Arsenal 3-2 Swansea: Gunners hold off spirited Swans to record sixth straight league win

By Oliver Yew

Sunday 16 October 2016 00:03, UK

Granit Xhaka was sent off as Arsenal held off a late Swansea rally to secure a sixth straight Premier League win with a 3-2 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

American Bob Bradley, taking charge of Swansea for the first time, found his new side two goals down inside 33 minutes with Theo Walcott (26, 33) capitalising on defensive errors to grab both goals.

However, the visitors were back in the game five minutes later when Granit Xhaka gifted Gylfi Sigurdsson possession, and the Iceland international produced a superb finish to hand his side a lifeline going into the break.

Arsenal's two-goal advantage was restored by Mesut Ozil in the 57th minute but Swansea responded again through substitute Borja Baston within nine minutes, before Xhaka was shown a straight red card for a cynical challenge on Modou Barrow.

It left Arsenal hanging on in the last 20 minutes as Barrow and Leroy Fer both headed glorious opportunities straight at Petr Cech, but Arsene Wenger's side held firm to move up to second and level on points with league leaders Manchester City.

Bradley became the first American to manage a game in the Premier League and he made three changes to the Swansea side that lost 2-1 to Liverpool last time out with Neil Taylor, Federico Fernandez and Barrow coming in for Angel Rangel, Mike van der Hoorn and Baston.

It was Arsenal, who were unchanged from the victory at Burnley, who started brightly, dominating possession as Swansea looked to soak up the pressure.

It was a pattern that continued throughout the first half with Swansea looking to counter at every possible opportunity and it nearly worked when Fer found space on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, but his shot flew high over the crossbar.

However, Arsenal's dominance eventually told though in the 26th minute as Hector Bellerin headed Alexis Sanchez's pass across goal where Jordi Amat dwindled on possession, allowing Walcott to nip in and put Arsenal in front from close range.

The England forward doubled the advantage seven minutes later and it was another defensive error, this time from Fernandez at a corner, as Walcott capitalised with another close range finish.

Swansea pulled one back after 38 minutes as Xhaka gave the ball straight to Sigurdsson, who took full advantage of the Switzerland international's error, curling the ball beyond Cech and into the far corner.

The goal seemed to galvanise the visitors and Sigurdsson had another opportunity just three minutes later, however, the Iceland international could only steer Modou Barrow's cross wide.

Swansea had one final chance to level the scores before the break and Sigurdsson was involed again, swinging a dangerous free-kick into the Arsenal penalty area, but Amat's header was straight at Cech.

Lukasz Fabianski was on hand to keep out Walcott with the first chance of the second half after Alex Iwobi danced inside before Ozil's cross fell to the England international, but he could not find a way past his old colleague.

But the third goal was not long in coming as Sanchez found Ozil free at the back post and the Germany international, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, hammered a volley past Fabianski.

Bradley's side continued to show fight though and substitute Borja swept home Barrow's low cross, before the Gambia winger was tripped cynically from behind by Xhaka, who was given his marching orders for the foul.

Walcott was inches away from securing the points in the 84th minute but was denied a hat-trick when his shot came back off the inside of the post before he blazed over from eight yards in stoppage time.

But the miss didn't prove to be costly as Wenger's men hung on the deny Swansea and send Bradley's new charges into the relegation zone.

Player ratings

Arsenal: Cech (7), Bellerin (7), Mustafi (6), Koscielny (7), Monreal (5), Cazorla (6), Xhaka (5), Walcott (8), Ozil (7), Iwobi (7), Alexis Sanchez (7).

Subs used: Coquelin (6), Gibbs (6), Oxlade-Chamberlain (6).

Swansea: Fabianski (7), Naughton (7), Fernandez (6), Amat (6), Taylor (7), Cork (6), Britton (6), Fer (7), Barrow (8), Sigurdsson (7), Routledge (6).

Subs used: Baston (7), Ki (6), Rangel (n/a)

Man of the match: Theo Walcott