Arsenal sneak late victory

Arsenal left it late to lift the air of
mutiny among the home support with
an unconvincing 1-0 victory over QPR.
Jack Wilshere's promising return from
17 months out looked likely to count
for little until Stephane Mbia's red card
invited a late assault which yielded
Mikel Arteta's bundled winner (84).
And after a week which brought back-
to-back defeats and a barracking for
Arsene Wenger and his board at the
club's AGM, Arteta's intervention
provided a desperately needed morale
boost.
It was also enough to keep QPR
bottom and without a win, denying
Mark Hughes' side a deserved point
which their discipline appeared certain
to bring until Mbia's rash kick at
Thomas Vermaelen left them a man
short.
In the chaotic climax that followed
Arsenal might have had a handful but
for Julio Cesar, while Esteban Granero
and Jamie Mackie both missed one-on-
one opportunities to rescue the draw.
When the dust settles Wenger will
reflect on an afternoon which did little
to support his theory that Arsenal can
challenge for the title, though there
was encouragement in the shape of
Wilshere's return.
The England midfielder had been
pencilled in for Tuesday's Capital One
Cup tie at Reading, and his inclusion
had a hint of expediency given
Wenger's pressing need for a
performance to silence the Emirates'
harsher regulars.
The 20-year-old did not disappoint his
manager, coming close to a first-half
opener with a drop of the shoulder
and low 20-yard shot, while Cesar was
equally edgy dealing with Olivier
Giroud's ambitious drive.
The goalkeeper was beaten altogether
by an Aaron Ramsey header, but the
midfielder's looping attempt from
Bacary Sagna's cross cannoned to
safety off the top of the crossbar.
Rangers slowly emerged as an
attacking force and, after weathering a
fraught second-half spell when Bobby
Zamora came close to an own goal
and Granero was fortunate to stay on,
only a linesman's offside flag denied
Junior Hoilett.
Wilshere succumbed to fatigue as
Wenger threw on Theo Walcott, and
the substitute's right-wing centre broke
for Santi Cazorla, who fired wastefully
high from the penalty spot.
That appeared that, but Mbia's
mindlessness beckoned Arsenal on
and when Cesar parried Giroud's
header Arteta - loitering in what looked
like an offside position - forced in the
rebound at the second time of asking.
Cazorla and Ramsey threatened to end
the argument but it was Rangers who
finished the stronger, Granero skewing
wide on the stretch and Mackie firing
too close to Vito Mannone.