Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace: Eberechi Eze scores his first Premier League goal for the Gunners against his former club as Mikel Arteta’s side dominate the title race.
Arsenal had an easy win against Crystal Palace, leaving them four points clear at the top of the Premier League. After Eberechi Eze scored the only goal of the match against his former club, the Gunners held off their opponents and secured a victory.
The home side didn’t get their first shot until the 33rd minute, but Eze took the lead six minutes later with a deflected ball from a free kick. Gabriel Magalhães hit the bar with a header and Dean Henderson made a great reaction save to deny Declan Rice.
There was little to get excited about from there, with Arsenal simply getting the job done professionally, if not excitingly. Mikel Arteta is not going to care what the result is. The losses to Liverpool and Manchester City mean they now sit six points behind City and seven points behind leaders Arne Slott’s side.
The only downside for Arsenal was injuries to William Saliba and Rice, both of whom were forced off. Here are the talking points from Emirates Stadium:
read more: BREAKING: Declan Rice’s injury leaves Arsenal’s worrying star teetering on the sidelinesread more: Breaking news: Arsenal’s William Saliba sent off early, injury concerns raised against Crystal Palace
1. Set pieces to rescue
Most of the first half was deadly boring. Arsenal dominated the ball but could do nothing. Palace threatened to come from behind on several occasions. That was it. The Gunners then did what they normally do, with Yeremy Pino giving away an unnecessary free-kick for a foul on Bukayo Saka.
Rice sent in a dangerous curling ball, Gabriel headed it in and Eze buried the knockdown. Arsenal have scored 11 goals from set pieces this season and their opponents just don’t seem to know how to stop them. Most of the time there is nothing special, just a well sent ball and a big player attacking it.
2. Eze haunts the palace
With Halloween approaching, puns are forgiven. Eze has shown flashes of brilliance on numerous occasions since Arsenal beat out Tottenham for the England playmaker’s £67.5 million bid, but this was his first Premier League goal for the club, along with three assists in all competitions.
His bouncy ball-striking style was unconventional and effective, beating former teammate Adam Wharton and controlling his finish over Henderson. His celebration wasn’t the typical apologetic one you’d expect, but he continued to pay tribute to the club he represented for five years.
3. Palace Blunt
Palace endured a very frustrating game on Thursday night as they were thrashed out by Larnaca in the Conference League. The circumstances were different, but the end result was the same. There was some early encouragement as Jean-Philippe Mateta looked better than William Saliba, but once Arsenal grew into their game they never really threatened.
Eddie Nketiah was called up from the bench but was unable to replicate Eze’s scoring skills against his former club and there was little to get excited about for the traveling fans. Mateta scored a hat-trick in last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Bournemouth but was unable to score against one of the best defenses in football.
4.Clean sheet is standard
It may not be pretty, but Arsenal’s success is built on defence. David Raya has kept six clean sheets in nine Premier League games this season, so the chance to play against him will be valuable. Gone are the expansive full-backs, with Julian Timber and Riccardo Calafioli coming from completely different defensive schools.
It’s working. Arsenal have conceded just three goals in 13 games this season, the lowest of any of Europe’s top five leagues. Gabriel and Saliba have been the best centre-back pairing in the league in recent years and the structure Arteta and his coach have instilled deserves praise.
5. Favorite fixed title
This was an important weekend for Arsenal. Arsenal are now undoubtedly the favorites to win the league for the first time since the 2003/04 season. Liverpool’s gears have gone out of whack after losing 3-2 to Brentford, their fourth consecutive league defeat, but Arsenal are showing great confidence and self-belief.
Aston Villa’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City marked a surprising turn in the Premier League table, with Bournemouth and Sunderland now the closest challengers to Arteta’s side. Arsenal have the most depth in the league, with solid defense and a reliable flow of goals from set-pieces. This year has to be their year.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£49
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
