Aaron Ramsey scored for the fourth game in a row as Arsenal went two points clear at the top of the Premier League following a 2-1 win away to Swansea on Saturday.
Second-half goals from teenage midfielder Serge Gnabry and Ramsey put the Gunners on top at the Liberty Stadium before Swansea’s Ben Davies pulled one back eight minutes from time. But Arsene Wenger’s table-topper held on to secure its fifth straight league win since an opening day defeat by Aston Villa.
Ramse was at the heart of most of Arsenal’s early work but it took the Gunners a while to trouble a Swans’ back four led by Chico Flores.
Gunners centre-half Per Mertesacker did have an opportunity to break the deadlock but his header from a Mesut Ozil cross was wide of goalkeeper Michel Vorm’s far post.
Ramsey almost opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he struck a smart shot from 25 yards which shaved the outside of Vorm’s right-hand upright.
Swansea continued to play at a familiar tempo whereas Arsenal was strangely subdued until, in first-half stoppage time, a neat through ball from Gnabry set up Giroud for the best chance of the first 45 minutes. With only Vorm to beat, the Frenchman pulled the trigger but saw his tame strike spin harmlessly wide of the target.
However, the game was transformed by two Arsenal goals in the space of four second-half minutes. The visitors opened the scoring in the 58th minute when Jack Wilshere and Giroud combined with Ramsey who, in turn, set up Gnabry. Having been quiet for much of the previous 57 minutes, the 18-year-old German beat Vorm at his far post.
Ozil, Arsenal’s record-signing, should have made it 2-0 minutes later but was denied by a top class save from Dutchman Vorm.
However, it did not take long for the Gunners to double their lead.
Ramsey’s flick on half way and Wilshere’s determination in beating Jonathan de Guzman, helped Giroud to send in Ramsey on the return for a goal of genuine quality.
Dyer forced Szczesny into a fine save 20 minutes from time but Arsenal, by now, was playing with a real swagger and, despite Davies’s well-taken consolation goal, held on as it equalled a club record with an eighth consecutive away league win.
The results: Stoke City 0 lost to Norwich City 1 (Howson 34). Saturday: Swansea 1 (Davies 82) lost to Arsenal 2 (Gnabry 58, Ramsey 62).
