Arsenal’s title challenger costume is looking ever more convincing. This result could have been different if debatable refereeing decisions had not gone in their favour, but ultimately Arsène Wenger’s men returned as comfortable winners from a trip that was as much a test of the strength of their character as of their squad.
Wenger’s team were beaten twice by Swansea last season and gaining vengeance, especially amid an injury crisis, is the sort of achievement that gives credence to suggestions that Arsenal may finally have the gumption to become champions once again.
It was also a fine way to banish memories of that feeble midweek elimination from the Capital One Cup by Sheffield Wednesday. Only four of the players who began that non-performance were included in the starting line-up here, one of them being Joel Campbell, who, owing to multiple casualties on the right of Arsenal’s midfield, made his full Premier League debut four years after joining the club. The Costa Rican did well, and even completed the scoring with a crisp finish in the 73rd minute. Olivier Giroud struck the first early in the second half before Laurent Koscielny plundered a contentious second.
Koscielny was immaculate, and Héctor Bellerín and Petr Cech also made key contributions as Swansea forced Arsenal to show the defensive fortitude that has led them to concede only eight goals in 11 Premier League match this season.
Although they finished strongly, it took Arsenal a while to get going offensively. Wenger admitted his team were “edgy” at the start and that several of his players began sluggishly. The most impressive thing in the first half about Mesut Özil, in particular, was the uncanny exactness of his Invisible Man outfit.
Garry Monk’s side, consisting of the same players who ended a six-game winless streak by beating Aston Villa last week, showed menace and devastating speed, with Jefferson Montero several times pulling off the improbable feat of making Bellerín seem slow.
Campbell was the first to threaten for Arsenal, curling a respectable effort wide after the ball broke to him on the edge of the Swansea area. In the 22nd minute, however, the Costa Rican showed his unfamiliarity with the pace of the Premier League when his dawdling played Bafétimbi Gomis onside and allowed the striker to receive an excellent through-ball from Jonjo Shelvey, who had treated Özil’s poor imitation of a tackle with the disdain it deserved. Gomis now had only Cech to beat but he hoped the goalkeeper would tell him how: Cech, however, is far too wily for that and stood his ground, leaving the striker to confuse only himself as he belatedly tried to shimmy past his opponent. As Gomis fell desperately to the ground and the crowd howled for a penalty, Bellerín charged back to clear.
Gomis did better five minutes later but his powerful header from a cross by Montero was still not good enough to beat Cech.
Alexis Sánchez, almost as inconspicuous as Özil in the first half, came to the fore in the 29th minute, pinging an incisive pass to Giroud, who showed casual rather than killer instincts as he nonchalantly slotted the ball over the bar from 16 yards.
Moments later Bellerín and Campbell teamed up to chop down Montero, seemingly the only way they could stop the winger. Per Mertesacker stopped the resultant free-kick by Gylfi Sigurdsson with his arm: no penalty, ruled the referee. “When you see the replay it’s clearly intentional,” said Monk.
Monk was satisfied, at least, that his team had looked the more likely scorers. But a different Arsenal emerged for the second half. “Our first half was difficult but in the second we upped our tempo, our purpose and the pace in our combinations,” said Wenger.
The breakthrough came four minutes after the interval and the manner was surprisingly simple. Özil floated in a corner, Ashley Williams misread the flight and the unmarked Giroud headed into the net.
Swansea tried to respond but Cech again had a better answer, plunging to his left to palm away a 20-yard shot from Sigurdsson. When André Ayew skipped around Cech in the 56th minute, Bellerín embodied Arsenal’s determination by racing back to clear the Ghanaian’s shot off the line.
The goal that secured the visitors’ victory angered the hosts. Williams should have dealt decisively with a cross by Bellerín but instead headed it backwards into the air. Giroud, Koscielny and Lukasz Fabianski all leapt to meet it. The goalkeeper got there first but fumbled it – due to a barge by Giroud, according to Swansea players. But the referee did not whistle and Koscielny picked himself up and tapped the ball into the net. Monk said: “Possibly Fabianski could have punched it rather than caught but he’s got a point, it could have been given as a foul.”
There was no debate about their third goal, five minutes later. Sánchez and Özil demonstrated their class with exquisite interplay before the German crossed for Campbell, who finished emphatically before being engulfed by team-mates delighted both for the player and for a victory that augurs well for the club.
Arsenal are level on points with the leaders, Manchester City, and 14 points ahead of the champions, Chelsea. “It’s better I don’t talk too much about other teams,” said Wenger with a knowing smile. “Let’s focus on the quality of our game and keep a good balance between hunger, humility and confidence.”
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