't creating too much in attack, although Ramsey should have done better when in the box, but the midfielder failed to get his shot in before Maxwell denied Lucas Perez soon after. The Gunners wasted another chance when Giroud sent an effort of target.
The hosts were nearly made to pay for those misses as Paul Gallagher managed to lob Ospina but, fortunately for Arsenal, Nacho Monreal came to the rescue to clear it away from danger.
Young full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles created a good chance for Arsenal before the break when his cross was met by Ramsey, but the Welshman's header was straight into the grateful arms of Maxwell.
Arsenal nearly fell further behind in the first half when Robinson put the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed for an alleged foul on Ospina. There was some contact, but Preston are likely to feel hard done by and it was a big let off for us.
The Gunners made a bright start to the second half and equalised through Ramsey within a minute of the restart. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross was met by Alex Iwobi, who did well to keep hold of the ball before setting up Ramsey to rifle in a shot from the edge of the box.
Arsenal wasted the opportunity to have gone in front when Giroud's header was comfortably saved by Maxwell before the Preston shot-stopper produced a fine save to keep out Mustafi from close range.
The visitors were looking a bit more lively and Giroud thought he had scored after 76 minutes, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside, but the Frenchman certainly made up for it later on when he rescued us yet again.
Arsenal continued to push forward with Iwobi forcing a save out of Maxwell, while Danny Welbeck came off the bench to make his return after eight months out with a long-term injury and it was good to see him back.
With just over a minute left of normal time Giroud latched onto Perez's clever back-heel to score a dramatic winner for Arsenal. In truth, Preston would have probably deserved at least a replay and will feel hard done by to have got nothing and I am definitely relieved to see us scrape through.
Welbeck nearly marked his comeback with a goal in stoppage time, but his shot was superbly tipped over the bar by Maxwell.
There wasn't enough time for Preston to find an equaliser and we were able to hold on for the win, but if I had to describe this game in one word it would be 'phew'. We were lucky to edge past Preston, but we did what mattered most and got the result.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Preston fan Dan Aspinall believes his side can be proud and hold their heads high despite the result.
"It was an excellent performance from Preston," said Aspinall. "If we can play like that against a team like Arsenal then we should take encouragement from it and put it to good use in the league.
"The whole team was immense. To be upset we didn't win says a lot when you are playing Arsenal."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It wasn't the greatest of displays, but progressing into the next round is what mattered most and we did just that. It will be interesting to see who we get in the fourth round, but whoever it is we will need to perform much better than we did this time if we want to avoid being on the wrong end up an upset.
We definitely need to up our game after recent performances if we are to have a 2017 to remember. We are already off the pace in the Premier League and eight points behind leaders Chelsea, but we must focus on our own game and let the rest take care of itself.
If we are to have any slim chance of the league title then realistically we will have get a maximum nine-point haul from the next three games against Swansea, Burnley and Watford.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Callum Robinson gave the Championship side an early lead before later having a goal disallowed before goals from Aaron Ramsey and Giroud, who was captaining the side for the first time, turned the game on its head to put Arsenal into round four.
Anything can happen in the FA Cup and no team should ever be underestimated. Arsenal made hard work of the tie and Arsene Wenger's record of having never lost a third-round tie became seriously under threat, but credit should go to Preston for this as they performed admirably.
Giroud tried a speculative long-range effort inside the opening minute of the match, but it was comfortably saved by Chris Maxwell in the Preston goal.
Preston then sparked the game into life with the opening goal after just seven minutes. Aiden McGeady spun past his man before passing it through to Jordan Hugill. The ball then bounced off Hugill and into the path of Robinson for the forward to slot home and send the Deepdale faithful into raptures. It was a very frustrating moment especially given the fact that I was in a room with including a Preston supporter and I also had a Tottenham fan either side of me.
Arsenal tried to muster a response, but Lucas Perez's shot was saved by Maxwell without causing the goalkeeper any real trouble.
Preston were looking the more likely to score and almost got a second when Robinson got on the end of Hugill's cross, but the forward's header was well blocked by Shkodran Mustafi. It really should have been 2-0 soon after though when Robinson beat the offside trap and sent in a cross, but somehow Hugill was unable to connect with it. It was such poor defending by Arsenal and a big let off for them that they were not punished more for it.
David Ospina produced a decent save to keep out Ben Pearson's long-range strike, while Daniel Johnson sent his effort wide as Preston continued put pressure on us. It wasn't feeling too much like we were playing a lower league side and credit to Preston for taking the game to us and carving our defence open, but we also really should have done better.
