Arsenal produced an improved second-half display to overcome a spirited Cardiff City 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The Gunners could have found themselves behind at the interval if not for some poor finishing from the visitors, who were in action for the first time since the plane carrying club-record signing Emiliano Sala – as well as pilot David Ibbotson – went missing last week.
Daffodils were placed on the centre-circle before kickoff and Arsenal paid their own tribute by including Sala’s name in Cardiff’s squad on the back of the matchday programme.
On an emotional night for the visitors, they came unstuck when Bruno Manga conceded a penalty and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tucked away from the penalty spot.
Strike partner Alexandre Lacazette added a second late on and, while Nathaniel Mendez-Laing did manage to pull one back in stoppage time, Arsenal saw things through to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League, taking them level with Chelsea in fourth place.
Arsenal struggled to get in behind Cardiff’s compact defence and the Bluebirds enjoyed plenty of promising moments, but the away side could not make the most of their opportunities in a goalless first half.
Unai Emery brought on Alex Iwobi for Mohamed Elneny for the start of the second period, but the attacking change did not initially inspire Arsenal.
Another decent chance came and went for Cardiff strike Niasse, whose shot was blocked in front of goal by Shkodran Mustafi, and the division’s second-lowest scorers’ profligacy would come back to haunt them.
Manga was this time penalised for clearly catching Kolasinac in the box and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang calmly slotted the ball past Etheridge to give Arsenal the lead.
Iwobi nearly doubled his side’s tally with waltzing through and getting a poked effort on target, which Etheridge was equal to, but a second Arsenal goal would follow seven minuted from time, thanks to Lacazette’s clinical finish.
The Frenchman got away from Sol Bamba, drove into the box and fired the ball through Etheridge, giving Arsenal a two-goal advantage that would come in handy.
Mendez-Laing steered the ball out of Bernd Leno’s reach from a rare shot on target four minutes into added time, but it was not enough for City to earn a point on a night when the result was always going to be secondary in the wake of events off the field over the past week.