Iwobi among scorers as rampant Arsenal end winless run
NAN-S-1
Scorers
Abuja, Jan. 21, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Alex Iwobi was on the scoresheet as a rampant Arsenal ended a five-game winless streak in all competitions by thrashing London rivals Crystal Palace 4-1 on Saturday.
Arsenal’s four goals were scored inside the first 22 minutes of the English Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners took the lead in the sixth minute when Nacho Monreal headed in from a Granit Xhaka corner.
Monreal then turned provider for close range goals by Alex Iwobi in the 10th and central defender Laurent Koscielny three minutes later.
French striker Alexandre Lacazette made it four for the home side in the 22nd minute.
This was after he collected a clever back-heel from Mesut Ozil in the area before turning to curl his strike around outstretched Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic pulled one back for the visitors in the 78th minute, chesting the ball down before turning and shooting into the corner past goalkeeper Petr Cech.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in his post-match reaction said his team played their “real game’’, especially in the first half.
He added that it was good to see Alexandre Lacazette end his goal drought.
“We played our real game in the first half, real pace and real combination. In the second half the challenge was to keep the same drive and we didn’t manage to do that.
“The speed of our game at the start was good. We are the only team to beat Palace in their last 12 games.
“Not scoring had played on Lacazette’s mind, it was starting to get heavy for him. So, that is a relief. We know the challenge in front of us is very difficult and exciting as well.
“For 45 minutes our fans have seen some great football,” the Frenchman said.
On the recent transfer rumours of Alexis Sanchez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Wenger said: “January has been difficult for us, destabilising. We have had big players concerned with moving away which causes uncertainty.
“Aubameyang, no. Nothing is happening. He can be left out of the Dortmund team for different reasons. Certainly not for transfer reasons at the moment.
“Sanchez will only happen if Mkhitaryan comes here, and that will be decided in the next 48 hours. It is a possibility.”
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson on his part noted that Arsenal’s early goals in the first half destabilised his team, adding that it could have been worse in the second half.
“Three goals in 13 minutes put us on the back foot, it was a poor first half. In the second half we at least played like the team we try to be.
“We took a heavy beating, but at least it didn’t get any worse. It could have become an avalanche of goals.
“It was easy street for Arsenal but we made it hard for them in the second half. We lost our marking twice on Nacho Monreal and he punished us.
“I don’t think it’s a malaise in the club or the way we play but Arsenal found a weakness today.
“They were every bit as good as they can be today. They scored a really good `Arsenal goal’ as well,” he said.(Reuters/NAN)
VO/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)