English Premier League: Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal
Arsene Wenger comments after the win:
on whether Arsenal rode their luck…
Perhaps, yes but it was about fighting and playing. Crystal Palace are a team who played with high intensity, a very direct game and for us it was important to resist and try to play. We did that well but at 2-0 at half-time we came out in the second half much more to protect our advantage than to continue to play and put them under pressure. We missed goal number three and when they came back to 2-1 we were a bit lucky, a bit fortunate. Overall we did fight and it was in the end a very important win for us.
on whether Arsenal switched off…
Certainly they thought that it was done and we know in the Premier League that it’s never done, especially at 2-0. With that ball on the post we were a bit fortunate.
on Arsenal’s penalty…
I don’t know [if the foul was outside the area].
on whether Welbeck was offside…
I don’t know if he was offside or not but I think Giroud was not offside when he went clean through in the second half. I am sure of that because he started behind the defenders and he was clean through. I don’t know if Welbeck was offside or not.
on whether the last 30 minutes concerns him…
We can learn from every game. I believe that the players know that maybe they switched off a little bit too early. Overall I still must say that our central defenders played very well today against a very direct and a very physical game at the back. They did well so overall I’m pleased to have won three points in a place like this. We know now that we have played two more away games [than home games] and it will be down to how strong we are at home. I feel quite strong and let’s just continue to fight and be tight until the end.
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