Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video
For the sixth time in 2024, Arsenal scored 5 targets away from house, thumping Crystal Palace final evening. It was a sport I feel we deserved to win, however the scoreline doesn’t actually inform the complete story.
It started very nicely, with an early objective from Gabriel Jesus. A Bukayo Saka cross from the suitable got here to him on the again publish, Gabriel Magalhaes performed the a part of blocker, and his compatriot slotted house on the close to publish to place us 1-0 up within the sixth minute. However Palace have been inflicting us issues. Jean-Philippe Mateta gave William Saliba lots to consider, and never lengthy after a poor David Raya cross prompted us issues, the house aspect have been degree.
It was a properly labored objective, but it surely felt a bit too straightforward for Imsaila Sarr to run straight by way of our midfield, and I don’t suppose Saliba did sufficient defensively. The end was good, and the timing of it – simply 5 minutes after we’d gone forward – gave Palace encouragement. The quickfire nature of the opening phases was evident once we went forward once more within the fifteenth minute. Once more it was Jesus, a very glorious end after Thomas Partey laid the ball off well from a Gabriel Martinelli nook.
It’s superb what confidence can do for a participant. It’s not possible to say if with out the opposite targets he’d have taken that probability first time with such aplomb, but it surely actually felt just like the form of objective that an in-form participant scores. It’s maybe a bit too early to seek advice from Jesus’s final sport and a half as ‘kind’ per se, however compared to what we’ve seen from him of late, it was evening and day … and nice to see.
A mistake from Saliba handed Palace one other probability to equalise, however Mateta’s contact earlier than the shot wasn’t nice and Raya made a very good save. Then we misplaced Bukayo Saka to harm, he felt his hamstring and needed to come off, so regardless of the lead it felt precarious. We introduced Leandro Trossard on and switched Martinelli to the suitable the place I feel he had a very efficient sport. He was concerned within the third objective, offering a cross which Jesus headed onto the publish with the keeper rooted to the spot, however Kai Havertz was alert, and his good motion gave him the best tap-in he’ll get all season.
Palace continued to have possibilities. Simply earlier than the break Lerma headed straight at Raya once I suppose he ought to have examined the keeper much more than he did, and really early within the second half, Sarr’s header from shut vary was nicely saved by the Spaniard. Not lengthy after, a Mateta shot from distance compelled Raya into making a save once more, and never for the primary time this season he needed to make a double save as Sarr adopted up. Had a kind of gone in so quickly after half-time, I feel the power would have clearly been loads totally different round Selhurst Park.
Once more, we remained too open by way of the centre however Mikel Arteta rectified that with the introduction of Declan Rice for Havertz, whereas Riccardo Calafiori got here on for the spectacular once more Myles Lewis-Skelly. It made a distinction, and on the hour mark the sport was made protected when Martinelli poked house from shut vary for 4-1. The prospect got here after a improbable cross from Gabriel to Trossard made an opportunity for Jesus to attain what would have been his second hat-trick in per week, however Henderson saved along with his legs. Within the ensuing chaos, it was a Rice shot which Martinelli prodded house, and the midfielder acquired in on the goalscoring motion late on, ending very well after a Calafiori cross discovered him simply contained in the Palace field.
It wasn’t all plain crusing, as Raya’s significance demonstrated, but it surely was good to see Arsenal extra medical in entrance of objective. I additionally suppose it was a pleasant reminder that this staff can rating targets. Among the protection after Fulham and Everton was a bit overblown for me. Was it vastly irritating? In fact, and whereas all of us need a bit extra, there’s firepower within the staff – even with out Saka for many of it yesterday.
The sight of him leaving on crutches was not nice, let’s be trustworthy. It was an inauspicious method for his 250th Arsenal look to play out, however hopefully it’s simply an abundance of warning. It does look as if he’s going to overlook a couple of video games although, this was the identical hamstring he had an issue with earlier within the season, and given the schedule the timing is much from perfect. His harm was compounded by the lack of Raheem Sterling who picked up an issue in coaching this week, and if both or each are extra critical than we expect, it’ll most likely improve the stress – or the necessity – to be lively within the January market.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta was happy along with his staff’s work, however acknowledged the significance of his goalkeeper within the end result, saying:
We have been medical right now, as a result of in lots of issues we have been higher than the opposite sport, however that is soccer. We have been so medical right now, we have been so good at scoring other ways, in several phases like we need to do, and we didn’t concede extra as nicely as a result of David made two unimaginable saves.
I’m very joyful that we received, we would have liked that win, particularly after the 2 attracts however usually, trying on the 10 video games, no defeats within the final seven. We’ve received 5 and gotten two attracts, and we’ve deserved to win all of them so it’s good.
With a couple of days ‘off’ now, it was an necessary end result towards a staff which have been in respectable type of late. The truth that Jesus has 5 targets in per week is a growth not too many noticed coming, but it surely’s very welcome – particularly if we’ve acquired a pair extra accidents to cope with. For a ahead to undergo the form of barren spell he has endured, it should actually be a weight each time you step onto the pitch, so hopefully this week can spark him again into constant life. We’re going to want him.
What else? The ref apprehensive me a bit at occasions. When have you ever ever seen a goalkeeper get a warning for ‘time-wasting’ within the 18th minute earlier than? Maybe I’m scarred by different choices this season, but it surely felt like he was laying the groundwork for one more Arsenal purple card for one thing trivial. When he booked Timber for taking too lengthy over a throw-in (he was 100% influenced by the house followers there), I actually began to fret, however we didn’t give him one other probability to go to his pocket.
I additionally thought the late problem on Calafiori was a possible purple card, however as we all know PGMOL have determined violent conduct is just not one thing they concern themselves with once they can ship gamers off for tapping the ball a pair inches whereas some hoofer boots them from behind. There was one other surprising problem within the Brighton/West Ham sport yesterday that was solely a yellow, and I’m drained repeating myself on this – however when somebody will get badly damage, PGMOL received’t settle for any accountability for his or her half in making a tradition the place some gamers really feel emboldened to go in too laborious. Then they’ll use their friends within the media to gaslight us over minutiae no one cares about.
Anyway, I’ll get down off my soapbox now. Arsenal received and received nicely, and that provides us a pleasant few days earlier than we host Ipswich on the twenty seventh earlier than the insanity of the January schedule kicks in quickly after. For now although, we will chill out and benefit from the win.
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Pod needs to be out round midday. For now, have a very good one.
