On 26 December, he scored in a 1–0 home defeat of West Bromwich Albion on his first Premier League start of the season.
(meta data) TITLE: Arsenal 1 West Brom 0: Olivier Giroud heads late winner to keep slim title hopes alive (meta data) AUTHOR: Matt Law; Alistair Tweedale (meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2016-12-26T13:56:43.043Z The Telegraph Life & Style Search Icon Subscribe now Free for 30 days Log in See all Sport Football home Live Scores Fixtures & Results Premier League Champions League FA Cup League Cup Europa League More... Rugby Union Rugby Union home Fixtures & Results More... Cricket home Fixtures & Results Formula 1 Formula 1 home Race calendar Women's Sport Cycling home Latest results Tour de France Giro d'Italia Vuelta a Espana Tennis home Davis Cup Australian Open French Open US Open Golf home Ryder Cup The Open The Masters PGA Tour Racing home Fast Results Grand National Cheltenham Festival More... # Arsenal 1 West Brom 0: Olivier Giroud heads late winner to keep slim title hopes alive Giroud came up with a late winner Credit: Follow your club now for first access to all our news, views and analysis This was almost the moment Arsenal could once again forget about the Premier League title race and concentrate on doing what they do best – securing a top-four finish. But, however faint they may be, Olivier Giroud's late goal in his first Premier League start of the season kept Arsenal's hopes alive and the critics off manager Arsene Wenger's back for the last few days of 2016. Despite the narrow nature of their victory and the fact they are still nine points behind leaders Chelsea, Arsenal received the backing of West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis. Pulis has seen his team lose by a single goal to both Chelsea and Arsenal in recent weeks, but believes Antonio Conte needs to spend in the January transfer window to be sure of maintaining the advantage over Wenger's side. Arsenal vs West Brom shots on goal "If you look at the players who were not playing and not in the team today, and then you look at Chelsea's, I think Arsenal have definitely got the stronger squad," said Pulis. "So they have most probably got the staying power to see them through and it will be interesting to see what Chelsea do. I think Chelsea will spend. I don't think your man (Conte) will sit back on what he's got, I think he will invest. So it will be an interesting window for the top four or five clubs." Following defeats to Everton and Manchester City, Wenger had claimed he was immune to criticism from the fans, but a draw at home to West Brom may well have signalled a revolt heading into the New Year. Fortunately for Wenger, Giroud made Arsenal's second-half dominance pay with three minutes remaining as the Frenchman finally got the better of West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster with a header from Mesut Ozil's ball into the area. Ben Foster was unlucky to be on the losing side Credit: "Players who are ready and get their chance, take it," said Wenger. "Players who feel sorry for themselves and are not ready, give you another reason to leave them out. "I have got big respect for Olivier. He always makes a point when he comes in because he has scored many times. He has qualities in our squad that are needed and the other players have not. He's a fighter too." On the title race, Wenger added: "We are quite a big distance behind Chelsea and we will need a special resilience to come back. But I hope that the other teams will have their moments of weakness as well. We can only take advantage if we continue like that." With Premier League games against Crystal Palace, on New Year's Day, Bournemouth, Swansea City, Burnley and Watford to come, Arsenal desperately needed to start a favourable run of fixtures with a win. Giroud's header loops over Foster Credit: Getty Images But, without Theo Walcott, who is also likely to miss the Palace and Bournemouth games with a calf injury, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal made a slow start against West Brom. Before the break, Giroud's most noteworthy impact had been a shove on Jonny Evans that led to him receiving a yellow card for dissent. Giroud had curled a speculative shot high over the crossbar and Alexis Sanchez also fired wide before the Chile international managed to test Foster with a low effort that the former England international kept out. Just as they did at Chelsea, West Brom lined up with seven men, including Foster, behind the ball when they were defending and it proved to be similarly difficult for the hosts to get past them. Arsenal, and in particular Sanchez, came alive after the restart