Crystal Palace 0 Arsenal 2: Arteta goes from hero to villain with goal and red card but Gunners show they are champion stuff By Rob Draper You might say that Arsenal demonstrated the tenacity required to win a title on Saturday. After all, underwhelming 2-0 victories with ten men away from home at relegations strugglers is the stuff of which trophies are made. However, you might also wish to reserve that opinion for a month. The fixture list shows Chelsea (in the Capital One Cup), at home, Liverpool at home and Borussia Dortmund (in the Champions League) and Manchester United away to come. After those games, we will know so much more about this Arsenal side. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said being top after nine games was of limited importance, adding: ‘It was not a game of brilliance but a game of efficiency and patience. It is a good feeling without any massive significance. We had an opportunity to put the pressure on all the others and we did it. We did our job. Every win makes you stronger and strengthens the belief. ‘We were patient. The pitch was slow, maybe we were not the sharpest, and the two together meant we were creating fewer chances than normal. But we were serious and determined. What was at stake today was to respond to the disappointment of Tuesday’s defeat in the Champions League. If you get the points don’t be demanding; be happy.’ Nevertheless, Arsenal’s vulnerabilities were exposed against a team who had lost manager Ian Holloway last week. Mesut Ozil’s racing start to his Premier League career has tapered off and the team’s game lacked intensity — though the long grass didn’t help the speed of play. Though Mikel Arteta, who scored the penalty that swung the game, might have been unfortunate to have been sent off for a professional foul on 66 minutes, he was ponderous when former Arsenal team-mate Maroaune Chamakh spun away from him. Wenger’s view that his foul was accidental was generous; Arteta was beaten and knew it. Still, Chamakh was 40 yards out with the ball running away from him. ‘It was the wrong decision. It has to be a good scoring chance,’ said Wenger. ‘It was far from goal and he was not the last man.’ Arsenal, though, will not appeal as Arteta will miss only one game, the Capital One Cup tie against Chelsea, in which he would not have played anyway For a moment after Arteta’s dismissal, Arsenal creaked. Joel Ward drove in a shot that Wojciech Szczesny tipped on to the bar. From the resulting corner, Mile Jedinak hit a superb volley from the edge of the box that Szczesny pushed over quite brilliantly. Arsenal lost Mathieu Flamini with an early groin problem and Wenger is unsure how long the midfielder will be out. He has become the glue in this Arsenal team; they will need him back quickly. Crystal Palace caretaker boss Keith Millen said he was determined to enjoy the chance to manage against Wenger, and his players performed with determination and energy. ‘I was proud to be in charge and even prouder of the lads’ performance,’ he said. He made six changes and his limited team were set out to frustrate, meaning Arsenal had to sweat for their victory. There were flashes from Palace, even in the first half, when shots from Chamakh and Adlene Guedioura that kept Szczesny alert. Damien Delaney and Chamakh were also fractions away from connecting to crosses or shots across the face of goal. For all Arsenal’s possession — and it was overwhelming at times, the visitors completing 111 passes to Palace’s ten in the first ten minutes — they failed to register significant chances in the first half. Olivier Giroud headed wide; Serge Gnabry played in Ozil, who squared when he should have shot; Santi Cazorla drove wide of the far post from a tight angle and Aaron Ramsey had a fierce shot saved. True, Arsenal should have had a penalty when Delaney felled Gnabry on the line of the area on 40 minutes and was awarded only a free-kick but it was largely uninspired stuff. Within 56 seconds of the restart, Arsenal did have a penalty, Gnabry again felled by a needless, lunging challenge from Guedioura. Arteta dispatched it confidently. Giroud should then have headed in from close range on 53 minutes but Arteta’s sending-off gave Palace fresh hope which endured until the 87th minute, when Ramsey showed energy, confidence and poise on one of his fine runs. He cut back to deceive his pursuers and delivered a beautiful chipped cross for Giroud to put the game beyond doubt with a fine header.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 01:56:29 +0000