the Premier League with a 2-1 victory at
Swansea on Saturday evening.
Early second-half goals from Serge Gnabry and
Aaron Ramsey saw Arsène Wenger's side complete
a dogged but deserved win. Ben Davies reduced the
arrears nine minutes from time but the visitors held
on with something to spare.
Arsenal were average in the first half but they
responded after the restart with strikes of quality.
They also dug in when required in the final minutes.
The win equaled the Club record for away wins in the
Premier League. Gnabry's goal also saw him become
Arsenal's second youngest scorer in the competition.
But the most important fact of the day was Wenger's
men now have clear daylight at the top.
Before kick-off, the manager's team selection saw
him revert to the XI that had seen off Stoke City last
weekend.
Only Per Mertesacker and 18-year-old Gnabry
retained their places from the midweek win at West
Brom in the Capital One Cup.
The early pace was frenetic and dictated by Swansea.
Their only real chance came when Jonjo Shelvey
smashed a drive just over the bar from distance.
Arsenal gradually gained their poise. Ramsey fired
over a flat cross that the leaping Mertesacker nodded
wide. The Welshman then drove a shot wide himself.
As the pace died down, the chances died out. The
first 45 minutes would elapse without a legitimate
shot on target.
Just before the half-hour, Swansea thought they were
about to score when Michu slid in as Wojciech
Szczesny tried to usher the ball out and Wayne
Routledge fired towards an empty goal from an acute
angle.
Referee Mark Clattenburg ruled that Spaniard had
not saved the ball before it went over the byline. In
any case the effort drifted wide of the far post.
The half was not a stinker but it was pretty stale and
both sides were looking to the break when the
clearest chance emerged.
Gnabry drove forward, danced around a couple of
challenges before slipping Olivier Giroud into space
on the left of the area.
It was the type of chance the Frenchman has been
burying this season. This time he slid his shot wide.
Arsenal needed the change at half-time. They had
not been dominated but they had been slighty
inferior to their hosts.
That would alter at the start of the second half. The
visitors had more energy and vitality.
Within 17 minutes of the restart they would have a
2-0 lead - both from breakaways.
Just before the hour, Ramsey cleverly tucked a
reverse pass into the path of Gnabry, who drove
home his first goal for the Club into the far corner of
the net.
Five minutes later, Giroud's backheel allowed
Ramsey to fire home his eighth goal of the season
into the roof of the net.
Inbetween those strikes, Mesut Ozil had spurned a
clear chance to score when, after being sent clear on
the left, he telegraphed his shot and Michel Vorm
saved.
The Arsenal goals had come from Swansea pressure.
Having conceded twice, that was only going to
continue.
The Welsh side had already added big-money striker
Wilfred Bony from the bench. They began to create
pressure and Szczesny had to dive full length to his
right to save Nathan Dyer's rasping effort.
In the 75th minute, Bony pounced on Jack
Wilshere's error but the angle was too tight to beat
Szczesny.
Nine minutes from time the Ivorian produced a lovely
flick from which the onrushing Davies nudged home
from close range.
Swansea mounted pressure late on but Szczesny's
handling was brilliant.
And the team in front of him had handled this tough-
looking game with the perfect blend of skill and
strength.
Arsenal
1
Szczesny
3
Sagna
4
Mertesacker
6
Koscielny
28
Gibbs
16
Ramsey
Goal!
44
Gnabry 78
Goal!
11
Ozil 88
10
Wilshere 90
20
Flamini
Yellow Card
12
Giroud
Substitutes
21
Fabianski
5
Vermaelen
17
Monreal 88
25
Jenkinson 90
8
Arteta 78
Yellow Card
31
Miyaichi
23
Bendtner
Swansea
1
Vorm
19
Tiendalli
4
Chico
Yellow Card
2
Amat
33
Davies
Goal!
21
Canas
Yellow Card
8
Shelvey 61
12
Dyer
20
de Guzman
Yellow Card
15
Routledge 64
9
Michu
Substitutes
25
Tremmel
3
Taylor
35
Alfei
7
Britton
24
Pozuelo 64
10
Bony 61
26
Vazquez
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.
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