Arsenal 1 West Brom 0: WATCH HIGHLIGHTS – Oliver Giroud snatches a last gasp winner three minutes from time to give the Gunners title lifeline

OLIVER GIROUD broke the West Brom resistance with a looping header from a Mesut Ozil cross to snatch all three points at the Emirates. 

Tony Pulis set his team up to frustrate Arsenal and it looked to have worked only for Giroud to get the better of Jonny Evans.

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West Brom came close to taking the lead as Claudio Yacob blazed over from close range after Petr Cech came flying out of goal had it fallen to anyone but the defender it would have been 1-0 to West Brom.

In the first half it was all Arsenal but their was no conviction to their play as West Brom started well and were organised to nullify the Gunners threat of trying to find target man Olivier Giroud.

Ben Foster played a blinder with a double save then followed by a save with his boot from a reverse shot by Giroud as Arsenal kept pressing West Brom.

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STATS, FACTS, GOALS AND LOLS

• Two defeats on the spin away from home for Arsenal and suddenly there are thousands of spare seats available at the Emirates. There were spaces all over the place as season ticket holders turned their back on the team for this Boxing Day clash with the Baggies.
• ARSENE WENGER and Tony Pulis looked like best buds before the game when they greeted each other with a warm embrace down by the tunnel.
• Home advantage? Certainly looked that way when referee Neil Swarbrick ignored Granit Xhaka’s blatant first half handball on the edge of the West Brom penalty area.
• WENGER tried to match West Brom by adding some muscle in the shape of Olivier Giroud up front. The Arsenal striker, struggling to adapt, was booked for bringing down Jonny Evans off the ball in the first half.
• GIROUD got there in the end, steering Ozil’s left footed teaser beyond the arms of West Brom keeper Ben Foster to win it for Arsenal.
• BEN FOSTER insists his England career is over - but the West Brom keeper is up there with the best in the country on current form. Foster, who has just signed a new contract at the Hawthorns, made big saves from Giroud and Sanchez before he was finally beaten.
• WEST BROM had a massive chance to take the lead 20 minutes from time when Petr Cech failed to collect Chris Brunt’s inwswinger. Claudio Yacob was waiting at the far post, but he spooned it way over the bar. Big miss by the Baggies midfielder.
• WENGER was do desperate he made three substitutions in four minutes to try to win the game. Lucas, one of them, supplied the pass for Giroud 15 minutes from time, but the Arsenal striker could not connect.

BIG PICTURE

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SOCIAL SAYS

WHAT THEY SAID:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: ''We couldnt make the differance on the ground, we made it in the air with maybe, the one player in our team who can do that.''

DREAM TEAM RATINGS

ARSENAL: Cech 6, Bellerin 7, Gabriel 6, Koscienly 8, Gibbs 7 (Monreal, 71, 6), Xhaka 7, Coquelin 7 (Ramesy,74, 6), Sanchez 7, Ozil 7, Iwobi 7, (Perez,71, 6),  Giroud 7

Subs not used: Ospina, Holding, Elneny, Reine Adelaide

Booked: Gibbs, Giroud