The victory moved Arsenal back into third place ahead of Manchester City’s game at Southampton on Sunday, and while a top-four finish is looking more likely for the Gunners, Welbeck was left to rue a chance to finish atop the table.
Before kick off the atmosphere inside the Emirates was more a low-level anxiety than anything more. There was a loud cheer for the return to the bench of Santi Cazorla, a classy influence who has been badly missed since his injury against the same opponents in November.
Otherwise Arsenal lined up in the usual 4-2-3-1, with Olivier Giroud given another chance to continue his quest for a first league goal since January.
The promise of protests had circled this game with various entities, including Red Action and the scary-sounding Black Scarf Movement, calling for a show of dissent. “Time For Change” is the mantra, the object of protest that sense of a luxury vessel simply drifting.
The demo duly came on 12 minutes, marking one for every year Arsenal have been deprived of the
Premier League title. There were around 300 banners held, accompanied by a mix of booing, jeering and applause as Wenger stood pretending to watch the football, but looking a little sad and thin and brave. There were chants of “We love you Arsenal”, followed by “One Arsène Wenger”.
Welbeck came off the bench to replace Alex Iwobi in the 56th minute and needed only three minutes to score the lone goal, his fifth goal since is return n February
“When you are on the bench you want to come on and make an impact and I got the goal,” he said. “It was a difficult game, they were fighting to the end but we had to get the three points.”
The striker said he is still returning to full fitness following knee surgery in September and only returning to action in February.
