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Swansea logo
Premier League
Oct 31, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
Arsenal logo

0-3

FT(HT: 0-0)
Giroud (49'), Koscielny (68'), Campbell (73')

Live Commentary: Swansea City 0-3 Arsenal - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live commentary as Arsenal thump Swansea 3-0 in South Wales, courtesy of an excellent second-half display.
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Arsenal produced a rousing second-half display to thump Swansea City 3-0 at the Liberty Stadium.

The Gunners rode their luck in a first 45 minutes which saw them out-played, before Olivier Giroud opened the scoring early in the second period.

Laurent Koscielny added a controversial second, before Joel Campbell came to the fore to add Arsenal's third - and his first for the club - in a hugely-encouraging performance.

Below, relive the drama with our live text commentary.


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Defeat by lower-league opposition? Check. An increasing injury list not dissimilar to the Allies in WW2? Check. Arsene Wenger's training methods questioned? Check. Yep, it's Arsenal's mid-season collapse; the point where an otherwise promising campaign for the Gunners threatens to go belly up like Steve Bruce floating on a lilo. Sheffield Wednesday got the show on the road by beating them 3-0 in the League Cup on Tuesday. Today, it's Swansea City's turn to rubber-stamp the crisis by sealing a third straight win over the North Londoners. Can it be done? We'll know in, hmm, about three hour's time.

This time last week, everything was peaches and cream in the red half of North London. They were just about to beat Everton to move top of the Premier League table - a fourth successive league victory in a run of form which yielded 13 goals. Oh, and they also beat Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Emirates to revive a dying Champions League campaign. All in all, things were good - very good, in fact. But then Tuesday came along and wrecked everything.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain limped off within five minutes of kickoff at Hillsborough. Then his replacement Theo Walcott was forced off less than 15 minutes after replacing him. We then saw the comical side of Arsenal; the side of Arsenal which does not really know how to defend as Wenger's men shipped three goals to a Championship outfit. Three!

The combined age of their back four must've added up to about 42 though, right? Wrong. It was Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers, Per Mertesacker and Kieran Gibbs, with Petr Cech between the sticks. Four of those five are vastly experienced. Lord only knows what went wrong.

Anywho, it's Halloween! Tonight will produce plenty of ghouls - let's hope they're preceeded by plenty of goals at the Liberty Stadium. There'll be lots more Halloween-related puns to come, but first, have a witch - or a watch - of this as the boys from Sports Mole HQ dissect this one. Oh, and team news will follow shortly. I'll be right back. #Scream #Topicalreferences

SWANSEA XI: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Ki Sung-Yueng, Shelvey, Ayew, Sigurdsson, Montero, Gomis

ARSENAL XI: Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla, Campbell, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud

SWANSEA SUBS: Nordfeldt, Rangel, Bartley, Cork, Britton, Barrow, Eder

ARSENAL SUBS: Macey, Gabriel, Debuchy, Gibbs, Chambers, Flamini, Iwobi

Starting with Swansea and Garry Monk makes no changes from the 2-1 win at Aston Villa last time out. Arsenal old boy Lukasz Fabianski starts between the sticks against his former club, while Andre Ayew and Jefferson Montero - who ran amok in this fixture last term - provide wide support for lone striker Bafetimbi Gomis. Behind him, Gylffi Sigurdsson, who equalised at Villa Park last week, is the creative spark while Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-yeung anchor the midfield.

On to our visitors from North London now and Wenger makes two changes from the 2-1 win over Everton. Gabriel drops to the bench for Per Mertesacker, who partners Laurent Koscielny in the middle of defence, while Joel Campbell comes in for the injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right wing. Olivier Giroud continues up front at the expense of Theo Walcott, who was the Gunners' second casualty at Hillsborough the other night. Ozil, who has a Premier League-high of seven assists, starts behind Giroud, with in-form Alexis Sanchez on the left.

Let's look at Swansea's form and last week's win at Villa Park brought an end to a particularly ghoulish run of form. They had been knocking at the door, but it was more trick than treat for the Swans prior to that, having lost three and drawn two of their previous five. Remember their 2-1 win over Manchester United, for what seems like a year ago? It was August, and that was their last victory before turning over the Villans. Garry Monk did get Tim Sherwood sacked so it's already been a successful season in my view.

And, in truth, there's every chance that Monk could pick up back-t0-back wins for the first time this season. Why? Because he's got Wenger's number. Big time.

DID YOU KNOW? Bizarrely, little old Swansea are vying for a THIRD straight win over Wenger's Arsenal. They did the double over their North London counterparts last season for the first time since the 1981-82 season. The one and only Bafetimbi Gomis netted the winner on both occasions last term. The French striker, who netted one goal in each of his first four Premier League outings this season, hasn't scored in his previous six. He'll end that rut today, won't he? Certain.

