Arsenal suffered another setback in their fading title challenge as the team was held to a 2-2 draw against Swansea at the Emirates Stadium.
The visiting Welsh team grabbed a vital point in their pursuit of Premier League safety, but the result is another blow to the Gunners. While it has been easy to sugarcoat the recent run of form, the recent heavy defeats and lost points at Stoke must now be considered a mini collapse. A dire February and March from Arsenal has all but ended the clubs´ chances of lifting the Premier League trophy this season.
It was a sluggish start to the game from Arsenal and the players were clearly feeling the effects of Saturday´s drubbing against Chelsea. Swansea began much the brighter of the two teams and the Welsh club took the lead in the 11th minute when Neil Taylor´s cross was met by Wilfried Bony in the Arsenal box. The striker wasted no time in clinically slotting the ball past Wojciech Szczesny.
Arsene Wenger has named a strong team, ignoring this weekend´s clash with Manchester City by bringing Mathieu Flamini into the team and sticking with Olivier Giroud up front. Arsenal perked up after the goal as the players hunted an equalizer, but the Swans remained a threat on the counter attack throughout the remainder of the first half.
Once again Giroud was left to cut a lonely figure up front as the midfield struggled to supply the killer pass to the Frenchman. However, the Gunners equaled the match early in the second half when Kieran Gibbs exploded down the left and cut the ball back into the area for Lukas Podolski to fire over Michael Vorm in the Swansea goal. With the score at 1-1, Arsenal settled and took less than two minutes to take the lead. The second goal arrived when Podolski finally found Giroud with a cross and the striker drove into the net to give Arsenal a 2-1 lead.
The team was closing the game out comfortably, but Swansea still looked dangerous on the break. Disaster struck in the 90th minute when Leon Britton´s shot deflected off Per Mertesacker and Szczesny before hitting the back of Flamini and landing in the goal. A tragic own goal that could well have cost the club the Premier League this season, but ultimately it is the form over recent weeks that has put paid to Arsenal´s title ambitions.