CRYSTAL PALACE 1 ARSENAL 2

BY AYODELE ODUMADE AT SELHURST PARK

Arsenal put their disappointment of last week behind them as they beat a spirited Crystal Palace team 2-1.  Unlike last week when they failed to turn up they were more focused on the job at hand as they went for it right from the whistle.

With six minutes of the game gone, Francis Coquelin played a defence splitting pass to Alexis Sanchez who weaved some magic in the box, beat the keeper Alex McCarthy, but James McArthur cleared his shot on the line.  Minutes later Aaron Ramsey had a shot from distance but McCarthy comfortably saved it.

Yohan Cabaye let fly from 25 yards but Petr Cech comfortably gathered the ball.  At the quarter of an hour mark, Arsenal got hold of the ball. Coquelin played it towards Mesut Ozil and two Palace defenders failed to clear it.  Ozil’s cross was met with a neat scissors kick by Olivier Giroud, which nestled in the back of the net. No keeper could have saved that shot. Giroud, who has scored his fair share of goals, is often criticized by pundits. However once again he showed why Arsene Wenger continues to keep faith with him.

Unlike last week at the Emirates, Arsenal looked sharp and were first to the ball in the early going. Just after the midway point of the half, Sanchez got the ball on the right side, drove into the box, hit a shot which was parried by McCarthy and Joel Ward tidied up as he cleared the ball to safety.

In the 27^th minute, Jason Puncheon played a cross-field pass to Yannick Bolasie, which he chested down to McArthur, who then passed to Ward. Ward hit a shot across Cech, which nestled in the bottom right hand corner to bring the Eagles level in this London derby. The goal was against the run of play as the Gunners appeared to have gained a stranglehold on the game as they were looking to double their lead.

Initially Palace seemed to show Arsenal too much respect and let them have the ball, however the goal not only galvanized them but also changed their mindset to have a go at Arsenal.  Both teams went in at the break level at one all.

Two minutes after the break, Palace should have taken the lead. Wilfred Zaha crossed the ball into the Arsenal area. Connor Wickham met it, but his shot hit the post and rebounded back into play. Puncheon followed up with a shot but it went over the bar.  That was a let off for Arsenal and was the turning point of the game.

In the 55^th minute, Hector Bellerin crossed the ball into the Palace area and Sanchez rose above Ward with a towering header towards goal and the unfortunate Damien Delaney could only divert it into his net to give Arsenal the lead for the second time in the game.  A few minutes later Jordon Mutch, who replaced Bolasie, crossed the ball to Puncheon at the back post. He controlled it but his shot was not strong enough to trouble Cech.

Coquelin who was walking a tight rope was lucky not to have been sent off. Having been on a yellow card he then tripped McArthur on the edge of the Arsenal box.  Lee Mason spoke to him to the dismay of the fans, who felt he should have walked. Wenger took his cue and immediately substituted him with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

At the midway point of the second half, Ozil played a delightful pass to Ramsey in the Palace box but unfortunately he could not repay the compliment as he failed to hit the target, which what would have surely finished off the battling Eagles.

In the dying minutes from a Palace corner, Ward headed the ball straight into the hands of Cech.  Carzola saw his shot brilliantly saved by McCarthy and in stoppage time Oxlade-Chamberlain also had his shot saved. Arsenal were relieved to hear the final whistle and finally got their season up and running. History was always on their side as the last time Palace beat the Gunners was in 1994. 

Palace gave it a go and like last season they gave a good performance against a top four side at home yet again but in fairness Arsenal probably should have put them out of sight in the first half. Arsenal’s next game at home will provide a sterner test when they play Liverpool next Monday.

Wenger said: “ I am happy with the result.  We showed a lot of aspects of our game today. “

Alan Pardew said: “ The third foul by Coquelin was one too many.  Arsenal were sharp and bright today. After the equalizer I thought we had a lot of shape and balance. If Connor Wickham’s goal had gone in it could have been a different game. “