Here's another stat and did you know that Arsenal, under Wenger, have scored 1999 goals in all competitions? Impressive, eh? Who will score number 2,000 for the Gunners? Let's look at the candidates.

The two main suspects have to be Alexis Sanchez and Giroud, right? They've scored 10 goals between them over the past five games. They're about as dangerous as ISIS throwing Ecigs at sharks from close range these days.

PREDICTION! Predicting Arsenal is dodgy these days, given that they're about as unpredictable as Diego Costa and Irish weather combined, but they should have more than enough individual quality to win here. Wenger has lost his last two against Monk, and being quite experienced, the 66-year-old will surely put things right here. 2-1 to the Gunners. There we go.

Let's go out and about and see what the good people on Twitter have had to say about this one.

Using the monkey emoji suggests that Ms James isn't as confident as she makes out with this prediction.


Al doesn't fancy an Arsenal win either, or so it seems.


#Redundanthashtags


Jeremiah, who is the worst Amish person ever it seems, has gone for a narrow Arsenal win.


Incidentally, Chelsea have just lost 3-1 at home to Liverpool. Prior to kickoff, it was suggested that defeat would spell the end for Jose Mourinho in West London. I don't have access to emojis, unlike Emma James, but the axe one seems apt.

Right, here come both sets of players. Isn't Olivier Giroud, like, the most handsome person on planet earth? A make-up artist could spend hours transforming him into the most gruesome looking thing since Carlos Tevez tonight and he'd still be better looking than most. Four minutes to go.

KICKOFF: And we're off. Arsenal, draped in gold, need a performance to reflect their attire today. Let's go.

The Gunners dominating possession early doors, but Swansea have the ball finally. Such a big game for Joel Campbell as we mentioned, but the Costa Rican yet to see the ball.

It's also a big game for Gomis and his layoff to Ayew goes out of touch for a throw-in. He's been a bit suspect in recent weeks and that touch won't have helped too much.

Montero ran amok in his fixture last term, but he's up against Hector Bellerin on this occasion and we see that match-up for the first time here as the Swansea winger beats Bellerin before fizzing a ball into the box, though it comes to nothing. Arsenal counter, but that too comes to nothing.

CHANCE! This might be a chance you know as Monreal drags his left-footed effort just wide following good work from Campbell down the left. His first Premier League goal came at the Liberty Stadium, and his second one should have come here too.

Gomis won't have an easy afternoon. Koscielny has just followed the Frenchman into Swansea's half before being clattered by the Arsenal man. Kevin Friend - no friend of Swanseas, it seems - is having none of it.

Excellent covering from Joel Campbell as Bellerin is caught in possession and Montero has an acre of space, but the winger gets back well. Arsene Wenger said it was sink or swim time for the Costa Rican, and he's swimming so far. He's been really good.

SHOT! Campbell's been excellent in this first 15 minutes or so, and he nearly improves it with a fine finish as his left-footed effort curls just over Fabianski's bar. The Pole wasn't getting to that. No chance.

We haven't mentioned Sanchez or Ozil yet because, well, there's been very little to note. Ozil is rather slinky by nature, but the explosive Alexis is conspicuous by his absence. Still, it's very early doors.

CHANCE! Oh my word what a glorious chance for Swansea. It's Gomis, who is played in by Shelvey and the Frenchman - yet to score in his last six games - is one-on-one with Cech, but his body language is all wrong. He brings it by Cech, but the jet-heeled Bellerin gets back in the nick of time. Brilliant tackle.

It's getting a little more open now thank god. It was a fairly tepid first 20 minutes or so but it's come to life now. Still, the Swans could, and should, be 1-0 ahead.

Swansea have made a host of mis-timed challenges so far, with the latest culprit being Fernandez on Sanchez, but the Argentine is spared a yellow card by Kevin Friend.

CHANCE! Another chance for Gomis as Montero skips away from Bellerin before teeing up the French striker, but his header is straight at Cech. Arsenal looking vulnerable at the back - very vulnerable.

CHANCE! Best Arsenal chance and it definitely should be 1-0 to the visitors. Sanchez plays in Giroud, who's in an acre of space in the box, but the Frenchman hits it first time and he curls just over the bar. It's slowly but surely developing into a very decent game.

The Swans have a free kick in a dangerous position now - it is when you've got Sigurdsson, anyway - as Montero squeezes between Bellerin and Campbell to win the free kick.

False dawn, though, as Sigurdsson's attempt cannons off the wall, before Shelvey ultimately heads over the bar.

