OLI PUTS WENG ON ROUD TO RECOVERY

a big claim for a penalty. I thought it had been given and Ki Sung-yeung said at half-time there was contact. I’ve since looked at it from all the different angles and it IS a penalty.

“Everyone knows the task here is a very hard one. The players have suffered some crushing defeats recently. But we are all up for the fight.

“There are games we’re going to have to win and this wasn’t one of them.”

That, at least, will give Clement – the club’s third manager in as many months – hope he can spark a survival bid. For now, however, the Swans are rock bottom – albeit a mere point from safety.

Swansea certainly began the better and after 10 minutes of persistent Arsenal possession, full-back Kyle Naughton’s 20-yard drive forced a sharp save from Petr Cech.

Such was the visitors’ lack of urgency it appeared they were going through the motions for much of the opening period.

The trio of Mesut Ozil, Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey failed to click, while Giroud was starved of any chances to continue his red-hot streak.

Until the 37th minute, that is, when he found the net with Arsenal’s first assault of the afternoon.

Sanchez floated in a cross from the left, unmarked Ozil headed down for Giroud to pounce from five yards out.

That was the signal for Swansea’s day to go from bad to worse. On the stroke of half-time they were convinced they should have had a penalty after Ki went tumbling under Laurent Koscielny’s challenge.

But much to the their dismay referee Mike Jones saw it differently and booked the Swansea midfielder for diving.

The replays proved that the eagle-eyed official was spot on.

Despite the scoreline, Wenger must have delivered a few choice words to his lacklustre stars.

For they started the second half with considerably more purpose – and doubled their advantage after 53 minutes.

It required a real slice of good fortune though. Ramsey’s effort was saved but in the follow-up attack Iwobi’s drive took a wicked deflection off Jack Cork – and cruelly looped over the head of the helpless Lukasz Fabianksi.

That left Clement shaking his head in disbelief – and he was doing just the same 14 minutes later following another own-goal.

This time Iwobi cut in from the left and drove a cross-shot into the six yard areas. It was off target before being diverted in to the net by Naughton’s botched clearance.

That was game over but there was still time for Chile striker Sanchez to fire in his 14th league goal of the season when he volleyed in Ramsey’s cross.