Arsenal weren't creating too much in attack, although Ramsey should have done better when in the box, but the midfielder failed to get his shot in before Maxwell denied Lucas Perez soon after. The Gunners wasted another chance when Giroud sent an effort of target.
The hosts were nearly made to pay for those misses as Paul Gallagher managed to lob Ospina but, fortunately for Arsenal, Nacho Monreal came to the rescue to clear it away from danger.
Young full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles created a good chance for Arsenal before the break when his cross was met by Ramsey, but the Welshman's header was straight into the grateful arms of Maxwell.
Arsenal nearly fell further behind in the first half when Robinson put the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed for an alleged foul on Ospina. There was some contact, but Preston are likely to feel hard done by and it was a big let off for us.
The Gunners made a bright start to the second half and equalised through Ramsey within a minute of the restart. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross was met by Alex Iwobi, who did well to keep hold of the ball before setting up Ramsey to rifle in a shot from the edge of the box.
Arsenal wasted the opportunity to have gone in front when Giroud's header was comfortably saved by Maxwell before the Preston shot-stopper produced a fine save to keep out Mustafi from close range.
The visitors were looking a bit more lively and Giroud thought he had scored after 76 minutes, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside, but the Frenchman certainly made up for it later on when he rescued us yet again.
Arsenal continued to push forward with Iwobi forcing a save out of Maxwell, while Danny Welbeck came off the bench to make his return after eight months out with a long-term injury and it was good to see him back.
With just over a minute left of normal time Giroud latched onto Perez's clever back-heel to score a dramatic winner for Arsenal. In truth, Preston would have probably deserved at least a replay and will feel hard done by to have got nothing and I am definitely relieved to see us scrape through.
Welbeck nearly marked his comeback with a goal in stoppage time, but his shot was superbly tipped over the bar by Maxwell.
There wasn't enough time for Preston to find an equaliser and we were able to hold on for the win, but if I had to describe this game in one word it would be 'phew'. We were lucky to edge past Preston, but we did what mattered most and got the result.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Preston fan Dan Aspinall believes his side can be proud and hold their heads high despite the result.
"It was an excellent performance from Preston," said Aspinall. "If we can play like that against a team like Arsenal then we should take encouragement from it and put it to good use in the league.
"The whole team was immense. To be upset we didn't win says a lot when you are playing Arsenal."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It wasn't the greatest of displays, but progressing into the next round is what mattered most and we did just that. It will be interesting to see who we get in the fourth round, but whoever it is we will need to perform much better than we did this time if we want to avoid being on the wrong end up an upset.
We definitely need to up our game after recent performances if we are to have a 2017 to remember. We are already off the pace in the Premier League and eight points behind leaders Chelsea, but we must focus on our own game and let the rest take care of itself.
If we are to have any slim chance of the league title then realistically we will have get a maximum nine-point haul from the next three games against Swansea, Burnley and Watford.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Tuesday, 3 January 2017
Gunners surive Cherries scare to nick draw
Olivier Giroud scored one and created two as Arsenal produced a great escape to recover from three goals down to claim a 3-3 draw at plucky Bournemouth.
Bournemouth's tenacity and desire to be the first to every ball made life very difficult for Arsenal in the first half and forced them into numerous errors.
Charlie Daniels, who I felt had an impressive game for the Cherries, opened the scoring after 16 minutes before Callum Wilson doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.
Ryan Fraser made it 3-0 shortly before the hour mark, but I felt aggrieved by this particular goal as I genuinely believed there was a foul by Bournemouth in the build-up to it. However, take nothing away from the hosts as they controlled large spells of the game and fully deserved to be ahead.
At that point I couldn't see any way back for us after what was proving to be a very below par performance, but Alexis Sanchez at least gave us a glimmer of hope 20 minutes from time.
Lucas Perez scored a stunning goal five minutes later to get Arsenal right back into the game before Simon Francis was sent off for a clumsy challenge on Aaron Ramsey.
Giroud popped up in injury time to rescue a point for Arsenal and there was still four minutes of added time left to have found a winner. In truth, had we nicked a winner it would have been harsh on Bournemouth who worked tirelessly throughout the match.
Credit must go to the Bournemouth players and their manager Eddie Howe, who is doing a great job at the club. Eight years ago to the day he took charge of his first game for the Cherries - a 2-1 defeat by Darlington - and they were second bottom in League Two. To go from nearly falling out of the Football League to the top half of the Premier League is truly incredible.
