NB: Video on this article has been removed in accordance to international license restrictions.
By Greg Robertson
Hello and welcome to Emirates Stadium where we have Arsenal hosting Norwich City in English Premier League action. It’s football, at its finest.
The home side has a chance to go third on the Premier League table, with Chelsea a game in hand, while Norwich are playing for pride though they won’t want to fall back to the chasing bottom pack.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights and all the action of the EPL. Make sure you REFRESH your browser occasionally so you don’t miss any of the action. Video up at the conclusion of the match (final whistle).
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LIVE COMMENTARY... Arsenal 3 – 1 Norwich
FULLTIME - Arsenal gets out of jail with a 3-1 win. ALL VIDEO UP. You have to feel sorry for Norwich, that penalty swung things - controversial at best.
90+2 MINS: Podolski scores! It's 3-1! He just nailed it bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area. That was a classy finish. Wow, what a finish from Arsenal... three goals in a small amount of time. Unbelievable.
89 MINS: Well that was controversial for sure... and it sure has let Arsenal out of jail. They continue to attack now... GOAL ARSENAL! Giroud tucks it away on the line... wow what a difference two minutes make. Oxlade-Chamberlain with a give-and-go and then to the by-line, cuts it back and it's tucked in - may even be an own goal.
84 MINS: PENALTY ARSENAL! Norwich fans going nuts... the ref was five yards away but the linesman from 30 yards has given it. Looks like it was Giroud pulled down by Kamara. Arteta scores! He goes right, Bunn goes right... but the penalty trucks inside the post.
80 MINS: ARSENAL OFF THE CROSSBAR! Podolski smashed it - fair smashed it after Giroud chested it down for him - and Bunn may have flicked that onto the crossbar. If so, magic save. So close.
78 MINS: Sagna coming off and Oxlade-Chamberlain is now on.
75 MINS: Norwich with a free kick eight yards outside the box and right in front. They're taking their time and running the clock down... Snodgrass hits it but no troubles to anyone, especially Fabianski who now has a goal kick. Arsenal are about to get desperate.
73 MINS: Bassong leading the break out for Norwich... he's off, outside to Russell Martin who's overlapping on the right... hits it.... straight at Fabianski. Great work though from Norwich, despite the stuttering end to the play. Martin perhaps should have done better.
70 MINS: Arsenal on the attack, giroud flicks it to Podolski and he can't control it. One touch, bang. May have been all square but he couldn't control with a first touch of a trampoline.
65 MINS: Walcott's brought down on the edge or inside... no free kick given. Wow, that looked likely. Play on though and Walcott has made a huge difference to this match. The danger signs are there... replays show that was a great decision by the officials.
62 MINS: The pace of Theo Walcott has already made a difference as he creates havoc inside the penalty area... that's excited the crowd though an offside halts the movement. Better though for Arsenal. Change for Norwich as Fox comes on for Johnson.
60 MINS: Walcott and Podolski on with Gervinho and Wilshere making way.
58 MINS: GOAL NORWICH. Free header from Michale Turner - poor defending - he just peels away and from his marker is untroubled and picks his spot. Snodgrass with the ball in.Arsenal are rattled. Movement on the bench already.
54 MINS: NORWICH CITY on the ropes as it's pinball inside the six-yard box, Wilshere hits it, someone's hand to it... think Bunn's but Arsenal are asking for a penalty. Play on, bouncing about, half chances... Norwich gets away with it.
50 MINS: Sweeping attack from Arsenal is the first major play of the second spell with Wilshere trying to whip one in from the byline out left, unable to. He's half a yard off his game. He wins a corner though. Cazorla drills it in and it's fisted away by Bunn.
Second half underway
The English Premier League is bereft of goals at the moment all around the traps... the only goal so far being scored by Clint Hill (own goal) in the Everton v QPR match with Everton thus leading 1-0.
HALFTIME 0-0 and you have a frustrated Arsenal leaving Emirates.
45 MINS: Jack Wilshere running at goal but is checked by Snodgrass which gives Arsenal a chance late in the half. On the corner of the penalty box, deep from Arteta, sort of looping, and from the moment's it's hit you feel it won't be a threat... and it wasn't. Arsenal with a couple of corners late in the half... one, two, three corners... so far the flat delivery has caused the most problems for the Norwich defence.
43 MINS: Martin tucks a Sagna cross away for a corner. There's a break in play as Snodgrass is being seen to. He got a rake down the heel... Holt heads the poor corner away with ease.
41 MINS: Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott still sitting on the bench for Arsenal and perhaps that's what this game needs for the home side to come away with the points today, an injection of real pace. Perhaps early, second half Arsene?
38 MINS: Norwich just starting to get a wee bit more possession... no threat yet but it's adding to Arsenal's frustration. Kamara and Johnson are causing the home side some grief down the right... unable to deliver a telling ball but there's no real strong runs in the middle anyway. Arsenal breaks and Cazrola hits one from distance, Bunn not needing to move but it's at least a genuine strike on goal for the home side.
