- Giroud breaks through
- Gunners tied for second
- Baggies drop to ninth
A classic Tony Pulis defensive performance was finally undone by dominant Arsenal, as Olivier Giroud scored an 86th minute goal to head a Mesut Ozil cross behind Ben Foster and lift the Gunners to a 1-0 win over visiting West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day.
Arsenal moves into a tie with Liverpool ahead of the Reds’ match with Stoke City on Tuesday, winning its first in three. West Brom drops to ninth with the loss.
[ MORE: Watch full PL match replays ]
The Gunners were buzzing early, with a mass of Baggies in the 18 to fluster their passing and possession.
Yet despite that dominance, with continued into the second half, prime chances were at a premium. Alexis Sanchez hammered a laser over the bar in the 57th minute, and Ben Foster claimed another Gunners chance moments later.
Snakebit is a good way to describe that second half, considering that neither normally surefire poacher Olivier Giroud nor star Mesut Ozil could get on the end of an across six offering.
[ MORE: Latest Premier League standings ]
100 - Mesut Ozil is making his 100th PL appearance today: only Eric Cantona (39) had more assists than him after 100 PL apps (35). Giver.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2016
[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box score ]