First-half goals from Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud ensured that Arsenal held on to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurt Park in the Premier League this afternoon.
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The visitors took the lead after just eight minutes when Pape Souare brought down Danny Welbeck inside the box, leaving a calm and collected Cazorla to roll home from the spot.
The hosts looked to respond as Dwight Gayle broke down the flank to cross for Fraizer Campbell, whose headed effort was blocked six yards out from goal.
Jordon Mutch appeared creative for the home side and he turned in an impressive cross for Campbell, but he could not make the most of it as his header failed to test David Ospina.
With the game moving from end to end, Arsenal might have grabbed as Francis Coquelin sized one up from range, although his eventual effort flew wide of the target.
The miss was not to matter too much, given that Giroud doubled the visitors' advantage with a neat finish into the bottom corner from close range just before the half-time whistle.
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Palace began the second period on the front foot, but they were almost made to pay for some profligacy when Giroud headed just over the bar from Alexis Sanchez's cross.
Sanchez continued to cause havoc on the flanks and he almost carved out a third for his side, but Mesut Ozil struck the crossbar from the centre of the box.
Wilfried Zaha had a fair amount of the ball throughout the game and often failed to do much with it, until he turned in a good delivery for Mutch, who could only lash wildly to send his shot high and wide.
Palace continued to push for a goal and Gayle headed over from Souare's inviting cross.
Alan Pardew's men did manage to pull one back through Glenn Murray in the last few minutes of the game, and there was still time for the striker to scare victors Arsenal by hitting the post in stoppage time.
Christopher Dodd
