CRYSTAL PALACE 1 ARSENAL 2

BY AYODELE ODUMADE AT SELHURST PARK

Arsenal picked up their customary three points against Crystal Palace as they beat them 1-2 and moved into fourth place. However they made heavy work of it at the end when they nearly threw it away.  They started like a freight train as they passed the ball slickly.

In the 7^th minute, Pape Souare was closed down by Danny Welbeck, who nicked the ball off him. Souare in trying to retrieve the ball brought Welbeck down in the box and referee Mark Clattenberg pointed to the spot.  Santi Carzola stepped up and sent Julian Speroni the wrong way to give Arsenal the lead.

Palace were shell-shocked by the early start made by the gunners who have scored inside the first 30 minutes in games they have won in the league this season.  Palace had a chance to hit back when Scott Dann got on the end of a through ball, but the alert David Ospina punched the ball clear of harm’s way.

Palace had not learnt their lesson from Souare’s mistake as Dann dwelled on the ball and Alexis Sanchez almost stole the it off him on the edge of the Palace goalmouth.  Dann just about recovered. 

Arsenal had the bit between their teeth as they continued their immaculate passing game finding pockets of space in the Palace half. Just before the break Wilfried Zaha put a cross into the Arsenal box but no one was bold enough to attack the ball as Ospina gathered it.

Just before the break, Sanchez played a through ball to Welbeck in the box. His shot was saved by Speroni, but Olivier Giroud who was following in tucked the rebound into the net to double the Gunner’s lead.  It was no more than Arsenal deserved as they were totally in control of this game.  It was all in the timing.

Arsenal scored at the beginning of the half and just before half time.  They could not have scripted it better.

After the break Palace showed some fight as they won two corners in succession due to Zaha on the right wing.  However Arsenal showed the discipline that saw even Mesut Ozil putting in a shift to help the defence. Yanick Bolasie replaced Fraizer Campbell who was injured.

From another Palace corner Arsenal nearly got a third on the counter.  Ozil received the ball on the halfway line and passed to Sanchez who had made a 45-yard run to support him. However Sanchez’s shot was wide.  That would have totally killed off Palace.

Bolasie caused panic in the Arsenal box when he put a delightful ball into the box. The Arsenal captain, Per Mertesacker left the ball for Opsina, but the keeper then fell over his him as he caught the ball.

Pape Souare whipped a ball into the box, which was met by Dwight Gayle with a header, but it was just over the bar.

The Eagles’ best chance came from a free kick after Nacho Monreal brought down Joe Ledley. Jason Puncheon’s free kick left Ospina rooted to the spot but it was just wide of his right post.

With five minutes of the game left, second half substitute Glenn Murray headed the ball from a corner straight into the hands of Ospina.  In stoppage time, Bolasie hit a cross cum shot but the alert Ospina saved parried the ball away.

From a corner deep into stoppage time there was a goalmouth scramble and Murray stuck the ball away to give Palace the faintest hope of snatching an unlikely point.

Straight from the restart Palace nearly snatched a point as Glenn Murray saw his header hit the post and fall into the grateful hands of Ospina! Didn’t someone once say football bloody hell? 

Arsenal who were in control of this game for large periods were grateful to get out of Selhurst Park with the points.  Arsenal should have kept the ball from the restart and played it amongst themselves. It nearly cost them dear.

A relieved Arsene Wenger said: “Overall we did well.  It was a vital win.  We were a bit fortunate. We can learn from every game. The players know that maybe they switched off a bit early. Overall I think our central defenders did well. Let us just continue to fight. It will be tight until the end.”

A disappointed Alan Pardew said: “It is probably the best we played since I have been manager.  The second goal was offside. The best players were on our team but we will have to take that confidence into our next game against West Ham.  Yanick Bolasie could not have done more than he did when he came on. The one criticism I have is we should have taken a shot early in the first half.  That is the only criticism I have of my team.”