Arsenal made it seven wins in a row with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium. It might not have been a goal fest, but it was another display of control, organisation and defensive maturity from Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Gunners dominated possession from the start, though Palace held them back, absorbing wave after wave of pressure. Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi dictated the tempo in midfield while Viktor Gyökeres kept the visitors’ defence busy with his movement and strength. Arsenal’s early dominance was rewarded midway through the first half when Bukayo Saka’s cross created chaos in the box and led to Eberechi Eze scoring the opener with a great volley.
Mosquera’s maturity shines through
Palace struggled to build any rhythm as Arsenal dictated possession, but there was concern before the interval when William Saliba appeared to pick up a knock. Arteta replaced him at half-time with Cristhian Mosquera, and the teenager rose to the occasion with a calm, confident performance beside Gabriel Magalhães.
The second half began at a blistering pace, Arsenal striking the bar and peppering the Palace goal before Arteta made attacking changes, bringing on Gabriel Martinelli for Saka on 65 minutes. Shortly after, Rice’s corner found Gabriel, whose header flashed wide before he crashed into the post.
Arsenal control the closing stages
Calafiori tested the Palace keeper soon after, but Arsenal’s control was briefly disrupted when Rice went down injured. He was replaced by Merino, with Hincapié also introduced for Calafiori. Arteta’s reshuffle restored order as the Gunners saw out the game professionally.
Palace rarely threatened, limited to hopeful breaks that were easily managed by Arsenal’s disciplined back line. Eberechi Eze made way late on for Myles Lewis-Skelly as Arteta gave another academy graduate valuable minutes.
Six minutes of added time were calmly navigated as Arsenal secured another clean sheet and another vital win in their title charge. It was controlled, composed, and exactly what champions do – find a way to win even when it’s tight.
Tell me, Gooners – was that the mark of champions, or should we have finished them off earlier?
Michelle M
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We didn’t play our best football, plus Palace is a tough squad no one wants to play.
We found a way to win 3 points, the mark of champions; find ways to turn draws into wins.
We have that aura currently, while Liverpool struggle to find balance, and City lack that intimidating presence they used to have.
We need to keep widening the gap while we are in ascendancy, we know how quickly things can turn.
6 points over City and 7 over Liverpool; we can stumble once and still be a game or more ahead of both.
We are getting into a point of control and building the cushion that will help with any mistakes. The next two weeks will be interesting with Pool and City playing each other. As long as we keep winning, an unassailable lead vould be built.
Could be built.
Well earned win
Crystal Palace are a very good side
I’m glad we got a clean sheet and happy Eze scored
Awesome that both Liverpool and City lost
We are looking good
Need to keep it up
COYG
1-0 to the Arsenal! Not a great performance but those precious 3 points are what matters at the end of the day. We all knew Palace was going to be a tough opponent.
Love Timber. Deffo my favourite.
Thought Eze played deeper and facing goal today, thanks to Management reading my advice on Just Arsenal blog – though I’m nearly too modest to point that out.
Thought Palace were brilliant first half in how tight their press was all over the pitch. Constantly tight on us drying up all space to play. However I thought at time that is energy sapping way to play, and so it might have proved.
I want to see Skelly start a match in midfield, preferably left 8 in place of Rice.
3 wins in a week … with two tough 1-0 wins against hard to beat teams Fulham and Palace who both scuppered us last year.!
The wins against Atleti showed when there is a team playing proper football against us we can score from open play…
These 1-0 wins are so important in title winning seasons and esp early in the campaign when everyone is still fresh.
By good fortune the injuries to Ode and Havertz have allowed others to have more game time so means we don’t have to rush them back like in the past
Couldn’t agree more
Now we have 4 games in 11 days coming before the next international break, no wonder players are going down with knocks and niggles. After the break we have major reinforcements coming in the form of Havertz, Odegaard, Madueke and Jesus also not far behind.
Good solid win ,not very exciting but….
3 points gained and with both city and Liverpool losing out it’s in our hands let’s hope we don’t choke again
I just read someone say play low block against arsenal and they score from set pieces, attack them and they score 4 the choice is your 😉😁
Good 3 points gained. Our direct rivals are dropping points.
Hopefully we don’t bottle it this season come the last 3 months of the season.
So far the defence is seeing us through. Hopefully the goals get to come and we score more.
