Arsenal are back, with a win against Swansea

Arsenal managed to secure a much-needed win thanks to Andrey Arshavin, who took advantage of a blunder by Swansea’s goalkeeper, Michael Vorm, following the humiliating 8-2 loss to Manchester United.

In the 41st minute, Arshavin found the net after Vorm’s attempted clearance struck team-mate Angel Rangel, enabling the Russian forward to slot the ball into an unguarded net.

Swansea’s struggle to score in the Barclays Premier League continued for four games, allowing Arsene Wenger’s team to secure their first league victory of the season.

Growing criticism has been directed at Arsenal manager Wenger this season, and the three points will help relieve some pressure at the Emirates Stadium, particularly after a disheartening start.

In response to the debacle at Old Trafford, Wenger quickly entered the transfer market, securing five new signings before the August 31 deadline.

Due to the international break, he had to wait to deploy his revamped squad, giving first starts to two new players: Germany’s center-back Per Mertesacker and former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta, while Andre Santos, Yossi Benayoun, and Park Chu-Young sat on the bench.

After a lackluster opening to the season, it was clear Arsenal required fresh ideas, and both Arteta and Mertesacker demonstrated they could be valuable assets moving forward.

Arteta especially wasted no time in asserting himself, finding Aaron Ramsey’s run from midfield in the opening minute, although the Welsh captain could have done better with his shot, sending it over the bar.

Just eight minutes later, operating centrally behind Robin Van Persie, Arteta spotted the striker’s run through Swansea’s defense and crafted another opportunity with a well-placed pass.

Mertesacker contributed height and steadiness to the defense, yet even his presence couldn’t prevent Swansea from creating an excellent early chance that would have resulted in a goal if not for an outstanding save by Wojciech Szczesny.

The goalkeeper made a full-length dive to deflect Danny Graham’s close-range shot to safety after a low cross from Nathan Dyer caught the Arsenal defense off-guard.

Although this moment disrupted the home team’s early rhythm, Wenger’s side maintained possession but failed to truly capitalize on the opportunities against Vorm.

In the 14th minute, Theo Walcott broke free and sent a mis-hit shot past the Swansea keeper, only for center back Steven Caulker to recover and clear off the line just in time.

This, however, was one of the few significant threats that Arsenal posed, as Swansea — led by manager Brendan Rodgers, who was absent due to a family bereavement — grew more confident and began to assert themselves against Arsenal.

Graham’s threat resurfaced in the 35th minute as he almost connected with Joe Allen’s left-wing cross, and Arsenal started to feel the pressure as they fell into familiar patterns from previous matches.

With the players’ confidence shaken following the rout by United, it was only natural that Arsenal’s nerves would be further tested as Swansea held firm.

Thus, Vorm’s blunder arrived at a perfect moment for Wenger’s squad, allowing Arsenal to head into halftime with the match’s destiny in their hands.

There appeared to be no immediate threat when the Swansea goalkeeper gathered a bouncing ball within his box, but when Vorm rolled it mistakenly against Rangel’s heels, Arshavin was quick to capitalize, finishing from a tight angle.

Swansea had showcased impressive qualities in several aspects of the game, but…This season, the team’s performance in the field has not been impressive, especially in their goal-scoring ability. Once they fell behind, the challenge to equalize was understandably significant.

In the 53rd minute, they nearly found the back of the net when Scott Sinclair struck a curling free kick that hit the crossbar, following a foul by Laurent Koscielny on the winger.

A late opportunity also came Graham’s way, but Arsenal comfortably secured the points.

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by Buford Balony