Arsenal fight back to see off Norwich

Football
By -BBC | Apr 13, 2013

Adapted from BBC: Norwich took the lead just before the hour through Michael Turner's header from a Robert Snodgrass free-kick.

Mikel Arteta scored from the spot after Kei Kamara was penalised for a challenge on Olivier Giroud.

Giroud touched in from an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cross before substitute Lukas Podolski drove in a third in added time.

For 85 minutes, Arsene Wenger looked set to start a pivotal week for his team's Champions League hopes with a defeat.

But, with games to come against Everton and Fulham before top-four rivals Tottenham are next in action against Manchester City on 21 April, his team answered plenty of questions about their quality and mental strength to secure a seventh win in eight Premier League matches.

Norwich were furious that the penalty was awarded by linesman Richard West and not referee Mike Jones, who was far closer to the incident.

Canaries manager Chris Hughton also felt Arsenal's third should have been ruled out for offside but his team fell apart after the penalty award and after seeing what would have been a second win since 15 December turn to nothing, they remain four points above the relegation zone.

They failed to register a single effort on goal in the opening period but denied Arsenal by packing the central area.

Arsenal's best opportunity came when Bacary Sagna's cross was headed against the bar by Giroud.

Gervinho was also wasteful when he was picked out by a Santi Cazorla pass only to run too wide around Mark Bunn before missing the target.

The impressive Steven Whittaker also diverted a Giroud header wide as Arsenal failed to make the most of a succession of corners just before the break.

The visitors finally threatened when a deep corner from Robert Snodgrass was won by Sebastien Bassong and glanced on by Turner before being hacked clear.

Turner, who appeared to catch Aaron Ramsey with a forearm in the opening period, was worked at the other end when he blocked a shot from the returning Jack Wilshere with the hosts appealing for handball.

But 11 minutes into the second period, Turner pulled away from Vermaelen to glance a Snodgrass free-kick into the corner of the net.

Wenger responded by throwing on Theo Walcott and Podolski but Norwich had the chance to snatch a second when Bassong broke clear and Snodgrass had a drive held by Lukasz Fabianski.

Norwich keeper Bunn pushed a powerful Podolski drive on to the bar to preserve the visitors' advantage.

But from an Arteta corner, West spotted a foul by Kamara on Giroud and Arteta converted his fifth penalty of the season to pull level.

Less than three minutes later, Oxlade-Chamberlain swapped passes with Podolski before clipping in a low cross that was tapped in by Giroud.

In added time, Arsenal scored a third when Walcott burst down the right and pulled back for Podolski to find the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

-BBC


 

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