LONDON(AFP) – Mikel Arteta’s 84th-minute goal saw Arsenal beat bottom club Queens Park Rangers 1-0 in the Premier League on Saturday to snap a two-game losing streak and crown Jack Wilshere’s comeback with victory.
Beaten by Norwich City and Schalke in their last two outings, Arsene Wenger’s side looked destined for a third disappointing result in a row until Arteta finally found a way past QPR goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Victory lifted Arsenal to fourth place, although they trail leaders Chelsea by seven points and will fall 10 points off the pace if the Blues prevail against Manchester United on Sunday.
Arsenal welcomed back Wilshere — who missed the whole of last season through injury — and Bacary Sagna at the Emirates and despite controlling the game, they squandered a number of chances in the first half.
Julio Cesar saved twice from Olivier Giroud, while Aaron Ramsey found the top of the crossbar with a header and Wilshere stung the Brazilian goalkeeper’s palms from the edge of the box.
The QPR shot-stopper got down quickly to repel a Per Mertesacker header early in the second half, before Junior Hoilett had a lob correctly ruled out for offside at the other end.
Wilshere was substituted in the 67th minute and 10 minutes later Santi Cazorla spurned a glorious opportunity to put Arsenal ahead when he blazed over from 12 yards after the ball fell kindly for him.
QPR centre-back Stephane Mbia was sent off for lashing out at Thomas Vermaelen and Julio Cesar brilliantly saved Samba Diakite from scoring an own goal before Arteta tapped in from close range following a goal-mouth scramble.
QPR came close to equalising three times in injury time — Esteban Granero shooting wide, Jamie Mackie firing straight at Vito Mannone after an enterprising run, and Mannone touching a Granero free-kick around the post — but Arsenal survived.
“It was amazing to be back — words cannot describe it. I was just running around, smiling,” said Wilshere, who had been sidelined for 17 months.
“Last time I played it was with (Cesc) Fabregas and (Samir) Nasri — now it’s with Arteta and Cazorla, who are great players too. It’s like a new team and I’m like a new player.”
Like Arsenal, Manchester City also succumbed to a damaging Champions League loss in mid-week, going down 3-1 at Ajax, but they can close to within a point of Chelsea if they beat Swansea City in Saturday’s late kick-off.
Fulham climbed to sixth after sharing six goals with Reading in an extraordinary 3-3 draw at the Madejski Stadium.
After falling behind to a stunning long-range striker by Mikele Leigertwood, Fulham hit back through substitute Bryan Ruiz and then pulled ahead in the 77th minute when Chris Baird glanced home a header from Ruiz’s corner.
Gareth McCleary equalised for Reading in the 85th minute before Dimitar Berbatov restored Fulham’s lead three minutes later, only for Hal Robson-Kanu to snatch a share of the spoils for the hosts by bundling home from close range in the last minute.
Elsewhere, a superb volley by Ivan Ramis set Wigan Athletic on their way to a 2-1 win at home to West Ham United that lifted the Latics up to 15th, while Stoke City and Sunderland drew 0-0 at the Britannia Stadium.
Earlier, Norwich punished former coach Paul Lambert by holding Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw that left Villa one place above the relegation zone.
Christian Benteke, preferred to Darren Bent, put Villa ahead in the 27th minute but the hosts had Joe Bennett sent off for a second bookable offence early in the second half and Michael Turner equalised with 11 minutes to play.
Lambert, who made an acrimonious departure from Norwich in the summer, has overseen just one win in his first nine league games at the Villa Park helm.
