Premier League: Arsenal thrash Crystal Palace
Arsenal 5 - 0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal revived their pursuit of the Premier League title with an emphatic victory over struggling Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners' aspirations for the top spot had waned towards the close of the previous year, suffering three defeats in their last five Premier League fixtures. However, a rejuvenated Arsenal returned with newfound vigour under the guidance of Mikel Arteta.
Three points were sealed through a Gabriel header, an own goal from Dean Henderson, a composed finish by Leandro Trossard, and two late strikes from Gabriel Martinelli.
The first two goals originated from corner kicks, with Gabriel nodding in the opener in the 11th minute. Another set-piece led to the defender's header striking Crystal Palace goalkeeper Henderson, deflecting into the net. The visitors struggled to mount a response, and Arsenal extended their lead in the second half when Trossard calmly finished in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper.
With Palace already well-beaten, Martinelli added gloss to the victory with two injury-time goals, both elegantly placed into the far corner of the net. The win propelled The Gunners to third place and boosted their title hopes.
Gunners fans, mindful of their team's late-season stumble in the previous year, were undoubtedly nerous about the recent dip in form. They managed only one victory in their last five league games of the year, with defeats against Aston Villa, West Ham, and Fulham. Scoring goals regularly had been a major concern, with Arteta's side struggling to convert the chances they created.
Arteta, however, asserted that the winter break had revitalized his team, a sentiment validated by their commanding performance in this significant victory. Arsenal capitalized on set-piece opportunities, and Trossard's goal along with Martinelli's clinical late finishes demonstrated the attacking prowess that had been absent in recent matches.
Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024
Do things need to change at Palace?
Seeing this at FT yesterday truly did break my heart.
— Taylor (@cpfc_taylor17) January 21, 2024
Roy is a palace fan himself and has served the club well
His football and team selection may not be great, but he can only work with what he has
At the end of the day, Parish has set Roy up to fail.#CPFC pic.twitter.com/US7hoO7Qr2
While Crystal Palace faced a challenging task with several key players absent due to injury and international duty, manager Roy Hodgson would have been disappointed by their lack of attacking threat. Despite Hodgson urging his team to "ask questions" of Arsenal, their attempts were feeble, with most shots originating from a distance.
A rare positive for the visitors was the performance of Eberechi Eze, marking his 100th Premier League appearance for the Eagles. He was their standout player, creating their best chance with a free-kick that was tipped over by David Raya.
Palace's predicament in the table looks increasingly worrying, they have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games and currently standing 14th, five points above the relegation zone but with a game more played than 18th-placed Luton.
Gabriel is underappreciated! Watch the highlights of the match in the video below
@Chriss4123 commented on the highlights video of the match: " Gabriel has been so underappreciated this season. Saliba has overshadowed his presence, but their is so strong. Neither of them has been dribbled past in the league and neither have made an error leading to a goal.
"Gabriel is so good at attacking set-piece balls, and the goals lead to teams having to press higher up the pitch and under-commit to a low block which allows us to counterattack heavily as seen today. Truly an unsung hero. Great performance from the boys today, the goal drought is hopefully over. Let’s give it our all for the rest of the season."
