Mikel Arteta scored and was then sent off as Arsenal edged Crystal
Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park on Saturday to establish a five-point lead
at the Premier League summit.
The Spaniard put the visitors ahead
with a 47th-minute penalty, but he was contentiously shown a straight
red card with 25 minutes remaining for a last-man foul on former Arsenal
man Marouane Chamakh.
Second-bottom Palace, who sacked manager
Ian Holloway on Wednesday, came close to snatching an equaliser, but
Arsenal made sure of victory late on when Olivier Giroud headed home
from Aaron Ramsey’s dinked cross.
After an even first period,
Arsenal made the breakthrough early in the second half, with Arteta
sweeping the ball inside the left-hand post from 12 yards after Adlene
Guedioura upended substitute Serge Gnabry.
Gnabry and Giroud both threatened to extend Arsenal’s lead, but Palace
were handed a lifeline in the 65th minute when Arteta was sent off for
bringing down Chamakh despite the offence occurring around 45 yards from
goal.
Palace pressed forward, and Arsenal were indebted to
goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny for producing two jaw-dropping saves within
the space of a minute to thwart Joel Ward and Mile Jedinak.
With
three minutes remaining, Ramsey crossed for Giroud to head past Julian
Speroni and confirm Arsenal’s return to winning ways following their
mid-week defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
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