ARSENAL....... 3 SWANSEA...... 2
Theo’s double puts Guns on easy street before Xhaka shaker
ARSENAL took another step in the direction of a genuine title challenge as Theo Walcott struck twice.
But while a first home win in five attempts over bogey side Swansea represents a welcome change for Arsene Wenger and Co, they sure made heavy weather of it.
For the last 20 minutes of this thriller having had Granit Xhaka (below) sent off, Arsenal were seriously hanging on as the Swans threatened to pull off yet another shock at The Emirates.
Yet, in contrast to last April when the Welsh strugglers won 2-1 to end the Gunners’ hopes of becoming champions, they left with nothing yesterday despite a gritty display.
If a fourth straight league defeat was a little harsh on their new boss Bob Bradley, opposite number Wenger was mighty relieved.
He said: “We’ve just got over the line today.
“We twice lost our focus when 2-0 up and then when we were 3-1 up – but in the end we’ve made it across the line and I’m pleased.
“But we should have scored more goals. Theo got two but could have had a hat-trick or even four.”
On the controversial sending-off, Wenger added: “I didn’t think it was a red card tackle.
“It was more dark yellow but the referee decided to make it a bright red.
“But I will have a chat with Granit because he has to learn from this.”
Swansea are now 18th but Bradley said: “That was an exciting game that didn’t finish the way I would have wanted.
“I didn’t like the way we started either. We showed them too much respect but we also showed how well we can play and the players feel we can be a very good team. I like this squad.”
Arsenal did deserve to win their sixth game on the spin to move joint top alongside Manchester City but their failure to kill off Swansea either side of the break nearly cost them dear.
Without a win since opening day, the visitors had sacked Francesco Guidolin and brought in American Bradley from Le Havre.
He paced his dugout screaming instructions, applauding every tackle and seemingly wanting to kick every ball.
He talks a good game, too, on the evidence of his lengthy unveiling to the world’s media ten days ago.
But bold words count for nothing at the elite level and when Swansea were pegged inside their own half for the first 10 minutes, he must have feared a battering.
Instead, Arsenal had to wait 26 minutes for their superiority to be rewarded and even then it needed an error to help them on their way.
Alexis Sanchez looped a pass to the far post that the overlapping Hector Bellerin headed back into the danger area. Jordi Amat, one of four players Bradley recalled, should have cleared but fatally he hesitated
and in nipped Walcott to fire his sixth goal of season.
Seven minutes later, Gylfi Sigurdsson failed to clear a bouncing ball and Walcott was again in the right place at the right time to double the gap.
Then a sloppy moment from Xhaka gave Swansea an unlikely route back seven minutes before the break.
He tried to dribble past an opponent just outside his box and Sigurdsson robbed the Swiss before curling home a left-foot shot.
Arsenal then restored their two-goal cushion after 57 minutes with the goal of the day.
Sanchez’s pass left Mesut Ozil a lot to do but he let the ball drop before volleying in a beauty from 10 yards.
But within nine minutes Swansea sub Borja Baston, picked out by Modou Barrow, slammed in to set up a cracking finale.
One which became all the more dramatic after £32million man Xhaka got a straight red for hacking down Barrow in his own half – a harsh-looking decision from Jon Moss.