No News Here: 10 Gunners Better than 11 Rangers

Arsenal were given a unique challenge for all three points by bottom tablers QPR, but they were up to it, as the Gunners' 2-1 result confirmed.

It's been a slow start by Arsène Wenger and his crew. The only stalwart carrying the winning torch for them is Alexis Sánchez, the new signing. He was the difference between the Arsenal win and QPR salvaging something from the match.

For a while, it seemed like a missed penalty would serve as a premonition that it might be QPR's day:

But Sánchez registered his name in the ledger later on to hand Arsenal the lead:

Frenchman Oliver Giroud, who might have been inspired by his country's legendary Zinedine Zidane, tried a Liverpool kiss of his own.

First the master, allegedly defending the honor of his family's women folk:

And then the grasshopper, not really worried at all about honor:

Similar, right?

And faced with a similar result, a red and a mountain to climb for the Gunners.

However, 10-man Arsenal managed to nail another one, with QPR's back four taking pains to put themselves in good position to view every aspect of Tomas Rosicky's one-man build-up and goal:

Charlie Austin, QPR’s main man, converted a penalty to make it 2-1.

A real thumping effort. One of those woulda come in handy against Palace yesterday.

Arsenal were fortunate not to have walked away with a draw. But it’s the win that matters, not how.