I am not trying to mask what was two big points dropped as we really were poor, but Bournemouth deserve credit for doing a really good job on us. They simply never gave up and on another day the score could have been a whole lot worse than 3-3 for us.
In terms of the title race and match expectations, a draw falls very short and is disappointing. However, in terms of how the match itself panned out, it looked like it was going to be much worse so I'll take a point in the circumstances.
Bournemouth had some decent early chances with Junior Stanislas forcing a save out of Petr Cech after just nine minutes, before home fans were calling for a penalty soon after. Sections of the crowd felt the Arsenal goalkeeper had fouled Callum Wilson in the box, but Cech did just about enough to push the ball off the Bournemouth man's feet before any contact took place. It was a crucial save and an early let off for the Gunners.
The hosts refused to give up and eventually got the goal their persistence deserved after some fine work by Stanislas and Daniels. Stanislas picked out his team-mate with a fine crossfield ball before the full-back took it past Hector Bellerin and slotted home. It was poor defending from the Spanish right-back, but Daniels did excellently and took his goal well.
Things went from bad to worse for Arsenal when Wilson slotted home a penalty following Granit Xhaka's clumsy foul on Fraser. Midfielder Francis Coquelin was forced off injured soon after to compound the Gunners' woes.
Arsenal began to wake up slowly as Aaron Ramsey sent a shot just wide after a slight deflection, while Alex Iwobi also sliced an effort off target. At the other end, Bournemouth could have grabbed a third in the first half had it not been for a superbly-timed challenge in the box from the returning Shkodran Mustafi. It was good to see Mustafi make his comeback from injury and in fairness he didn't play too badly, but the team as a whole really were poor in the first half.
Arsenal started much brighter in the second half, but were still nearly undone by Harry Arter. Fortunately the midfielder's goal was ruled out as the referee deemed there had been a handball by Wilson before the ball went in. Although that was a big let off for Arsenal, Bournemouth continued to pressurise the Gunners and did make it 3-0 after 58 minutes. Fraser cut into the area before firing a shot between Cech's legs and into the net. It was a good finish, although I felt Fraser had pushed Bellerin in the build-up. Even so, Bournemouth fully deserved their lead and we only had ourselves to blame.
It could have got even worse for Arsenal had Cech not made a diving save to keep out a Stanislas free-kick as Bournemouth continued to control much of the game. Only an excellent last ditch tackle from substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain prevented Fraser from adding a possible fourth and it was looking as if the horror show might get worse...that was until Sanchez started the comeback. Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross was flicked on by Giroud for Sanchez to score with a diving header.
Although we had been poor for much of the match, it then looked to be game on when Perez added Arsenal's second. The forward latched onto Giroud's flick before beating Artur Boruc with a sweetly struck left-footed volley into the far corner. A great goal and we were now finally beginning to up our game.
But Bournemouth didn't let that deflate them and, in fact, they could have added a fourth had Dan Gosling not curled a shot wide from close range when it looked easier to score.
Bournemouth lost their captain Simon Francis to a red card eight minutes from time after the defender's clumsy challenge on Ramsey. Arsenal took advantage of having the extra man when Giroud rose highest to head home Xhaka's cross in injury time, much to the relief of the visiting supporters. Phew!
OPPOSITION VIEW
Bournemouth fan Tristan Chapman was happy with the result and to see his side above local rivals Southampton in the table.
"It was a game where we didn't expect much but hoped for a lot and our faith was nearly repaid 10 fold," said Chapman. "There was no (Jack) Wilshere obviously so I was keen to see the line-up and was pleasantly surprised by the personnel.
"Plenty of pace to run at the back line, which is exactly what happened. A great first half from little Bournemouth from League Two. Out Arsenaling Arsenal with great interplay and fast attacks.
"The two goals in the first half were not unexpected as the Cherries outclassed our illustrious opponents. Fraser and Stanislas were the main force in the Bournemouth attacking line.
"All hoping that the match would continue in the same vein for the second half, with the third goal being decisive. How wrong we were! The third goal was a sublime piece of skill, but from the substitutions onwards it was all Arsenal.
"Hopefully Eddie Howe has learnt something from the match that moving to a defensive line-up is a massive error. Three goals and a harried central defence leading to a red card to Francis and intense pressure from an Arsenal forward line growing with confidence with every pass.
