Crystal Palace lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal on Saturday night in a scoreline that flattered the visitors.
Mikel Arteta’s men took advantage of the chances that their guests missed. The two clubs traded three goals in the opening 15 minutes, with Gabriel Jesus grabbing a brace after his midweek hat-trick against the same rivalsbefore Kai Havertz fired the Gunners into a 3-1 half-time lead.
Palace continued to create and waste chances until Gabriel Martinelli’s 60th minute strike ended what had been an engaging contest. Declan Rice made it 5-1 in the closing stages to put Arsenal back in third place at the end of the game. Premier League table.
How the game developed
Arsenal had to wait until the 54th minute of Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium to find the net against Crystal Palace. Jesus fired the Gunners in front after six minutes at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Ismaila Sarr made a groove palace equalized in the 11th minute, capping off a flowing sequence of passes that began well inside the home half. The Senegal international was the only Palace player to find the net, but Oliver Glasner’s side outplayed Arsenal. The hosts, notably Jean-Philippe Mateta, showed none of the clinical edge Jesus had suddenly rediscovered.
Arsenal’s reinvigorated Brazilian had scored one Premier League goal all 2024, but got his second of the night in the first half. For the fifth time this week, Jesus beat Dean Henderson, curling a loose ball into the breakdown from a corner inside the near post.
Jesus had not completely dismissed his final problems. The number nine hit a post from a header on the cusp of the break which Kai Havertz I was ready to finish. When presented with an opening at point-blank range on the hour, Henderson beat Jesus only for another team-mate – this time Gabriel Martinelli – to collect the loose ball.
before arsenal Extending their lead in the second half, Palace had found time to waste two more chances, with Sarr unfazed by a pair of headers into the welcoming gloves of David Raya.
Rice added an undeserved layer of gloss to the scoreboard in the 85th minute, curling a composed effort into the far corner to seal a victory that keeps Arsenal within striking distance of Chelsea and Liverpool.
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Despite the convincing scoreline and narrow gap at the top of the Premier League, Saturday’s result was tinged with plenty of negativity. Most prominently, Bukayo Saka lasted only 25 minutes.
The 23-year-old has been Arsenal’s most prolific player and creator-in-chief. Saka did not make it to the half hour, but he still found time to place himself on the cross that led to the opening of Jesus.
While Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard had their moments in his absence at Selhurst Park, it will be a much tougher test for the failing wingers if they are tasked with leading a front line without Saka for a sustained period of time.
If only Jesus could play Crystal Palace every week. The Brazilian forward, a figure whose effort always exceeds his final product, has tallied five goals in two games against the Eagles. Over the past four days, Jesus has scored 20% of his career goals for Arsenal.
Roaming through the pockets of uncertainty between Palace’s back three, Jesus could have strengthened his personal trajectory at Selhurst Park. However, for once Arsenal’s number nine will be remembered for his goals rather than his glaring mistakes.
However, the weight of expectation will return as soon as you draw another blank. As Jesus noted before the game: “The pressure will always be there to score.”
“I’m sure both sides will change a few things,” Arteta warned ahead of Arsenal’s second clash with Palace in the space of four days. However, there were a few reasons running through both legs of this double header.
In other words, the annoyance caused by a simple mad forward in Mateta. The burly Frenchman dismissed Palace against the Emirates on Wednesday night after harassing Jakub Kiwior with the ball. Arteta could have put this lapse down to the absence of his first-choice centre-back duo, but William Saliba and Gabriel were caught off guard by a worryingly simplistic route.
However, it would be as unfair as the 5-1 scoreline to suggest that Palace were exclusively playing in the clouds.
Oliver Glasner should not be underestimated. The wily Europa League winner with Eintracht Frankfurt was It looks like four games away of losing his just two months ago. His Palace side have now opened up a four-point cushion above the relegation zone and, despite back-to-back defeats, gave plenty of encouraging signs against Arsenal.
In the cup defeat in midweek, Glasner had replicated Monaco’s defensive corner setup to limit Arsenal’s power at set pieces. Gabriel’s return undermined that approach on Saturday, but the Eagles managed to outplay Arsenal’s press for much of the 5-1 reverse.
Martin Odegaard, who struggled in a second consecutive league start, was constantly caught in two minds when he burst forward under pressure. The Norwegian captain led his side’s first wave of pressure but was repeatedly beaten by brave and intricate passing, giving the hosts chasms of space to push forward.
Rice starting the contest on the bench didn’t help Arsenal’s feeble attempts to break out of possession. Thomas Partey spent much of the game spinning in circles like a tattered old suitcase on an airport baggage carousel, constantly spinning out of reach of any red and blue shirt.
Rice concluded the contest with a powerful strike, but his most notable involvement came two minutes into his introduction in the second half. The all-action midfielder was first on hand to rebound Jesus’ saved effort before expertly slotting past Martinelli.
