Arsenal return to EPL’s summit

Arsenal went top of the Premier League table after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s brace sealed a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger’s hosts could not find a way through a stubborn Palace backline, with Julian Speroni pulling off two good saves to deny Arsenal when they did get a rare sight of goal in the first half.
Former Arsenal striker, Marouane Chamakh, was hoping to make an impression on his return to Emirates Stadium and was Palace’s biggest threat.
But it was England forward, Oxlade-Chamberlain, who broke the deadlock just two minutes after the break, latching onto a fine pass from Santi Cazorla over Speroni and into the net.
The Arsenal youngster was handed a chance in central midfield due to the hosts’ injury problems – and responded with a dazzling display, which he capped with a second goal on 73 minutes.
Olivier Giroud fed a pass into the feet of Oxlade-Chamberlain, who then powered past Joel Ward into the Palace box before slotting a composed finish past Speroni into the bottom corner.
The win saw Arsenal return to the summit, leapfrogging Manchester City and opening up a two-point gap ahead of City’s home clash with Chelsea on Monday night.
Palace drop to 17th place, one point above the drop zone.