Arsenal win at Crystal Palace

The goal was against the run of play as the Gunners appeared to have gained a stranglehold on the game as they were looking to double their lead.

The former Liverpool defender has warned Arsenal and Arsene Wenger that a defeat to Palace will be a massive psychological blow in their title chase.

At the start of last season following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez there were some concerns over where Cazorla would fit in but he’s adapted brilliantly to the role of a deep-lying central-midfielder.

The north London side made the breakthrough in the first half after Mesut Ozil teed up Gunners striker Olivier Giroud to finish past Alex McCarthy.

Coquelin could have been sent off when he pushed Wilfried Zaha to the ground at the end of the first half and he avoided a second yellow again for a clumsy challenge on James McArthur in the second period.

Giroud said: “I said before the game we really needed these three points to bounce back after the performance at home when we lost against West Ham”.

The 30-year-old in fact knows the kind of attacking options his team have on display and believes that the win is a prelude for better things to come from his team this year.

Alan Pardew’s Palace hit back just before the hour-mark when Joel Ward thundered a low effort from outside the area past a hapless Petr Cech but the visitors fought back 10 minutes into the second half.

Sanchez rose above Ward to meet right back Hector Bellerin’s cross with a firm downward header which Damien Delaney tried to clear but only helped into the net.

“[Olivier] Giroud scored the goal and he was important because he had to kick a lot of long balls”.

“More desire than fitness, he is still a bit short fitness-wise but he is a fighter”.

The ex-Barcelona winger produced a typically all-action performance before being withdrawn after 75 minutes and is now expected to play a full role in the remainder of Arsenal’s season, having missed their first two matches, including the Community Shield win over Chelsea. “Arsene Wenger knew that and took him off. It’s a decision Lee Mason needs to be braver on”. “You cannot win the league without mental strength, and I think we have got it in our squad”.