‘Ox’ puts Arsenal back on top
ALEX Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice as Arsenal recorded a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace yesterday that took them back to the top of the English Premier League table.
Making his first league start since the season’s opening day, Oxlade-Chamberlain scored both goals in the second half to send Arsenal two points above Manchester City, who host third-placed Chelsea today.
The result got Arsene Wenger’s side back to winning ways after the 2-2 draw at Southampton that cost them top spot, while Palace were left one place above the relegation zone after a first defeat in three league games.
With Oxlade-Chamberlain in central midfield alongside Mikel Arteta, Arsenal quickly assumed control at the Emirates Stadium, but they struggled to make inroads against Tony Pulis’s well-drilled Palace.
The visitors had new goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey on the bench, but their No 1, Julian Speroni, seemed determined to stake a claim to the jersey.
He produced two excellent saves to thwart first Nacho Monreal and then Laurent Koscielny, before bravely diving at Bacary Sagna’s feet shortly before half-time.
It had been a disciplined and hard-working display from Palace, but two minutes into the second half they fell behind.
Former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh allowed Oxlade-Chamberlain to run into the box behind him and when the scheming Santi Cazorla picked out the England man with a dinked pass, he coolly lifted the ball over Speroni.
Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was quickly called into action at the other end, saving a header from Cameron Jerome at point-blank range, but Oxlade-Chamberlain’s second goal in the 73rd minute settled the game.
The powerful 20-year-old, nicknamed “The Ox”, played a slick one-two with Olivier Giroud before cutting into the Palace box from the left and letting fly with a low drive that Speroni could not keep out.
Earlier, an embarrassing mistake by Kolo Toure prevented Liverpool from strengthening their grip on fourth place as they drew 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion.
Liverpool were seeking to move four points clear of fifth-placed Everton and they took the lead through Daniel Sturridge at The Hawthorns, only for Ivorian centre-back Toure to gift West Brom a 67th-minute equaliser by passing the ball straight to Victor Anichebe.
The Nigerian striker accepted the gift to level the scores, leaving Liverpool with only a two-point cushion in fourth place and lifting Pepe Mel’s West Brom a point clear of the relegation places.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers refused to criticise Toure.
“He is a wonderful player. He probably should not have received the ball in the first place,” Rodgers said.
“I will never criticise any player, especially a defender. We have won many games and played outstanding football, and key to that is constructing from the back.” – AFP