Bafetimbi Gomis climbed off the bench to net an 86th-minute winner as Swansea City beat Arsenal 1-0 with a smash-and-grab win at the Emirates Stadium tonight.
Gomis, who netted the winner in the reverse fixture, helped the Swans do the double over Arsenal in a contest that the hosts dominated, with goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski enjoying a fine return to the club where he spent seven years.
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After winning nine of their last 10 games, the Gunners came into the contest as one of Premier League's form teams, and three minutes elapsed when they threatened to make inroads toward another win.
A free-flowing move saw Aaron Ramsey stand up a cross for towering striker Olivier Giroud, but the Frenchman's header failed to test Fabianski on his return to the Emirates.
Praised by Arsene Wenger in the build-up, Garry Monk watched his troops slowly but surely develop a foothold and Jonjo Shelvey forced David Ospina into a smart save on eight minutes.
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Both sides cancelled each other out for large periods of the half with the hosts dominating possession, but City's stubborn back four refused to give Arsenal an opportunity to hurt them.
All eyes were on referee Kevin Friend shortly before the half-hour mark when Alexis Sanchez went down inside the area under a challenge from Neil Taylor, but Friend rejected the penalty appeals.
After failing to slice through Swansea, Wenger's charges resorted to shooting from range and Giroud fired well wide of the target on 42 minutes to cap a frustrating first half for the Londoners.
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The second half took similar shape as the first period as Wenger's side tried and failed to breach City's defence, with Sanchez rifling the side-netting in a rare sight at goal.
Much of the pre-match talk had centered around Fabianski's return, having been labelled as 'Flappyhandski' in 2010 following a string of high-profile errors.
However, the Pole buried that nickname once and for all with a host of impressive saves in the final quarter, keeping out Nacho Monreal and then Theo Walcott in the rebound.
They proved the foundations for what was to follow, as Gomis, whose first goal in English football came against Arsenal in South Wales in November, headed home Jefferson Montero's teasing cross to snatch all three points and end Arsenal's 10-game unbeaten run.
Shane Callaghan