34 MINS: Cazorla with another great ball (he played in Gervinho the previous play) and Arsenal are again around the back of Norwich.... a chance near post but it's not Arsenal's day just yet. It's one-way traffic with plenty of the ball but unable to do much with it. Frustration levels, the one's I mentioned earlier, are beginning to rise and rise. Sagna gets a yellow for a challenge on Snodgrass.
30 MINS: Gervinho with a run in behind one-on-one with Bunn and his heavy touch pushes it very wide, tries to shoot into an empty net with an impossible angle. Again he has men in the middle screaming for it. Absolutely selfish football the last two minutes from Gervinho. To be fair, he had to try and tuck it away but he's just not bothering to even look up.
28 MINS: Norwich loses the ball at the back and Gervinho has it and on the dribble... look up son, look up... he's not as Wilshere, Cazorla and others are lining up for it in the penalty area... look up... he still doesn't with head down going forward. Ohhh it's lost. Poor from Gervinho. VERY POOR.
24 MINS: OFF THE WOODWORK! Sagna looks up from out right and curls one in, finding Giroud with the glancing header off the cross bar. Could have been the first, that. Wasn't.
20 MINS: In the blink of the eye Ramsey is almost in... great touches from Arsenal and Ramsey stretches but can't get a touch to it to push it past Bunn in the Norwich sticks. Doesn't count as a shot but that was lovely interplay from Arsenal to work the 'effort'. That was a lovely flick from Giroud on to Wilshere and then a first time ball through for Ramsey to tun onto.
18 MINS: Still no shots on goal. The Arsenal attack isn't exactly fluid, or at pace, and definitely without major result so far. Norwich will be hoping it's a sign for what they can expect all day while those in Emirates - seated and ticket stubs in pocket - you sense are a little frustrated by this start.
15 MINS: Norwich appears to be without ideas when they are in the Arsenal attacking third... Ramsey with a lovely measured ball to find Wilshere who chests and turns and volleys over the top but all this is with the linesman's flag up...
12 MINS: Norwich on the break and someone now are right back on defence but with the ball, and never having losing it. This match has started rather slowly.
10 MINS: Well it's all Arsenal to start with... Arteta with an ambitious ball over the top seeking out Giroud. They are pushing it nicely until Snodgrass takes out Sagna's legs for the free kick. It's taken short and the game of 'keepsies' continues... there's a mass of yellow jerseys back though and so far Arsenal have been able to get in behind that mass but not find the telling ball for an effort on goal. No shots as yet.
6 MINS: Gervinho is away down the right, cuts in slightly, defence streaming back and looks to centre with a delicate ball that takes a touch off a loose leg and means that Ramsey's run is too strong, the ball falling in behind him.
3 MINS: Cazorla sets Sagna free and they are both looking to get it to Gervinho, he half turns with the ball but it's into trouble.
1 MINS: Great start for Arsenal as they push down the right and win an early corner... Cazorla's delivery is very poor to start and falls short. fodder the clear for Norwich.
And we're off...
Here are your teams... your starting line ups as Arsenal searches for this top four finish. Emirates is a picture. Teams now out on the park.
Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Cazorla, Gervinho, Giroud.
Norwich: Bunn, R.Martin, Bassong, Turner, Whittaker, Johnson, Howson, Tettey, Snodgrass, Kamara, Holt.
Just 10 minutes to the off...
Kick off is not far away so in the meantime watch highlights as Arsenal beat West Brom 2-1.
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Possible teams
Arsenal: Fabianski (GK); Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Monreal; Arteta, Ramsey; Walcott, Wilshere, Cazorla; Gervinho.
Norwich: Camp (GK); R Martin, Bassong, Turner, Garrido; Snodgrass, Johnson, Howson, Hoolahan, Pilkington; Kamara.
Pregame banter
Arsenal will not want to be beaten twice in the same season by Norwhich, with the east Anglian team beating Arsene Wenger’s side 1-0 at Carrow Park in October.
But the Gunner’s should have the fire power to handle Chris Hughton’s side, with Norwich only having one win in the last 15 Premier League games.
Arsenal will be sweating on the fitness test of star midfielder Tomas Rosicky, prior to the game only being a 50:50 chance of starting the match thanks to a hamstring injury.
Norwich will be doing the same with goalkeeper Mark Bunn, but it’s more likely that Lee Camp will get the chance to deputise again after coming from the bench against Swansea last weekend.
Wenger knows what to expect and that the counter attack is likely to be Norwich’s best chance of pulling off the unlikely victory.
"We must put them under pressure because they will defend well and try to catch us with breaks," says Wenger.
The sight of Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere will be welcomes by Wenger and Arsenal’s fans alike.
With Wilshere and Walcott, Hughton knows his side will be up against it but he and his side are ready to play.
"You have to enjoy and look forward to matches like these," says Hughton.
Football fans may just be in for a goal-fest at the Emirates, with the stadium the top scoring venue in the Premier League with 59 goals scored to date on the turf.
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source: newshub archive
