Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match
Arsenal kept pace with the Premier League's top title contenders in Week 19, beating Crystal Palace 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Olivier Giroud opened the scoring with a sensational scorpion kick before half-time, and Alex Iwobi doubled the lead after the break. The Gunners were never troubled by the Eagles, who were unable to muster chances until it was too late.
As Arsenal's official Twitter account shared, Mesut Ozil missed Sunday's clash due to illness, while Shkodran Mustafi returned from injury, taking a spot on the bench:
Despite the absence of Ozil, Arsenal started Sunday's match well, with Alexis Sanchez and Iwobi linking up early. The former picked out Lucas Perez with a great cross, forcing Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey into action for the first time.
Giroud and Perez couldn't make contact with a tricky ball from Nacho Monreal, and Mohamed Elneny saw his shot blocked. The Gunners kept pushing, and Sanchez fired a shot narrowly wide after a brilliant solo action.
Iwobi drew a fine save from Hennessey before Giroud deservedly opened the scoring, converting a contender for goal of the season. The Frenchman copied Manchester United star Henrikh Mkhitaryan with a scorpion kick of his own, but this one clipped the crossbar on its way in.
Former England international Gary Lineker couldn't help but make this joke:
The Gunners pushed for more goals, and Palace could barely answer, with Scott Dann heading a ball into a sea of defenders from their first corner. Elneny went much closer, pulling a shot inches wide from a similar position to Sanchez's earlier strike.
Monreal almost found himself with the perfect opportunity to double the lead after a well-worked move by Sanchez and Giroud, but the Spaniard lost his nerve and wandered offside at a crucial time.
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech was barely involved in the first half, making his first save of the match with just minutes left to play; Yohan Cabaye's effort flew straight into his arms.
Granit Xhaka nearly picked out Giroud, sending his pass a little too close to Hennessey, and Sanchez wasted a great opportunity in injury time after some clumsy defending, with the goalkeeper making a save with his legs.
At half-time, Arsenal's Twitter account still hadn't got over Giroud's wonder strike:
The second half started at a high pace, with Christian Benteke heading the Eagles' best chance wide and Perez going close just one minute later.
Sanchez also had a great chance to make it 2-0, with Dann making a last-ditch block to keep his side in the match. The Gunners applied serious pressure at this stage of the match, and Palace were reeling.
It was Iwobi who eventually doubled the lead, as Dann could only divert a sharp cross from Monreal towards the youngster, who beat Hennessey with a header.
Per the Premier League's official Twitter account, manager Sam Allardyce doesn't fare well at the Emirates:
The Eagles grew desperate, and Benteke tested Cech with a strong header, drawing a fine save. The veteran denied Cabaye shortly after, and Martin Kelly missed a golden opportunity for a goal, whiffing on a volley.
Palace were pressing, and Andros Townsend again put Cech to work, this time after a lovely turn inside the box.
The pace of the match remained high, and Xhaka tried his luck, watching his shot go out for a corner after a deflection. Giroud missed a cross from Sanchez by a hair, and Hennessey managed to palm the ball away before more harm could be done.
Aaron Ramsey threatened with a late strike, but the match ground to a halt in the final minutes, with both teams seemingly accepting the result.
Per Arsenal's official Twitter account, manager Arsene Wenger said Giroud's goal was one of the greatest he had seen:
The Gunners' next outing will be at Bournemouth on Jan. 3, while Crystal Palace host Swansea City on the same night.
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