and it took a combination of Foster and the post to prevent Wenger's men from taking the lead before the hour mark. Arsenal 1 - 0 West Brom (Olivier Giroud, 86 min) First, Foster, who signed a new West Brom contract on Christmas Eve, produced a double save from Giroud and Sanchez. From the resulting corner, Sanchez managed to find space for himself in the area and cracked a fierce shot against the outside of the post. Foster then had to make a brilliant save to tip a long-range effort from Sanchez over the bar and kept out Giroud with an outstretched foot. Arsenal survived a major scare with 20 minutes remaining following a series of West Brom corners. Petr Cech fumbled Chris Brunt's delivery, but Claudio Yacob lifted the ball over the bar from inside the six-yard box. That was the visitors' big chance gone and they paid the price in the 87th minute, as Giroud lifted the frustration inside the Emirates. Hector Bellerin raided down the right and pulled the ball back for Ozil, who planted in on to the head of Giroud. He outmuscled Gareth McAuley and this time Foster was helpless. Substitute Lucas Perez argued with Gabriel as they left the pitch at the final whistle, but the dissenting voices in the stands had been, perhaps temporarily, silenced. ### Arsenal needed that After back-to-back losses, fans can start believing again following this win. It was hardly convincing but in this busy period you need to grind out wins, and a home draw with West Brom would not have been enough, especially with Chelsea in the form they are in (they won yet again today). A win is a win, and Arsenal will be delighted with the three points in spite of the poor performance. ### Average touch positions (full time) Average touch positions (full time) ### Full time But it doesn't matter. Arsenal have held on and claim a vital, and well-earned, three points. ### Time on ball (at full time) Possession: Arsenal vs West Brom ### 90 mins +3 They are literally trying to walk it in. Arsenal break with Sanchez playing Ozil through, before he squares to Ramsey. He should shoot. Surely he has to! But he tries to round Foster and pass it, but he is tackled. Should be two. ### 90 mins +2 Sanchez curls one goalwards but Foster saves easily. ### 90 mins Four minutes added on. ### 89 mins Arsenal are in the mood now. A Bellerin-Ramsey one-two sends the Spaniard clear, and he digs out a cross, which Sanchez meets to nod down, but Ramsey's effort is saved by Foster. Still 1-0. ### Arsenal need no invitation to shoot so far The hosts have attempted 23 shots so far, with nine of them hitting the target. Arsenal vs West Brom shots on goal ### GOAL! 1-0. Olivier Giroud has struck what looks like a late winner for Arsenal. Mesut Ozil picks up an inside right position he knows all too well and lofts a nonchalent ball into the box, and Giroud holds off McAuley to nod a header into the top corner. Arsenal 1 - 0 West Brom (Olivier Giroud, 86 min) ### 83 mins Foster takes too long with a goal kick and is booked for time wasting. ### 81 mins Dawson with his own ball across the face of goal, but no team-mate can get a touch. ### 80 mins Euro 2016 legend Hal Robson-Kanu joins the fray, replacing Rondon, who will need a good sit down after that shift. ### 79 mins Xhaka lets one fly from distance but it sails well over. ### 78 mins The ball ricochets around the West Brom box but no one can get it under control and West Brom survive. ### 76 mins Sanchez feeds Lucas, who puts a tantalising ball across the West Brom box, but nobody can get a touch and Foster still has a clean sheet. For now. ### So so lonely The Loneliness of the Samuel Rondon... — Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) December 26, 2016 ### Time on ball (60 - 75 min) Possession: Arsenal vs West Brom ### 74 mins One last throw of the dice for the home side. Ramsey replaces Coquelin. ### 71 mins Arsene Wenger throws Lucas Perez and Nacho Monreal on for Iwobi and Gibbs. Arsenal vs West Brom shots on goal Still no goal to show for their efforts. ### 70 mins Rondon is just working so hard out there and he twists and turns to win a corner. Dawson glances Phillips's wonderful cross goalwards but the assistant gives another corner. Brunt puts this one into the six-yard box, and Cech comes, but he can't claim it. Arsenal's players think he was fouled, but play goes on and the ball falls to Yacob, but he is leaning back and spoons an easy effort way over the bar. A big chance, wasted. ### 67 mins West Brom break but Rondon's switch of play is overhit. Phillips does really well to retrieve the ball, and a couple of stepovers take him past Gibbs, before his whipped cross hits the chest of Laurent Koscielny. West