Premier League, Selhurst Park – Crystal Palace 1 (Ward 28) Arsenal (Giroud 16, Delaney og 55)
Arsenal kick-started their Premier League campaign with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
Olivier Giroud set them on the way with a wonderfully athletic finish from Mesut Ozil’s cross but Joel Ward drew palace level with only his second Premier League goal.
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It looked like Arsenal’s defensive frailties may return to haunt them after a 2-0 defeat to West Ham in the opening weekend but an unfortunate Damien Delaney own goal gave Arsenal the spoils.
The win, Arsenal’s first following their opening day loss, means they climb off the bottom of the table whilst Palace remain sixth.
KEY MOMENTSi
7’ – GOAL LINE CLEARANCE: Arsenal break quickly up the field and Giroud feeds Sanchez. His shot beats McCarthy but is cleared off the line by McArthur.
16’ – GOAL! Palace 0-1 Arsenal: It’s a superb finish by Olivier Giroud, latching onto a Mesut Ozil cross with a swing of the left boot on the volley. It flies past McCarthy into the far corner.
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28’ – GOAL! Palace 1-1 Arsenal: A superb strike from Joel Ward that arrows into the corner from McArthur’s lay off. Only his second Premier League goal.
36’ – GOOD SAVE MCCARTHY: The keeper palms away Ramsey’s flick on with a big left hand.
55’ – GOAL! Palace 1-2 Arsenal: Bellerin crosses to Sanchez at the back post and his header is helped into the net by Delaney’s boot.
KEY STATS
Crystal Palace have now been beaten in each of their last six Premier League encounters with the Gunners.
No player has scored more Premier League goals against teams managed by Alan Pardew than Olivier Giroud (8). Robin van Persie has 7.
The Gunners are now unbeaten in seven PL away matches (W6-D1), since the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on 7 February. March to October 2013 was the last time they had a longer unbeaten PL away run (10 matches).
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TALKING POINT
Was Coquelin a lucky boy? He’d already been booked for a foul on Bolasie and on the stroke of half time, wrestled down Zaha as Palace looked to counter. Arsenal perhaps should have been down to 10 men at the break and again Coquelin escaped punishment for another foul in the second half before being withdrawn.
