Arsenal vs. Norwich: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match
Arsenal returned to third place in the Premier League with a narrow 1-0 win over Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Danny Welbeck scored the only goal of the game in the second period after finding the back of the net from Olivier Giroud's knock-down.
The result sees the Gunners leapfrog Manchester City in the standings, while Norwich's future in the English top flight appears uncertain following this weekend's results around the division, as they slip to 19th and are now two points from safety.
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There was an unpleasant atmosphere surrounding the Emirates on Saturday ahead of kick-off, with groups of fans engaging in a protest against manager Arsene Wenger's running of the club.
Supporters held placards denouncing the French boss and voiced their frustration at the club's performances this term after failing to take advantage of other top teams' failings.
The disharmony in the stands broke out in the 12th and 78th minutes of the match, but the raucous noise would not prevent the Gunners claiming another three points.
Goal's Arsenal correspondent Chris Wheatley showed Giroud's reaction to the Arsenal crowd after assisting the only goal of the game:
It was in fact Norwich that made the more promising start to the match in north London as Nathan Redmond—handed a starting berth by head coach Alex Neil following a string of fine cameos off the bench in recent weeks—fired a powerful effort on goal after Martin Olsson's deep ball found him unmarked at the back post, forcing a smart save from Petr Cech.
Moments later, the Canaries were again the ones to provide the effort on goal as Cameron Jerome's first-time volley was sent flying wide after a quickly taken throw-in.
Just seconds before the Arsenal faithful began their 12th-minute protests against the current management, their team almost broke the deadlock. First, Nigerian youngster Alex Iwobi scuffed his shot wide of the target before Giroud saw his thumping shot from inside the area get blocked by a wonderful last-ditch tackle from defender Chris Martin.
WhoScored.com detailed Giroud's poor run of form in front of goal:
From there on, Arsenal seemed unable to find a way into their opponents' 18-yard box. The hosts were continually denied entrance into the Norwich area but maintained possession with some slick passing in the final third. Eventually, seven minutes before the interval, Laurent Koscielny had a strong opportunity to put his side ahead but headed wide of goal.
WhoScored.com named the France international man of the match for his performance:
The Gunners applied lots of pressure throughout the first half but remained susceptible to the counter-attack when throwing too many men forward. Neil's well-disciplined side were excellent during the opening 45 minutes, but the tables would turn in the second period.
With 60 minutes on the clock, Arsenal found their breakthrough. Hector Bellerin played a lofted through ball into the area for France international Giroud to expertly head down to Welbeck on the lip of the box. The former Manchester United forward did not think twice and struck a powerful low effort into the ground that took a minor deflection off Sebastien Bassong on its way into the back of the net.
Welbeck had endured a long goalless run before his winning strike, as shown by ESPN:
Sky Sports Statto broke down Welbeck's contribution in the 1-0 win:
The East Midlands side were on the back foot for the entirety of the second half but finally found a reprieve through Wes Hoolahan. The tricky playmaker held up the ball well in the Arsenal half before feeding Robbie Brady to strike an effort on goal.
That relief would be short-lived, however, and the Gunners continued their dominance until the final whistle. Sanchez tested the fingertips of Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy before Mesut Ozil unleashed a great volley that sailed just over the crossbar.
With 10 minutes to play, Giroud almost made the game safe after climbing highest in the penalty area but saw his header fall into the grasps off Ruddy. It would make no difference to the end result, however, as Norwich failed to make Arsenal pay for missing numerous key chances in both halves.
Opta showed the stats that reveal why Norwich are struggling at the bottom end of the table:
The three points boosts Arsenal's claim to third spot with two games to play, with rivals Manchester City heading to the south coast to take on Southampton on Sunday. Meanwhile for relegation-threatened Norwich, results have not gone their way this weekend.
Fellow strugglers Newcastle and Sunderland picked up a win and a draw, respectively, to move above Norwich in the standings, as they drop down to 19th with 31 points from their 35 Premier League games this term.
Post-Match Reaction
The Arsenal boss acknowledged there was a "difficult" atmosphere surrounding the Emirates among the fans at certain stages of their win over Norwich.
Per the Telegraph, 66-year-old Wenger said: “Some were protesting, yes, but a big majority didn't. The big majority was behind the team and they have also shown that they appreciate what I have done until now. But it was a difficult atmosphere."
The Gunners coach believes the fans' unhappiness is born out of regret at the team's results this season, rather than true anger.
"We have been remarkably consistent," he is quoted as saying. "This season was special because we were in a position to win the league and we didn’t. It is more disappointed love than real aggression. You have to accept that."