Brom's fans appeal half-heartedly, but unsurprisingly the referee waves play on. ### 65 mins A nasty collision leaves Kieran Gibbs and Claudio Yacob down on the turf after the former overruns possession after cutting in-field. Both need treatment, and Gibbs is given a yellow card when he eventually gets to his feet. ### 62 mins Obligatory jeers as (everyone's) Public Enemy number one James McClean replaces (today at the Emirates) Public Enemy number two Nacer Chadli. ### Time on ball (45 - 60 min) Possession: Arsenal vs West Brom ### 59 mins Giroud does well to shrug off Fletcher and wriggle his way into a bit of space, but his low shot, which is heading for the far corner, is halted by the big toe on Foster's left foot. ### 57 mins Giroud turns a header towards goal but it's an easy save for Foster. ### It's been a mismatch at Emirates Stadium so far Arsenal are dominating this game, firing in a total of 15 shots compared to two from West Brom so far. Arsenal vs West Brom shots on goal ### 56 mins Sanchez vs Foster is hotting up nicely. Iwobi pulls a cross back and Sanchez absolutely smacks one towards the top corner, only for Foster to turn over the bar. ### 51 mins The corner comes into the box and falls to Sanchez, who creates himself a yard and then lifts a shot at goal but he is denied by the post. ### 50 mins And with that Arsenal spring to life. Ozil heads down for Iwobi on the edge of the box, and Foster scrambles to his right to palm it away, before leaping up again to stop Sanchez a few yards from goal. ### 49 mins The fans are still getting back to their seats for the second half, and the players have made an equally slow restart to proceedings. ### The players are back out And West Brom will get the second half started. ### Half time Neil Swarbrick brings a frustrating half for Arsenal to a close. Job half completed for the visitors. ### Average touch positions (half time) Average touch positions (half time) ### Time on ball (first half) Possession: Arsenal vs West Brom ### 45 mins A couple of minutes added on for West Brom to see out. ### 43 mins Giroud is penalised from grappling with Evans, and the whistle denies him a shot at goal. His angry reaction earns him a yellow card. ### 41 mins Sanchez puts a ball into the box with Xhaka arriving from deep, but Nyom does enough to keep him at bay. ### 39 mins Giroud is fed by Gibbs, and Evans comes in with a strong challenge. Giroud thinks he has been fouled but the referee says no penalty. ### Arsenal making inroads into the visitors' territory The home side are starting to get hold of the ball in the final third against West Brom. Arsenal vs West Brom ### 36 mins A couple of huge groans from the Emirates crowd, firstly as Ozil misplaces a pass and then after an Arsenal move is stopped by the whistle with Ozil and Sanchez through on goal. ### 33 mins Iwobi tiptoes into the box but he is falling as he shoots and his effort sails over the bar. ### 32 mins Albion go up the other end, with Chadli whipping a cross into the box, but Cech saves Rondon's header easily enough. A first shot on target of the game - and it's for the away side. ### 31 mins More patient probing by Arsenal, and Iwobi'sneat backheel looks like it might have Bellerin in but Evans recovers to clear. ### Time on ball (15 - 30 min) Possession: Arsenal vs West Brom ### The story so far - touches in opposition box Arsenal vs West Brom ### 25 mins Giroud is put through on goal and rounds Foster but Jonny Evans makes an unbelievable last-ditch challenge to clear. ### 23 mins Salomon Rondon has a pretty thankless task this afternoon, but he does brilliantly this time to hold play up and feed Chadli. The ball makes its way out to the right flank, where Koscielny can't prevent a corner - and this is surely where Tony Pulis's side pose the biggest threat to Arsenal. Phillip's corner is swung in right under the cross bar and Cech gets a decent punch on it but is given a free-kick for pushing. Positive signs for the visitors, who will fancy their chances at set-pieces. ### 20 mins Gibbs comes charging down the left again, and his cross is turned behind by Yacob. Again, the corner comes to nothing, though. ### 18 mins The corner comes to nothing... ### 17 mins What an incredible ball from Sanchez. Arsenal break, and some neat play in the left-back position gives Alexis enough space to unleash a raking ball out to Ozil who is galloping down the right. He looks to turn inside Nyom with his first touch but the defender gets a toe on the ball to concede a corner. ### West Brom respond West Brom have their first shot at goal, while Arsenal have registered five efforts so far. Arsenal vs West Brom shots