Feast for Famara after Brum spit row
Leno 6; Bellerin 6, Sokratis 6, Lichtsteiner 6 (Iwobi (46th) 6), Kolasinac 6; Mustafi
6 (Monreal (70th) 5), Torreira 7, Guendouzi 6, Xhaka
6; Lacazette 6 (Mkhitaryan (46th) 6), Aubameyang 6 Arsenal refused to lay down and Sokratis, Shkodran Mustafi, Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner were given yellow cards within five minutes of a blood-boiling first half.
When the footballing action started, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette wasted golden chances.
France striker Lacazette put the ball into the net in the 45th minute only to be ruled offside.
It was his last action. Emery is not afraid of tough decisions, as proven with his handling of Mesut Ozil – again a notable absentee yesterday.
While Ozil was licking his wounds, missing Terriers star Steve Mounie enjoyed an afternoon in the away end, handing out signed shirts at half-time and singing his head off in the middle of the travelling Yorkshire army.
The Terriers lost skipper Tommy Smith, who was carried off on a stretcher just after the hour mark, causing a seven-minute delay while he was treated but carried on their dogged way until seven minutes from time.
Torreira, who also brought a fine save out of Jonas Lossl with a curling shot, is growing in popularity with Gunners fans after his battling midfield displays.
Arsenal have now won 17 of their last HUDDERSFIELD: Lossl 6; Jorgensen 6, Schindler
6, Kongolo 6; Lowe 6, Mooy 6, Hogg 6 (Bacuna
(49th) 6), Smith 6 (Hadergjonaj (65th) 5), Williams 6 (Durm 75th); Pritchard 6, Depoitre 6 18 league matches at 3pm on a Saturday. This is the sort of game they may not have won in previous seasons but the South American ace is one of those providing much-needed steel and determination.
He settled a nerve-wracking game when he bicycle-kicked home in the 83rd minute after Aubameyang fought hard to turn a Matteo Guendouzi pass into his path.
Emery was delighted with his display and said: “He has quality and he is quick-thinking on the pitch tactically in attacking and defensive moments.
“He can do one very good piece of work in defensive moments and, like today and last week, he can get into the box and score.
“We want to break every expectation with players and with him he is improving and he works with good commitment and behaviour.
“He is learning English for our meetings every day in the dressing room.
“That is the first step. He also has the quality and hunger we need.”
Huddersfield manager
David Wagner said: “I was pleased we limited Arsenal to so few chances.
“We deserved a point. “Obviously I am disappointed but we chased a top-class side and we had to keep our heads high. I did not speak to my players about Arsenal’s situation.
“Thankfully, I am lucky
I am not in that
situation.” Lucas Torreira P Tierney FK Qarabag (H), Dec 13 Newcastle (H), Dec 15 LEE JOHNSON claimed matchwinner Famara Diedhiou’s goal was a just response to the spitting row against Birmingham.
City’s record signing Diedhiou bagged the only goal to end Blues’ nine-month unbeaten home record.
It was Birmingham’s first home defeat since a 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough on March 6 in Garry Monk’s first game in charge.
The last time the sides met, a 3-1 win for the Robins on April 10, Diedhiou was hit by a six-match ban for spitting in the face of David Davis. Johnson said: “That was important after the spitting incident. We felt that was unjust.
“I’m delighted for him. The best way to answer those critics is to put the ball in the net, not fling your elbows around or to hurt people in tackles but to punish people by scoring.”
Monk blasted the decisions to deny his side penalties after Jacques Maghoma and Che Adams went down in the box.
“We had three penalty appeals turned down. It was incredible how we didn’t get at least one of them,” he said.
“Maghoma’s was clear, the first one. There’s not only one contact, there’s two contacts from two different players.
“Then the second one Che was pushed to the ground. The third one there was contact but the ref said he went down too easily.”
Bristol City’s former Aston Villa forward Andi Weimann tried to silence Blues’ boos aimed at him but his angled volley was hacked off the line by Michael Morrison.
Then came the first penalty controversy when Maghoma appeared to be felled by Adam Webster.
City scored with the first serious attack of the second half after 63 minutes.
Diedhiou glanced home Callum O’Dowda’s corner at the near post ahead of Harlee Dean. Blues’ best chance came seven minutes from time when Lukas Jutkiewicz’s glancing header hit the inside of the post.
Any lingering hopes of an equaliser vanished at the death when Jutkiewicz’s free-kick was smothered by Niki Maenpaa.