Arsenal secured a comfortable Premier League victory on Saturday night as they beat Crystal Palace 5-1 at Selhurst Park.
The Gunners only took six minutes to take the lead. Gabriel Jesus finished at the near post, and after Ismaila Sarr leveled for the Eagles five minutes later, the Brazil international responded with a spirited effort into the top corner to score his fifth goal in two games.
Arsenal found themselves under pressure when a hamstring injury forced Bukayo Saka in the 26th minute, but they eventually extended their lead thanks to some brilliant work from Gabriel Martinelli on the right wing he saw him find Jesus with a cross. His head came off the post and fell into the path of Kai Havertz who added the final touch.
The introduction of Declan Rice was key for manager Mikel Arteta as the England international registered an assist for Martinelli just two minutes after coming on, before sealing the result with a curled effort in the 84th minute.
Positive points
A convincing win for the Gunners is important to build momentum ahead of the busy festive period, and they looked impressive in several phases of their attacking play, with counter-attacks Crystal Palace struggling to deal with, as well just a few notable moments on the wings. .
Negatives
Arsenal now face an anxious wait to discover the extent of Saka’s hamstring injury, which could see him miss several matches.
Manager rating (1-10; 10 = best)
Mikel Arteta, 7 years old — Adapted well to the loss of their star man in Saka, while timing Rice’s introduction perfectly to dominate the second half.
Player Ratings
G.K. David Raya6 — Almost caught playing out from the back, with his pass entering the path of Palace midfielder Will Hughes who hit the ball wide. There was little he could do about the host’s equalizer which was aimed perfectly at him. Produced a significant shutdown of Jean-Philippe Matetaalthough it is unclear whether the offside flag could have been raised.
D.F. Myles Lewis-Skelly6 — Composed in possession and advanced at the right times to support attacks. Rarely threatened on his flank and excelled in duels. Replaced in the second half by Riccardo Calafiori.
D.F. Gabriel Magalhaes7 — A constant danger from set pieces and played excellent ball to Léandro Trossard before Arsenal’s fourth goal. Booked for a reckless challenge and pulled on Sarr’s jersey in the first half.
D.F. William Saliba5 — The France international wasn’t close enough to Sarr for Crystal Palace’s equalizer, leaving him too much space to turn and finish into the far corner. Another mistake almost allowed Mateta to score. Improved in the second half.
D.F. The wood jury7 — Rarely lets anything develop on his side and also impresses when progressing the ball forward. Elegant in possession as Arsenal were in control of the match, but were shown a yellow card in the 36th minute for wasting time following a throw-in.
M.F. Thomas Partey7 — Picked out Jesus when the ball came to him in the box to assist Arsenal’s second goal. Broken up the game with several interceptions and was always in the right areas to disrupt the game.
MF Martin Ødegaard, 7 — Completed 29 of 30 passes in the first half and progressed impressively through the channels, during a performance in which he displayed his passing range. Helped his team quickly transform defensive phases into offensive phases.
M.F. Kai Havertz7 — Clever positioning allowed Havertz to score Arsenal’s third goal with one of his easiest results of the season. I worked hard defensively to break down Palace’s counter-attacks.
FW Gabriel Martinelli7 — Impressed when switched to the right flank, and regularly beats his marker with agile movement. Involved in Arsenal’s third goal with a dangerous cross into the area. He capped his display with a goal to make it 4-1 and put the Gunners out of sight.
FW Gabriel Jesus9 — It took just six minutes for Jesus to get back on the scoresheet after scoring a hat-trick against Palace in the Carabao Cup in midweek. He scored his first Premier League goal in 23 matches with a finish at the near post. He then produced a fine strike to restore Arsenal’s lead with an effort into the top corner. Denied a hat trick by the post before Havertz tapped in and missed another chance in the second half moments before Martinelli scored.
FW Bukayo So, 7 — Involved in Arsenal’s opener with some positive work down the right flank before placing a dangerous ball into the box, but injured his hamstring after 25 minutes and was replaced by Trossard.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no ranking)
Léandro Trossard (From 26″), 7 — Extended the play with smart moves and linked up well with Martinelli.
Declan Rice (Havertz, 58″), 8 — Helped take control in midfield and played a part in Arsenal’s fourth goal, with an assist on his effort at goal being redirected past the goalkeeper by Martinelli. Adding the gift ribbon to the result with a sublime curling effort.
Riccardo Calafiori (Lewis-Skelly, 58″), 6 — Comfortable in duels and assured at left-back in his first match back from injury, but he could have suffered another after suffering a poorly timed challenge from Nathaniel Clyne despite playing for the remainder of the match.
Mikel Merinos (Wood, 86″), N/R — Things were simple as Arsenal enjoyed plenty of possession to finish the rest of the match.
Ethan Nwaneri (Jesus, 86″), N/R –Active for the final minutes of the match and left in space to help the Gunners stay compact, while also being a regular passing option for his team.