on goal ### 16 mins Sanchez is absolutely fine, though. He picks the ball up on the edge of the box, shifts onto his right foot and shoots, but it flies wide. ### Time on ball (0 - 15 min) Possession: Arsenal vs West Brom ### 14 mins Argentine Yacob with a strong challenge on Chilean Sanchez, who gets up gingerly. ### Arsenal enjoying plenty of touches of the ball so far. Arsenal have had 154 touches of the ball compared to 64 by West Brom. Arsenal vs West Brom ### 12 mins Giroud lines one up from 25 yards but he is leaning back and it flies well over. ### 11 mins Matty Phillips makes a powerful burst through midfield but he is stopped by a rather cynical Koscielny challenge, and the Frenchman is rather lucky to escape a booking. Chris Brunt's free-kick comes to nothing. ### 8 mins Gorgeous footwork from Alex Iwobi to dance past a challenge and slide Sanchez in, but the Chilean's touch lets him down and West Brom scramble it clear. Xhaka follows up with a curled effort but he doesn't wrap his foot around the ball properly and it sails well wide. ### 6 mins Sanchez is caught narrowly offside after a lovely ball is chipped through to him. ### 5 mins West Brom are, predictably , very deep and very compact, but they are looking to break in numbers and Craig Dawson makes a decent run down the right, but his cross comes to nothing. ### 2 mins A positive start from the home team. This is Kieran Gibbs's chance to get a run in the first team and he'll be desperate to take it. He gets forward early on but his cross is poor. ### Arsenal get us under way Ollie Giroud, back in the lineup, starts things off. ### Players are walking out of the tunnel The players are making their way onto the immaculate Emirates turf. ### Train trouble causing empty seats Boxing Day brings disrupted train timetables, which in turn bring empty seats at football stadiums. As ever at the Emirates, there are a smattering of people who leave it late to take their seat, but the ground looks far from full. ### A test of Arsenal's sqaud Since the start of the season we have been told that this is the deepest and best Arsenal squad since the Invincibles, and the Christmas period will call on them to utilise it. Wenger is not a natural when it comes to rotation, but he might have to give his star men rests at some stage over the next few weeks. ### Arsenal's next six fixtures - a route back into the title race? West Brom (H) Crystal Palace (H) Bournemouth (A) Swansea (A) Burnley (H) Watford (H) ### Can Tony Pulis get a result at Arsenal? The former Stoke manager has had his share of ding-dongs with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, but has always left N5 empty handed. Defensive structure and strong discipline are a given with Pulis' teams, but this current West Brom vintage has plenty of pace and goal threat on top of that. ### Two changes for Arsenal Arsene Wenger has reconfigured his forward line for this must-win home game. Theo Walcott misses out with a 'slight calf' issue so Olivier Giroud takes his place and Alexis Sanchez switches to the right flank. So much of Arsenal's good work this season has revolved around Sanchez's interpretation of the centre forward role, so Arsenal might have to find another formula with Giroud up there. Kieran Gibbs comes in at left back for Nacho Monreal. Aaron Ramsey is back but only fit enough for a place on the bench. ### Arsene Wenger on... It is 16 days since Arsenal last played a home match and, having departed the Emirates Stadium on top of the Premier League, they now return looking up at a nine-point gap to Chelsea. Festive cheer and optimism, then, is likely to be replaced by renewed tension and scepticism if they don't pick up three points against West Brom today, even if Wenger is adamant that he has become "immune" to the volatility of some fans. "The most excessive reactions get the biggest echo; that's just society. We have gone that way. You have five candidates to be elected Prime Minister and you organise the vote one Sunday. People will elect one. You organise a vote for the next Sunday and you might elect somebody else. We have to live with that and the excessive reactions. "Fortunately, we live in a country where everybody has a freedom to have an opinion. We have to respect that. I do not say that I am immune to critics but I do not want to be influenced too much by it. We have to focus on what we want to achieve; give the maximum to achieve it and question yourself always." ### TEAM NEWS Arsenal:Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Xhaka, Sanchez, Ozil, Iwobi, Giroud. Subs: Ramsey, Lucas Perez, Ospina, Holding, Monreal, Reine-Adelaide, Elneny. West Brom: Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom, Yacob, Fletcher, Phillips, Chadli, Brunt, Rondon. Subs: Olsson, Robson-Kanu, Morrison, Gardner, Myhill, McClean, Galloway. Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire) ### Preview When is it? Arsenal host West Brom on Boxing Day at 3pm. The fixture is one of six 3 o'clock kick offs in the Premier League sandwiched between Watford vs Crystal Palace at lunchtime and Manchester City's trip to Hull City at 5.15pm. Is it on TV? No, the 3pm blackout dictates that that this game cannot be shown on TV so you'll have to follow the Telegraph's liveblog for updates. What's at stake? Arsenal are looking to get back to winning ways after two damaging away defeats to Everton and Manchester City. Arsène Wenger's side were strangely lacklustre in both games and will be grateful for the eight day break afforded to them before this fixture. Arsenal slumped to two defeats at Everton and Manchester City Credit: West Brom's bubble was burst by Manchester United last time out, but they are enjoying a fine season. Tony Pulis' side sit eighth and have won four of their last seven league games, scoring 13 goals in the process. The former Stoke boss has history with Wenger and Arsenal, but is yet to come away from the Emirates with a result in his managerial career. What is the team news? Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is absent with a hamstring issue for the Gunners. Danny Welbeck and Aaron Ramsey returned to full training last week, with the latter in contention for a return to the squad. German defenders Shkodran Mustafi and Per Mertesacker are still out but due to return in the new year. Danny Welbeck has resumed full training after a knee injury Credit: Getty Images Former Manchester United centre back Jonny Evans, a rumoured Arsenal transfer target last summer, is a doubt for West Brom having missed the last two matches through injury. What's been said? Arsene Wenger: "We had a deficit in winning the ball back in the middle of the pitch at Manchester City. When you do not win the ball back immediately, you suffer after because you have to win it back a little bit deeper. That's certainly what people highlighted in our game. "To be absolutely fair, I did not hear or listen to all of the criticism we got after the game. We have to accept that, we have to live with that. People analyse the game and have their opinions, and I think that's normal. "We have to respond. Mesut Ozil is an important player, a big player, and the big players always respond to criticism on the pitch." Arsene Wenger and Tony Pulis have been fierce adversaries Credit: Reuters - Tony Pulis: "Arsene has got a wonderful squad. A squad capable of winning the title this year, though people have said that he's had that situation for a number of years. "There's such a difference between the top five or six clubs to the rest of us. You have to be at your best and they have to be a little bit off to get a result. That'll be the same on Boxing Day." What happened in this fixture last season? An Alexis Sánchez brace helped Arsenal to a 2-0 win over the Baggies in April, though apathy among the Arsenal fanbase meant there were swathes of empty seats at the Emirates. What are the odds? Arsenal - 4/11 West Brom - 8/1 Draw - 9/2 Who has scored the most Boxing Day goals in Premier League history? What's our prediction? Arsenal will have had their confidence knocked after consecutive defeats, so expect a fairly sleepy and low-key start by the hosts. However, they should have enough quality to seal three points even if their performance is far from spectacular. Tony Pulis' teams are always obdurate opponents, and West Brom have added greater attacking threat this season, but have always fallen short of getting a result at Arsenal. Verdict: Arsenal win. ### READ MORE ABOUT: Tony Pulis Olivier Giroud Hector Bellerin West Bromwich Albion FC Petr Cech Arsenal FC Arsene Wenger Alexis Sanchez Premier League Show more If you would like to add a comment, please register or log in Log in The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. 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Olivier Giroud
Club career.:Arsenal.:2016–17 season.
Giroud made only three appearances in Arsenal's first nine matches of the 2016–17 Premier League, all of them coming on as a substitute. On 29 October 2016, after coming onto the pitch as a substitute in the 69th minute on matchday 10 of the Premier League, Giroud scored two goals with his first two touches in Arsenal's 4–1 away win against Sunderland. On 19 November, Giroud scored an 89th-minute equalising goal after appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.