Sports - Arteta Rescues Arsenal On Wilshere's Return
Mikel Arteta's late winner ended bottom-club Queens Park Rangers' resistance as Arsenal finished a turbulent week with a vital victo...
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Mikel Arteta's late winner ended bottom-club Queens Park Rangers' resistance as Arsenal finished a turbulent week with a vital victory.
Arteta poked in from close range after hitting the bar, as the returning Jack Wilshere helped Arsenal bounce back from defeats by Norwich and Schalke.
The winner came moments after QPR's Stephane Mbia was sent off for kicking out at Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen.
QPR's Esteban Granero and Jamie Mackie spurned good injury-time chances.
England midfielder Wilshere played 67 minutes as he made his first senior Arsenal appearance for 17 months.
It has been a tough week for Arsene Wenger after his side's surprise defeats by Premier League strugglers Norwich and Champions League visitors Schalke were followed by a spiky annual shareholders' meeting, where fans questioned the club's ambitions.
But Arteta's winner, which came after Hoops keeper Julio Cesar magnificently saved Olivier Giroud's header at the start of a goalmouth scramble, moves Arsenal into fourth in the Premier League table.
It was harsh on Brazilian Cesar who produced several superb saves to keep out the Gunners as the crowd grew increasingly restless inside the Emirates.
Ultimately the game turned on the sending-off of Rangers defender Mbia, who was shown a red card by referee Anthony Taylor when he senselessly kicked out at Vermaelen while lying on the ground having already won a free-kick.
The defeat leaves QPR still searching for their first league win of the season and bottom of the table.
But manager Mark Hughes can take huge positives from a compact defensive display that only unravelled after Mbia's dismissal.
In their next three matches, Hughes's team face Reading, Stoke and Southampton - all teams in the bottom half - and will take heart from their brave display.
Even after they were reduced to 10 men and fell a goal behind, the visitors refused to give up and perhaps should have had an equaliser through either Granero or Mackie.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Granero skewed wide after he was put clean through, before Mackie powered through a parting Arsenal defence only to prod his shot straight at Vito Mannone.
Wilshere's return aside, pre-match attention was focused on QPR substitute Anton Ferdinand's decision to wear a T-shirt in support of anti-racism group Kick It Out during the warm-up.
The winner came moments after QPR's Stephane Mbia was sent off for kicking out at Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen.
QPR's Esteban Granero and Jamie Mackie spurned good injury-time chances.
England midfielder Wilshere played 67 minutes as he made his first senior Arsenal appearance for 17 months.
It has been a tough week for Arsene Wenger after his side's surprise defeats by Premier League strugglers Norwich and Champions League visitors Schalke were followed by a spiky annual shareholders' meeting, where fans questioned the club's ambitions.
But Arteta's winner, which came after Hoops keeper Julio Cesar magnificently saved Olivier Giroud's header at the start of a goalmouth scramble, moves Arsenal into fourth in the Premier League table.
It was harsh on Brazilian Cesar who produced several superb saves to keep out the Gunners as the crowd grew increasingly restless inside the Emirates.
Ultimately the game turned on the sending-off of Rangers defender Mbia, who was shown a red card by referee Anthony Taylor when he senselessly kicked out at Vermaelen while lying on the ground having already won a free-kick.
The defeat leaves QPR still searching for their first league win of the season and bottom of the table.
But manager Mark Hughes can take huge positives from a compact defensive display that only unravelled after Mbia's dismissal.
In their next three matches, Hughes's team face Reading, Stoke and Southampton - all teams in the bottom half - and will take heart from their brave display.
Even after they were reduced to 10 men and fell a goal behind, the visitors refused to give up and perhaps should have had an equaliser through either Granero or Mackie.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Granero skewed wide after he was put clean through, before Mackie powered through a parting Arsenal defence only to prod his shot straight at Vito Mannone.
Wilshere's return aside, pre-match attention was focused on QPR substitute Anton Ferdinand's decision to wear a T-shirt in support of anti-racism group Kick It Out during the warm-up.