"In the end Bournemouth were fortunate to get a draw and the six minutes of injury time couldn't end quickly enough. Still, to moan about a draw against Arsenal almost sounds greedy. Still a point earned and a point above Saints and that's what matters."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Going into the match I knew it would be tough, but I thought maybe, just maybe, if we could win and Spurs could beat Chelsea for us, we could cut the gap to the leaders to six points. But instead we dropped two big points and were very lucky to even get a draw from a match many had expected us to win.
Take nothing away from Bournemouth though, they really did a number on us and deserve credit for a great battling display. This is only their second season in the top flight and they are holding their own so respect to them.
A draw is simply not good enough for us though and we will need to perform far better than that in the upcoming games if we are to achieve anything this season.
Focus now switches to the FA Cup and the trip to Preston. We cannot underestimate the Championship side, but this is a game we really should win and, with the FA Cup being a competition I love, I'll be disappointed if we don't. We need to go out at Deepdale, and indeed in the next league game at Swansea, and give performances to be proud of and not the one we witnessed against Bournemouth.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 1 January 2017
New Year, three points and a wonder goal
Olivier Giroud started 2017 with a wonder goal as Arsenal marked their 200th league game at the Emirates with an efficient 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
The Frenchman worked tirelessly throughout the game and his moment of brilliance in the first half proved decisive as his scissor kick went in off the underside of the bar.
Alex Iwobi added to Arsenal's lead in the second half, while Petr Cech made a string of quick-fire saves at the other end to ensure a clean sheet for the hosts, who moved up to third in the table.
Arsenal started brightly with Alexis Sanchez and Mohamed Elneny both seeing their efforts put behind for a corner inside the opening seven minutes.
Sanchez shot just wide from outside the box before Iwobi saw his low strike saved by Wayne Hennessey in the Palace goal.
Then the wonder goal came! With 17 minutes on the clock Arsenal hit Palace on the break, with Giroud involved at the start of the moving before later charging forward into the box to meet Sanchez's cross with a sublime scissor kick. In fact it was more like a crazy back flick volley. Either way, it was a great goal and great way to start 2017.
It was very nearly 2-0 for Arsenal soon after when Andros Townsend gave the ball away inside his own box, but he was bailed out by Hennessey as the goalkeeper came out to get the ball from Nacho Monreal's feet.
Palace offered very little going forward and it took the visitors 37 minutes to have any shot, either on or off target, as Yohan Cabaye's effort was saved by Cech.
Arsenal threatened to add to their lead in first-half stoppage time, but Hennessey produced a fine saved with his feet to keep out Sanchez.
All of the Gunners' hard work was nearly undone within two minutes of the restart, but Christian Benteke headed just wide when it looked easier to have scored.
Arsenal soon resumed control of the game, but were initially unable to add to their lead as Sanchez saw his shot blocked by the defence before Elneny sent a volley well over the bar.
For all Arsenal's dominance, 1-0 is always a dangerous scoreline so it was a big relief to see the second goal go in after 57 minutes. Sanchez passed through to Monreal, whose cross was blocked up in the air and Iwobi reacted quickest to head the ball over two players on the goal-line and into the net.
Arsenal were in cruise control, but it could have been different had Cech not produced a string of quick-fire saves to keep out Benteke, Cabaye and Townsend within a matter of minutes.
The hosts tried to add to their lead with Granit Xhaka's low shot being deflected wide for a corner before substitute Aaron Ramsey shot wide. Fellow substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain very nearly added Arsenal's third, but his low shot was excellently kept out by Hennessey.
It was an efficient and solid display by Arsenal and, although we probably should have scored more, we did what mattered and got the three points to start 2017 in style.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Father and son duo Ian and Chris Williams are hoping Palace boss Sam Allardyce will bolster his squad with some much-needed new faces in the January transfer window.
"Even the most optimistic Palace fan would have predicted an Arsenal win today," said the duo. "Confidence within the squad is low, and it is now only one win in the last 13 Premier League games and a total of 35 goals conceded this season. Big Sam has a big transfer window ahead of him.
"Priority is to strengthen the defence, at the very least we need another option at centre-back and a left-back (Pape Souare out for the season).
"We’ve only got two fit strikers in the squad, so that’s another position that needs bolstering. Losing Wilf Zaha (our best player this season) for a number of games due to the Africa Cup of Nations will be a massive blow, we need Andros Townsend to step up.
