Arsenal Triumphant over Canaries



After a great first half where the visitors restricted Arsenal to a few half chances- including Giroud firing just wide after my man of the match Michael Turner got back well to prevent a clear shot on goal, Norwich’s goal wasn’t really threatened.

Arsenal had 5 shots during the first half and they weren’t all clear chances either.

0    0-0   was a fair reflection of the first half.

Unbelievably Norwich started the second half a lot better than the hosts and took a deserved lead around an hour into the game. Kei Kamara won a free kick on the right hand side  of Arsenal’s box after a foul on the striker.

Robert Snodgrass who has been so dangerous from freekicks this season floated the ball into the box right onto Michael Turner’s head who gave Norwich the lead.

After the goal Arsenal continued to have chances (as you’d expect) but Norwich defended brilliantly. Our midfield- Johnson and Tettey in particular denied Arsenal the space to  run beyond them and  it wasn’t a surprise that, when Johnson went off for a dead leg according to manager Chris Hughton we started to drop deeper and deeper.

The introduction of Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain meant that Arsenal had something on the pitch that they hadn’t before- pace. However the equaliser didn’t come from the introduction of pace.

The ball went out for a corner in in the 85^th minute when Snodgrass battled with an Arsenal defender . Replays have since shown that it should never been a corner but Richard West gave it anyway. The resulting corner led to a penalty which was very harshly given. Kei Kamara was adjudged to have fouled Giroud even though the referee thought it was ok as he didn’t blow up for a  foul and had let play carry on! It has since transpired that the linesman Richard West could no way have seen what happened which just rubs further salt into the wound.

Arsenal took the lead after a cut back from Chamberlain into the path of Podolski and the linesman West was involved again. Podolski was close  to pulling Bassong’s shirt off his back but despite seeing the first incident (penalty) Mr West elected to not see the foul on the Norwich defender. Funny that..

Arsenal killed the game off with yet  another controversial goal. Whittaker the Norwich left back (right back by trade but played left back in place of Garrido) was fouled in the build-up and even though the ball found its way into the offside Walcott right in front of that man again Richard West nothing was given. Giroud finished smartly beyond Bunn to put gloss onto the score line.

All in all I feel Norwich did very well and deserved at least a point. Reading at home  is a big game. Norwich need the 3 points to stave off the threat of relegation once and for all.

Samir Osman