Arsenal beat manager-less Cardiff with two late goals to return to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched from the stands.
Former Manchester United forward Solskjaer traveled to London on New
Year's Day as talks stepped up over him replacing the sacked Malky
Mackay, and the appointment could be confirmed on Thursday if
negotiations between the Molde boss and Cardiff owner Vincent Tan
progress well.
Under what could well be the last match in charge for David Kerslake
and first-team coach Joe McBride, the Bluebirds held out in the face of
enormous pressure until Arsenal substitute Nicklas Bendtner crashed home
with just two minutes left and Theo Walcott knocked in a second on the
break in stoppage time.
Solskjaer, 40, will have his work cut out, though, to keep his new club
clear of being dragged into a relegation battle following just one win
in the last 10 Premier League games.
Arsenal, meanwhile, again answered their critics to dig deep and
overcome their injury problems to leapfrog Manchester City back to the
summit.
With Olivier Giroud missing because of an ankle problem, Lukas Podolski led the attack.
However, it was pacy forward Walcott who provided the main outlet as Arsenal aimed to play him away behind the Cardiff defense.
On 14 minutes, England midfielder Jack Wilshere, who turned 22 on
Wednesday, whipped a low ball in from the left which Walcott was just
unable to reach as he slid in at the far post and put his shot into the
sidenetting.
Arsenal slowly started to dominate possession, with Santi Cazorla
firing wide from 20 yards after another positive break down the right.
The home fans in the Clock End were screaming for a penalty on 25
minutes when Gary Medel looked to have tripped Wilshere as he darted
into the left side of the Cardiff area, but referee Jon Moss was not
interested.
In a rare Cardiff attack, Jordon Mutch got away down the left and drilled in a low shot which Wojciech Szczesny kicked clear.
Clever play by Cazorla in the left side of Cardiff box saw the Spaniard
pick out a ball back to Walcott, but his snapshot flew wide.
Conditions did not really improve for the start of the second half, but
Arsenal were soon back on the offensive as Bacary Sagna flashed an
angled half-volley wide from 20 yards.
Cardiff felt they should have been given a penalty when a cross from
Craig Noone came off Nacho Monreal's boot and up on to his arm, but the
officials were having none of it.
Arsenal continued to press, but lacked a decisive pass in the final third.
Wilshere collected the ball on the left before cutting back into the
Cardiff penalty area and his fierce angled drive cannoned back off the
outside of the near post.
On 65 minutes, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger made a double change as Tomas
Rosicky and Nicklas Bendtner replaced Mathieu Flamini and Podolski.
Per Mertesacker glanced a bullet header wide from Walcott's cross and
the big German was again close when arriving at the far post from a
corner as his downward header brushed the woodwork.
It remained one-way traffic heading into the final 15 minutes and
Walcott looked to have been clipped by Ben Turner as he darted into the
right side of the Cardiff penalty area.
Sagna's looping header was knocked off the line by Steven Caulker, but
the visitors' resistance was finally broken on 88 minutes.
Monreal floated over a deep cross from the left, which Sagna headed
goalwards and after David Marshall made a fine reaction block, Bendtner
was alert to stab the loose ball home.
It came at a cost, however, as the Denmark forward picked up an injury
in his collision with the Cardiff goalkeeper and had to be replaced by
Thomas Vermaelen.
In stoppage time, Walcott was sent clear by Wilshere and clipped the ball over Marshall to seal another hard-earned victory.
