Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 0: Watch highlights Olivier Giroud scores incredible scorpion kick before Alex Iwobi seals impressive win for Gunners

OLIVIER GIROUD scored a stunning backheel opener to get Arsenal off to a flier in 2017.

Just a week after Henrikh Mhiktaryan’s brilliant finish, the Frenchman produced an even better scorpion kick which flew in off the bar.

Olivier Giroud got Arsenal off the mark with a brilliant finish

Alex Iwobi was on target with a simple header in the second half to ensure Arsenal moved back above Tottenham into the top four.

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Giroud missed an early sitter from nacho Monreal’s cross before his moment of magic to open the scoring.

Palace survived goalmouth scrambles either side of the break before Christian Benteke headed wide from a good position.

And Iwobi stepped up to nod the ball over two Palace defenders on the line to double their advantage and punish the Belgian’s wastefulness.

Yohan Cabaye and Andros Townsend brought good saves from Petr Cech but the Gunners held firm to close out a solid win.

FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS

• WE thought we would never see a goal to compare with Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s strike against Sunderland. This was even better, plus it was onside.
• Giroud’s backheel in the middle of this move could easily be forgotten in the hullabaloo that followed the forward’s outrageous flick over Wayne Hennessey’s head for the opener. What followed was surely one of the best goals at the Emirates.

• PALACE have not won at Arsenal since John Salako’s double in 1994. That wretched run was never going to be troubled by this lame Palace performance.
• HECTOR BELLERIN looked like Cafu down the Arsenal right. Palace could not stop the flying full-back getting down the wing at every opportunity.
• PALACE were on the ball so rarely in the first half that the away fans started sarcastically chanting ‘Ole!’ when they finally managed to string a sequence of passes together after 33 minutes.
• “We’ve had a shot” they sang when Yohan Cabaye mustered their shot after 36 minutes, followed by “We’ve had a shot on target. Sadly for Palace it was a pea roller into Petr Cech’s arms.

• GIROUD could not stop grinning about his goal when he was waiting for the second half to start. So much so that he was chuckling away with fellow Frenchman Yohan Cabaye as they waited to get underway.
• BENTEKE missed a big chance to equalise for Palace at the start of the second half when Andros Townsend slung in a cross from the right. The big Palace man got up at the far post but directed his header wide.
• WENGER swapped his usual touchline attire of suit and tie for a trackie. Arsenal’s manager is usually seen in a whistle on matchdays, but he probably changed his mind he saw the weather.
• JOEL WARD should have done so much better when Alex Iwobi scored. Ward’s header cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and into the net when he connected with Iwobi’s effort.
• BIG SAM will have concerns over Benteke’s form ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Swansea. Benteke was replaced 13 minutes from time by Fraizer Campbell.

BIG PICTURE

SOCIAL SAYS

WHAT THEY SAID

Olivier Giroud: “It is not difficult to say it is the best one.

“I was a bit lucky but it was the only thing I could do, the ball was behind me and I tried to hit it with a backheel.

“Maybe [Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s] goal inspired me, it’s the only thing you can do in that position. It is nice for me and the team because we start the year with a win.

“We were struggling a bit when we came back from the dressing room so it was nice to finish off the game and keep the ball.

“We have a few games to come before the very important Chelsea one so we want to to keep winning before we go to Stamford Bridge.”

DREAM TEAM RATINGS

ARSENAL: Cech 7; Bellerin 7, Gabriel 7, Koscielny 7, Monreal 7; Xhaka 7, Elneny 7; Lucas 6, Iwobi 8, Sanchez 8; Giroud 8.

Subs: Ramsey, Ospina, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mustafi, Reine-Adelaide, Coquelin, Maitland-Niles.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Hennessey 7; Kelly 6, Dann 6, Tomkins 6, Ward 6; Cabaye 6, Flamini 6, Puncheon 6; Townsend 7, Benteke 7, Zaha 7.

Subs: Speroni, Campbell, Lee, Phillips, Mutch, Sako, Husin.

STAR MAN: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)