Ten minutes left in this half and Arsenal are very, very sloppy. They could well go into the break a goal down. By the same token, they could just as easily lead at the interval. It's been that type of game so far.

It's petered out a little now. There's not the same fluency and it's gone flatter than a desk unfortunately.

Some excellent interplay between Ki and Ayew here, but Bellerin ultimately clears for a corner before the former could get his shot away. Defensively, Arsenal have been a mess.

Sanchez takes a foul throw now and that just sums up Arsenal's half. They've not been at the races here and Swansea will look to capitalise in the second half. Two minutes until the break.

Olivier Giroud gone down injured now, which is a huge worry for Arsenal who are already in big, big trouble in terms of injury.

HALF TIME: Swansea 0-0 Arsenal

That's it. Arsenal been dreadful and they should be trailing by at least two goals, but some bad misses by Gomis, and another from Giroud, has seen them stay 0-0. Giroud went down injured toward the end of the first half, which is a huge, huge worry. He finished the half, but it remains to be seen if he can continue in the second half.

KICKOFF: Right, we're back and Arsenal have to improve. They were terrible in that half. Giroud, thankfully, is fit enough to start the second half.

GOAL! Swansea City 0-1 Arsenal (Olivier Giroud)

Where did this come from? Lord knows, but Arsenal won't care. It's the in-form Giroud, whose movement is brilliant as he foils Ashley Williams to direct Mesut Ozil's out-swinging corner into the far corner.

SAVE! Smart response by Swansea and big Cech beats away Sigurdsson's left-footed effort. Cech then tips away Ki's flick-on from the corner as Williams looked poised to nod home.

SHOT! Swift counter-attack by Arsenal ends up with Sanchez curling into row-z. He might've done better there you know.

Wow. What a block this is from Hector Bellerin as he clears Ayew's shot off the line. The Spaniard crashes into the post as well - and it was OFFSIDE! Insult to injury. The block meant nothing.

BOOKING: Ki goes into the book for holding Giroud, which is understandable because he's ridiculously handsome.

Campbell, totally anonymous in this half, pops up on the right flank and he curls in for Giroud, but his delivery is too close for Fabianski, who collects it.

Good lord I'm not sure Campbell knows the offside rule. Ozil is offside by about a million yards but the Costa Rican still opts to thread through a pass for him. Ozil is disgusted.

Arsenal finding a ridiculous number of gaps in Swansea's midfield - gaps that wouldn't be filled with a 747 plane - and they've got a corner now.

CHANCE! Should be 2-0 folks. Simple as. Koscielny flicks on Cazorla's to the near post, but the unmarked Sanchez heads over from a point-blank range. This is the worst I've ever seen him play for Arsenal.

GOAL! Swansea 0-2 Arsenal (Laurent Koscielny)

Arsenal take a big step toward the victory now, and it's a clanger from Fabianski against his former club. It's a looping ball and seems like a routine catch for the Pole, who is under pressure from Giroud. He tries to catch it instead of punch it clear, drops the balls and Koscielny simply turns and taps into an empty net from close range.

GOAL! Swansea City 0-3 Arsenal (Joel Campbell)

Lord knows where this Arsenal have come from but they've been much, much better in this half. It's slick one-two between Monreal and Ozil, with the latter fizzing the ball across the face of goal for Campbell, who takes a touch and caresses the ball home at the back post. Fine finish and his first.

SAVE! For some reason, Ashley Williams is allowed to run at Arsenal's defence and a squeeze a near-post shot at goal, but Cech beats it away for a corner.

SHOT! Arsenal have been devastating on the counter-attack in this second half, and they've nearly got a fourth goal here as Campbell drives over the bar. The angle was heavily against him, but he's a man with his tail up.

Arsenal fans singing 'we are top of the league' but they're still second because Manchester City have gone 1-0 up at home to Norwich.

SUB: Giroud isn't happy to be coming off as he's replaced by Calum Chambers. Arsenal batting down the hatches now.

Three minutes to go and it's more or less game over, if you didn't already know. I've been really impressed by Arsenal in this second half. They took their first-half warnings on the chin and reacted accordingly. Brilliant.

BOOKING: Ashley Williams goes into the book for tugging back Chambers.

FOUR MINUTES ADDED ON:

SAVE! Good save as Fabinski beats away Ozil's near-post drive. Ozil is now replaced by Alex Iwobi.

FULL TIME: Swansea 0-3 Arsenal. That's all she wrote, folks. Goals from Giroud, Koscielny and Campbell do the damage as the Gunners produce a fine second-half display to eek out Swansea 3-0. That's all from us. Don't go overboard on sweets tonight you hear.

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