Alexandre Lacazette winner sees Arsenal scrape by in five-goal thriller at Cardiff

Cardiff City 2-3 Arsenal: The Londoners were made to work by their Welsh hosts but a late goal from Lacazette secured all three points for Unai Emery's men

Alexandre Lacazette celebrates with his team mates after hitting the winning goal (Getty)

As Alexandre Lacazette celebrated his decisive late goal with a casual dance floor shimmy that was utterly at odds with this white-knuckle performance, Unai Emery could at least console himself with the thought that he has inadvertently made Arsenal the most exciting side to watch in the Premier League.

After those two entertaining top-six clashes with Manchester City and Chelsea, not to mention last weekend’s streaky win over West Ham, Arsenal were again put through the wringer in this unexpectedly end-to-end clash against an obstinate Cardiff. Twice Neil Warnock’s side battled back from a goal down after falling behind to Shkodran Mustafi’s first-half header, twice Arsenal restored their advantage, first through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before the excellent Lacazette’s winner.

Forget that Cardiff are a newly-promoted team still waiting for their first win of the season, or that they had gone three games without scoring prior to coming up against Arsenal’s appalling backline. They went at Arsenal from the first whistle and so this was an important moral victory for Emery, especially when you consider that the club had lost lost eight of their last nine away league games.

“The reaction was very important,” a knackered looking Emery said after the match. “The most important thing for us was to stay calm. And we know that we need to continue improving in the defensive moment and not concede so many big chances to the opposition.”

Mustafi put the visitors ahead after 11 minutes (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Ah yes, the defence. And while there were a number of positives Emery can take from this win — particularly the goal-scoring performances of both Lacazette and Aubameyang, and their promising partnership — this was ultimately yet another sober reminder that he has inherited a horrifically lopsided team from Arsène Wenger. Arsenal look lively on the front foot, but they remain a complete mess at the back, as both Víctor Camarasa and Danny Ward’s goals testified.

Neil Warnock admitted afterwards that it had always been Cardiff’s intention to get after Arsenal. “It was old-fashioned stuff today, we tried to give the crowd something to cheer about and earlier this week we tried to come up with a formula that enabled us to have a go,” he smiled in spite of the result. “I think people would have expected us to park the bus but we had some great chances and I can’t remember how many times I had my head in my hands.”

So it was all rather ironic that Arsenal’s opening goal came from a defender, and a corner that was unnecessarily conceded by Cardiff, after Hector Bellerin’s cross-cum-shot was allowed to ricochet around the penalty box. Eventually Neil Etheridge pawed it around the post, but he could do nothing about Mustafi’s bullet header moments later, beautifully angled into the top corner of the net.

It was a superb finish, which Mustafi decided to commemorate with the same double-handed eagle symbol that Granit Xhaka celebrated with during Switzerland’s win over Serbia at this summer’s World Cup. Xhaka was duly fined by Fifa. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the FA hit his team-mate with a similar punishment.

Camarasa equalised for Cardiff moments before the half-time whistle (Getty Images)

But that was about as good as it got for Arsenal’s eye-wateringly shoddy backline. Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos continue to lumber around with little thought for each other’s position, Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal both struggled against Cardiff’s physical heft out wide and both Xhaka and Mattéo Guendouzi are too expansive to be relied upon to provide adequate defensive cover.

And then there’s poor old Petr Cech, who has this season developed the quite alarming habit of metamorphosing into Bambi in a scum cap whenever he finds himself forced to trap yet another back pass. It happened at the start of the first-half, only for a slipping Harry Arter to blaze his shot over. And it happened at the start of the second, with Junior Hoilett running onto the ball and ballooning one wide.

Emery’s take on it all? “It’s very important to me that he continues to do this and continues improving, if you play long balls every time you lose your personality.”

It was another nervy afternoon of football for Cech (REUTERS)

The full cocktail of defensive cock-ups was on show for Cardiff’s first equaliser — also their first goal of the season. Xhaka’s half-arsed lump across the pitch was quickly intercepted, with Joe Bennett released into space behind Bellerin on the right. Monreal failed to beat Camarasa at the back stick, who turned and lashed the ball beyond Cech on the stroke of half-time.

There were also serious defensive question marks hanging over Ward’s goal, Cardiff’s second equaliser which came after Aubameyang had briefly restored Arsenal’s lead. Make no mistake about it, Ward’s header was brilliant, with the striker craning his neck back to powerfully head beyond Cech from the penalty spot. But why was he afforded so much space in the heart of Arsenal’s box? And how was Sean Morrison able to so easily win the initial free-kick into the area?

Fortunately for Emery, two superb finishes from his revitalised strikers were enough to keep Arsenal’s noses in front until Anthony Taylor mercifully blew for full-time. Aubameyang’s was the pick of the bunch, a fine curled finish from outside the box after he had raced onto Lacazette’s sumptuous outside-of-the-boot flick into space.

But Lacazette’s goal was the vital one — not to mention a deserved reward for his ebullient performance. Cardiff’s tiring bodies failed to track Mesut Ozil, who spotted the Frenchman’s run and languidly rolled the ball into the box. Lacazette was given too much space, receiving the ball, turning, and firing past the helpless Etheridge from point-blank range.

Cue the dance moves. Cue Emery exhaling deeply over on the touchline. Arsenal stumble on.