EPL: Iwobi, Lacazette inspire Arsenal to win at Huddersfield

First-half goals from Alex Iwobi and Alexandre Lacazatte secured a 2-1 win for Arsenal at struggling Huddersfield on Saturday, keeping the pressure on Chelsea and Manchester United in a three-way battle for a Champions League spot.

However, their Spanish manager Unai Emery still awaits his first away clean sheet of the campaign after Arsenal conceded a late consolation.

The Gunners moved to within a point of fourth-placed Manchester United, who beat Fulham 3-0 on Saturday, and level on points with fifth placed Chelsea, who are away at Manchester City on Sunday.

The opening goal owed much to good fortune, and bad goalkeeping, but was still just reward for an Arsenal side that had been steadily building pressure.

Three times, inside the space of as many minutes, the Gunners ripped through the left-hand side of Huddersfield’s defence, with a magnificent tackle by Terence Kongolo on Lacazatte denying what looked the best of those chances.

But on 15 minutes, Arsenal took a deserved lead from a free-kick taken quickly inside their own half.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan sent Sead Kolasinac away down Arsenal’s right and his hanging cross was met by Iwobi with a first-time volley which took a deflection off Kongolo but should have been kept out by Ben Hamer.

For a Huddersfield side without a win, and with just one draw, in their previous dozen league games, conceding so early might have been a springboard to disaster but their initial response was positive.

There was a strong penalty appeal from home supporters after a powerful shot from Jason Puncheon struck Laurent Koscielny, who clearly handled as the ball struck him although unintentionally, according to referee Jonathan Moss.