The squad depth is important and I pray we don’t get too many injuries along the way.
Now let’s take it one game at a time.
Unto Brighton in the Caraboa Cup on Wednesday. Hopefully we get the win and progress to the next round.
Another 3 valuable points and thats great and today, the most important. The display wasn’t the best, we again failed to score in open play. Today like the 3 points, it wasn’t a problem but we need to score more goals from open play. I thought Zubi struggled and apart from the goal Eze did. Saka was poor and not one player really stood out. Our rivals are dropping points and we are picking up, when they do, that is at the moment THE most important thing.
@Reggie
I think Timber, Rice, Gabe, Calafiori and Trossard, in that order kept us ticking. Gyokeres put in a decent shift as well. Even though he still needs to up his hold up play game.
They did but not standout for me. Just solid.
Sometimes I watch Arsenal and want to urge them forward and roll my eyes when the sideways and backwards passing occurs. Yesterday was a very different game where Palace were aggressive throughout and made continuity difficult. They didn’t wait or hope for a mistake but constantly harried our players and it could have paid off but their finishing wasn’t up to scratch.
Sometimes a game is won ‘ugly’. I am grateful to go when I do and yesterday the crowd were absorbed. It was a battle so credit must be given to our opponents for making it such. Precious few people headed for the exit before full time. It was that sort of game and nobody was moaning around me.
Agree Sue. The big worry that could come back and haunt us is our slow controlled build up that is a little predictable and is a cause (one of) for our poor open play goals record in the prem. We HAVE TO start scoring and creating more that we currently do. Its not the players, its the way we play. At the moment, sitting pretty, it isn’t a problem. We WILL NOT win the league with dead ball goals. I don’t think😂😂
They are not dead ball goals.
How was Zubamendis great strike a dead ball or set piece goal or Eze’s? Both were defended or cleared from the set piece and it was the excellent technique and follow up by our team !!
A set piece is a free kick or corner that is headed in or tapped in …. dead ball is a free kick like Rice against Real Madrd
Lets stop moaming or complaining for the sake of it … we have 8 or 9 clean sheets from 12 games and best GD in PL …and most points ! What more do some fans want ?
And that’s with 4 key attackers out in Ode Havertz Madueke and Jesus !!
Facts not my opinion. We are 1st with set piece goals and 17th with open plsy goals. And its not moaning its a factual observation and there to be discussed with facts not fiction. Your version of set pieces, is not how it works. The facts and stats state otherwise.
Reggie
The next league fixture brings up the magic 10th when I suggested that we should reserve judgement on how the season is panning out. I’m looking forward to your comments and I’m looking forward to putting mine in the mix
A good result today, and another 3 points. But the team must start scoring more soon. As god as the defense is and has been. You can’t keep banking on them keeping clean sheets, that’s just not going to happen.
Please Arsenal, start winning more comfortably. I don’t know that my heart can take these close scores. Think of your fans health for goodness sake. 😂🤣👍
Derek, did you not think that Palace were very good at making the game uncomfortable for us? They were aggressive throughout. The ref kept his yellow card in his pocket and at times our players were surrounded. Sometimes games don’t pan out the way we want but considering the close contact utilised by Palace, a one nil win was a good result in the end.
Morning SueP,
Yes I did think that Palace were very good. And that the 1-0 win was very welcome. But we can’t keep relying on keeping clean sheets, that’s just not going to happen.
And it’s in those close games that we concede, will test as to whether we can score more than one goal.
I think some people are being blind sided by the fact we’re top and every thing is currently rosy in the garden.
We need to start creating more for Gyokeres, he works hard for the team. But he’s a striker, and like it or not he will be judged on the goals he scores, it’s just the way it is.
While it’s good that we’re going well, they still need to do better in certain areas. Set-piece goals alone will not win us the League.
Arsenal are top and many fans are happy about that. Most fans are not taking this for granted but some fans have been praising the performances and resilience of the team.
Arsenal are clearly not going to be reliant on set piece goals throughout the season but will try and get goals however they can.
CP have been one of the best organised and physical teams that Arsenal have faced. People really need to consider the opposition when making these assessments and judgements about Arsenal’s performances.
OOPS! I meant to say as good, not God. That’s for people who think we’ve made a new signing. 🤣😂