A game that will be remembered for that goal more than anything else. The terminology of ‘Scorpion kick’ was something I only associated with Rene Higuita’s audacious piece of skill during a friendly against England many years ago now in the space of a week it’s the term of choice to describe the jaw dropping new way to score a special goal.
To be fair the one from Mik.. Miki..Miktarian the Armenian midfielder and Giroud’s one yesterday were both pieces of individual spontaneous excellence that they should be appreciated for what they are rather than debating which was onside better.
Fantastic goal aside the most important thing was getting the three points against Crystal Palace, regardless of their erratic form this was a potential banana skin for the Gunners. Under new management it can always be a dangerous time to play a team as all the players have a point to prove to earn their place in Big Sam’s plans. Additionally there was added pressure on the Arsenal players to get the win to keep up the pace with Chelsea and Liverpool and fend off the chasing pack knowing all the rival teams’ bar Man City gained maximum points.
The points were gained however goal difference could play an important part come the final stages of the season and if there is one criticism I have to throw at the team it was the lack of killer instinct to really put Crystal Palace to bed. Yes the performance was comfortable and yes there is another game in a matter of days but it would be far easier to take your foot off the gas in the game once the club are three to four goals up. It seemed the magic of Giroud’s goal set a feel good mood amongst the players and the fans but any sign of urgency was muted.
The team played it safe and you could sense that a search for a second goal wasn’t high priority. Crystal Palace has been wretched of late but they are still capable of putting the ball in the back of the net. I wouldn’t say it’s a vote of no confidence to say keeping a clean sheet is far from impossible for the Arsenal but the team has got the capacity to fall asleep at the back when they are at their most comfortable. The first half petered out very comfortably and I have to admit it was worrying that the mindset of the players might get complacent in the second half.
On the plus side the team did come out in the second half more determined to get a second and kill off the game unfortunately the other Achilles heel reared its ugly head: profligacy. Many chances came and went, Alex Iwobi did eventually put the ball in the net to calm a few nerves but when the final whistle did eventually blow you couldn’t help but feel Palace were let off in a game which could easily has ended with four or five goals for the Gunners. At times it seemed like Crystal Palace players were trying their best to gift the team goals but they were politely declined each time through wasteful finishing.
Like I mentioned the win was the most important thing and the finishing aspect is just a slight frustration because at times this season we have seen our rivals up against similar and they have been ruthless. It would be nice to see this Arsenal team show no mercy a bit more often, all will be forgotten if we beat Bournemouth in the next game.
You may have noticed I have risen from the ashes to provide a blog post, 2016 has not been the most fruitful year for this site but I hope to put that right in 2017. Start the year as I mean to go on… commenting on Arsenal victories.
I’ll see you on the other side after the Bournemouth game, in the meantime here’s some food for thought after yesterday’s game:
With Giroud now starting and scoring in games is it hindering the influence of Alexis Sanchez?
Flamini returned yesterday but do you recall seeing any contribution he made in the game?
Mustafi is now back, does he replace Gabriel now that the Brazilian has finally settled in the team?
Feel free to discuss in the comments section. Other than that enjoy your day people!
Gambeano Snitch AFC 
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