"Tuesday’s game against managerless Swansea is a must win. Journalists and pundits continue to say this Palace team is too good to go down, but they are definitely in a relegation fight."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
There are no guarantees in the Premier League, but I'd rather have our next few fixtures than Chelsea's, so we need to make it count! We are now up to third and three points behind Liverpool and nine off leaders Chelsea.
Chelsea are clearly the in-form team and will take some stopping, but if we can win at Bournemouth in our next game and Chelsea drop points against Spurs you never know.
I'm not going to get carried away as I still think Chelsea will win the league and nine points is a lot of ground to make up, but at least we have ensured a positive start to 2017 and we must just focus on our own games and see what happens!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The Frenchman worked tirelessly throughout the game and his moment of brilliance in the first half proved decisive as his scissor kick went in off the underside of the bar.
Alex Iwobi added to Arsenal's lead in the second half, while Petr Cech made a string of quick-fire saves at the other end to ensure a clean sheet for the hosts, who moved up to third in the table.
Arsenal started brightly with Alexis Sanchez and Mohamed Elneny both seeing their efforts put behind for a corner inside the opening seven minutes.
Sanchez shot just wide from outside the box before Iwobi saw his low strike saved by Wayne Hennessey in the Palace goal.
Then the wonder goal came! With 17 minutes on the clock Arsenal hit Palace on the break, with Giroud involved at the start of the moving before later charging forward into the box to meet Sanchez's cross with a sublime scissor kick. In fact it was more like a crazy back flick volley. Either way, it was a great goal and great way to start 2017.
It was very nearly 2-0 for Arsenal soon after when Andros Townsend gave the ball away inside his own box, but he was bailed out by Hennessey as the goalkeeper came out to get the ball from Nacho Monreal's feet.
Palace offered very little going forward and it took the visitors 37 minutes to have any shot, either on or off target, as Yohan Cabaye's effort was saved by Cech.
Arsenal threatened to add to their lead in first-half stoppage time, but Hennessey produced a fine saved with his feet to keep out Sanchez.
All of the Gunners' hard work was nearly undone within two minutes of the restart, but Christian Benteke headed just wide when it looked easier to have scored.
Arsenal soon resumed control of the game, but were initially unable to add to their lead as Sanchez saw his shot blocked by the defence before Elneny sent a volley well over the bar.
For all Arsenal's dominance, 1-0 is always a dangerous scoreline so it was a big relief to see the second goal go in after 57 minutes. Sanchez passed through to Monreal, whose cross was blocked up in the air and Iwobi reacted quickest to head the ball over two players on the goal-line and into the net.
Arsenal were in cruise control, but it could have been different had Cech not produced a string of quick-fire saves to keep out Benteke, Cabaye and Townsend within a matter of minutes.
The hosts tried to add to their lead with Granit Xhaka's low shot being deflected wide for a corner before substitute Aaron Ramsey shot wide. Fellow substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain very nearly added Arsenal's third, but his low shot was excellently kept out by Hennessey.
It was an efficient and solid display by Arsenal and, although we probably should have scored more, we did what mattered and got the three points to start 2017 in style.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Father and son duo Ian and Chris Williams are hoping Palace boss Sam Allardyce will bolster his squad with some much-needed new faces in the January transfer window.
"Even the most optimistic Palace fan would have predicted an Arsenal win today," said the duo. "Confidence within the squad is low, and it is now only one win in the last 13 Premier League games and a total of 35 goals conceded this season. Big Sam has a big transfer window ahead of him.
"Priority is to strengthen the defence, at the very least we need another option at centre-back and a left-back (Pape Souare out for the season).
"We’ve only got two fit strikers in the squad, so that’s another position that needs bolstering. Losing Wilf Zaha (our best player this season) for a number of games due to the Africa Cup of Nations will be a massive blow, we need Andros Townsend to step up.
"Tuesday’s game against managerless Swansea is a must win. Journalists and pundits continue to say this Palace team is too good to go down, but they are definitely in a relegation fight."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
There are no guarantees in the Premier League, but I'd rather have our next few fixtures than Chelsea's, so we need to make it count! We are now up to third and three points behind Liverpool and nine off leaders Chelsea.
Chelsea are clearly the in-form team and will take some stopping, but if we can win at Bournemouth in our next game and Chelsea drop points against Spurs you never know.
I'm not going to get carried away as I still think Chelsea will win the league and nine points is a lot of ground to make up, but at least we have ensured a positive start to 2017 and we must just focus on our own games and see what happens!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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