First-half goals from Santi Cazorla’s and Olivier Giroud ensured that Arsenal cruised past Crystal Palace with a comfortable 2-1 victory at Selhurt Park in the Premier League on Saturday.
The visitors took the lead after just eight minutes when Pape Souare brought down Danny Welbeck inside the box, leaving a calm and collected Santi Cazorla to roll home adroitly from the spot.
The hosts looked to respond as Dwight Gayle broke down the flank to cross for an on-rushing Fraizer Campbell, whose headed effort was blocked six yards out from goal.
With the game moving from end to end, Arsenal might have grabbed another before the interval as Francis Coquelin sized one up from range, although his eventual effort flew wide of the target.
The miss was not to matter too much, given that Giroud doubled the visitors’ advantage with a neat finish into the bottom corner from close range just before the half-time whistle.
Palace began the second period on the front foot, but they were almost made to pay for some profligacy when Giroud headed just over the bar from Alexis Sanchez’s cross.
Sanchez continued to cause havoc on the flanks and he almost carved out a second for his side, only for Mesut Ozil to guide a ball straight against the crossbar from the centre of the box.
Wilfried Zaha held a fair amount of the ball throughout the game and rarely failed to do much with it, until he turned in a strong delivery for Jordan Mutch who could only lash wildly to send his shot high and wide.
Giroud’s second goal seemed to provide worthwhile security as Palace continued to push for a goal of their own, this time as Gayle headed over from Souare’s inviting cross.
Alan Pardew’s men did manage to pull a goal back through Glenn Murray in the last few minutes of the game, but it proved a mere consolation as Arsenal claimed all three points.
Trending
- Sanwo-Olu: We’ve fulfilled our promises
- Upholding Democracy: The imperative of credible party primaries in Nigeria, by Adebanji Dada
- FG revokes 924 dormant mining licences as minister decries racketeering
- Why I didn’t build schools as Anambra governor, Peter Obi replies Omokri
- Establish base in Sambisa forest, Zulum tells Army
- EFCC withdraws appeal against former Kogi Governor Bello
- Fidelity Bank commends Air Peace’s performance
- How AI, automation, and trusted data are shaping next-generation customer service, by Linda Saunders