IT’S HARD ON GRANIT
Xhaka on his way to being the Arsenal hero until Zaha pen
GRANIT XHAKA learned the hard way that ending up one-on-one in the penalty area against Wilfried Zaha is not a good idea.
The Arsenal defender looked like being the hero at Selhurst Park on a controversial day, with a glorious angled free kick
for his team’s first goal. But with just seven minutes left on the clock and the Gunners holding on to a fortunate lead, Xhaka found himself alone, facing Palace dangerman Zaha.
Out went the Gunner’s leg, down went Zaha and to Arsenal’s protests, referee Martin Atkinson gave the penalty.
It looked like Zaha had bought the penalty, but there was definitely contact – and Xhaka and Arsenal had only themselves to blame as their 11-match winning run was ended – and the chance to close the gap on the top teams tossed carelessly away.
But the truth was that a draw was the least a battling Palace deserved. Roy Hodgson’s team had gone into the game having picked up just one point from their previous four matches at Selhurst Park.
But they fought hard for the point and in Luka
Milivojevic they had a cool head to put away the two penalties they earned.
The first, which came after Zaha had hit the post and Andros Townsend missed a golden chance in a lively first half, came when Arsenal failed to clear a corner, and as Cheikhou Kouyate tried to turn in the area, Shkodran Mustafi brought him down.
Milivojevic (left), who had seen his spot kick saved at Everton last week, kept his nerve to ram this one into the corner.
But six minutes after the break Arsenal were level, when Milovojevic fouled Lucas Torreira on the edge of the area. Xhaka stepped up to curl a fabulous drive into the top corner.
Palace were rocked and five minutes later Arsenal were ahead. From Xhaka’s corner, Alexandre Lacazette clearly handled the ball as he flicked it on off Jordan Ayew – and it dropped to the far post where PierreEmerick Aubameyang forced it in off Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey. Hodgson’s side were raging – but referee Martin Atkinson, who had a poor day all round, gave the goal.
It looked like being the familiar hard luck story for Palace, but Hodgson threw on German midfielder Max Meyer – and he made a real difference.
The little schemer hit the angle of post and bar with his first effort and then shot over from close as Palace pushed Arsenal to the limit.
Gunners manager Unai Emery then took off the ineffective Mesut Ozil – who threw his gloves to the ground in anger – as Alex Iwobi saw his shot deflected wide as Arsenal passed up chances to kill the game off.
Then substitute Alexander Sorloth sent Zaha racing into the box, Xhaka fatally waved that leg – and Palace had their second spot kick. Once again Milivojevic kept his cool as he put the penalty in exactly the same place.
Palace almost blew it right at the end, as substitute Jason Puncheon brought down Torreira on the end of the area – but Xhaka, to sum up an up-and-down afternoon, curled his free kick over the bar.
Justice though, had been done.