Despite the defeat, Cardiff boss Neil Warnock praised his side’s performance as their “best of the season”. “We talked about Emiliano before the game and I thought it was appropriate that we gave a good account of ourselves against a good side – we could’ve quite easily won the game,” said Warnock.
Arsenal secured a hard-fought win over Cardiff on an emotional night at Emirates Stadium as the Bluebirds played for the first time since the disappearance of striker Emiliano Sala.
“What a performance. If Arsenal had our chances they would’ve beaten us by four. We had some great chances and with the effort we put in we should’ve got at least a point.”
Argentine forward Sala, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson were on board a light aircraft that disappeared from radar over the Channel Islands while travelling from Nantes following Sala’s club-record £15m move to Cardiff.
Tributes were paid to Sala before the game from both sets of players, club officials and supporters. Neither side had a shot on target in the first half, but Arsenal went ahead through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 66th-minute spot kick after Bruno Ecuele Manga clumsily brought down Sead Kolasinac.
Alexandre Lacazette doubled Arsenal’s lead with a fine low strike into the bottom corner, although substitute Nathaniel Mendez-Laing pulled one back for Cardiff in added time when he curled a shot past Bernd Leno.
However, it was not enough for Cardiff and the Gunners’ win takes them to 47 points, the same as fourth-placed Chelsea. Before the game, Warnock said it had been “by far the most difficult week” in his 40-year managerial career and admitted he had contemplated quitting following the disappearance of Sala.
He said: “There are more important things, aren’t there? It takes something like that to make you realise. It’s probably hit me harder than anyone else as I’ve met the lad and talked to him for the last six to eight weeks.”
At the Emirates, both captains brought out a bunch of golden daffodils and placed them near the centre spot before the game started, with Cardiff’s fans also holding up yellow signs to make a mosaic – matching the colours of Sala’s previous club Nantes.
Fans in the away end also held up a banner that said “We never saw you play and never saw you score but Emiliano our beautiful Bluebird we will love you forever more” with an on-field tribute involving all the players.
Warnock’s side had the better of the opening 45 minutes, with Bobby Reid shooting just wide then heading over from 10 yards out.
The away side also thought they should have had a penalty when a combination of Nacho Monreal and Kolasinac bundled into Oumar Niasse, but referee Mike Dean waved away the protests.
Callum Paterson had a chance after the break but shot well wide before his side conceded the first of Arsenal’s two goals. Mendez-Laing finished impressively in the 93rd minute but there was to be no equaliser.
After the game, Warnock also praised left-back Joe Bennett, who suffered a family bereavement earlier this week. “Joe was superb,” added Warnock. “He lost his father three days ago but to then play like that, I’m really pleased with him.”
Captain Ozil fails to impress, but Arsenal do enough
There was a surprise in the Arsenal line-up as Mesut Ozil made his first Premier League appearance of 2019 and was handed the captaincy by Unai Emery.
Earlier this month, Emery said he was not thinking about the 30-year-old World Cup winner leaving the club, but wanted more consistency from the German midfielder, who is also the Gunners’ highest-paid player.
But Ozil struggled to make an impact and was replaced after 76 minutes as Aaron Ramsey came on to face his former club.
Nevertheless, the Gunners picked up three points with a much-improved performance in the second half after they had been frustrated by a well-organised Cardiff side in the opening period.
Their struggles were illustrated by the fact Aubameyang did not touch the ball in the Cardiff penalty area in the first 45 minutes.
The Gabon striker did however later score his 15th Premier League goal of the season midway through the second after Manga’s foul on Kolasinac.
Lacazette, who had a shout for a penalty turned down in the first half after going to ground under Manga’s challenge, scored Arsenal’s second in the 83rd minute, shooting past away goalkeeper Neil Etheridge after a forceful run in from the right touchline.
Man of the match – Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal)
A dozen home league games without defeat – the stats
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League home games since losing their first game of the season against Manchester City in August (won 10, drew two).
- Cardiff City remain the only side in English league football yet to lead at half-time in a game in any competition this season (26 games).
- Cardiff boss Neil Warnock’s four top-flight visits to Arsenal have all ended in defeat, all with different teams in different decades – October 1991 with Notts County (0-2), September 2006 with Sheffield United (0-3), December 2011 with QPR (0-1) and January 2019 with the Bluebirds (0-2).
- Arsenal’s Stephan Lichtsteiner made his 400th appearance in the big five European leagues and became the first outfield player aged 35+ to start a Premier League game for Arsenal (35 years, 13 days) since Sol Campbell v Fulham in May 2010.
- Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have each scored five Premier League goals against promoted sides this season, more than any other player.
- Aubameyang hit his 25th goal in his 37th Premier League appearance for Arsenal, the quickest of any player to reach that total for the Gunners in the competition.
‘We struggled a lot’ – what they said
Arsenal manager Unai Emery told Match of the Day: “We are happy. In the first half we didn’t deserve to go in winning and in the second half we played better, controlled the match better and created more chances.
“We started well in the first 10 minutes then I was not surprised with the performance as Cardiff worked very well.
“We struggled a lot in the match but it’s very important to get the three points. We know each match is difficult and we are happy – the difference is small details.”
Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock to Match of the Day: “They should’ve had a penalty in the first half and I spoke to Bruno (Ecuele Manga) at half time so for him to dive in like that again (on Kolasinac), I’m just really disappointed. The players have to think about their responsibilities, it was just amateur.”
On whether his side will buy any players in the rest of the transfer window: “I worked on Emiliano for a couple of months and I can’t see us bringing in anyone up front – we won’t get anyone like Emiliano, but we could bring in one or two defenders.”
What’s next?
Cardiff, 18th in the Premier League, entertain Bournemouth on Saturday (17:30 GMT), while Arsenal play at Manchester City the following day (16:30 GMT).
Source: BBC News
