Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace: Gabriel inspires Gunners to rediscover winning touch
Arsenal returned to successful ways in the Premier League with a resounding 5-0 win over Crystal Palace at home this afternoon.
Mikel Arteta’s title challengers were under considerable pressure having come into today’s game on the back of one win across their last seven played in all competitions.
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The once serene Gunners had lost three straight — including back-to-back London derbies in England’s top division — before heading off to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp.
A real concern had been Arsenal’s finishing. In those losses above, they had no fewer than 61 shots on goal, producing one goal. Consequently, they were eliminated from the FA Cup while finding themselves five points behind Liverpool through 20 matches.
If anything, today was more about ending the malaise and three-game Premier League winless run. Gabriel understood the assignment handing the hosts a perfect start by getting himself involved as they raced into a 2-0 half-time lead.
In two set plays coming in the 11th and 37th minute, he first powered home Declan Rice’s corner before forcing Dean Henderson into putting the ball into his net.
Since the start of 2020/21, he’s netted 12 goals in the English top flight – the most of any defender with seven of those scored via headers.
Palace was seemingly warned as no Premier League team has scored more goals from corners than Arteta’s side this season (it now stands at 10) much to Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover’s delight.
A big goal from big Gabi 🫶 pic.twitter.com/67o5E16IMV
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 20, 2024
Arteta, who saw first-hand how the Swede improved Manchester City from dead-ball situations both defensively and offensively, described Jover as “someone whose expertise can be incredibly useful and valuable for us” following his appointment.
“It’s a crucial part of the game nowadays,” the Spaniard added. “It’s something you have to dominate and master and we are in that process.”
Tails up, further misery was poured when Leandro Trossard made it 3-0, his effort was the result of a swift counter-attack. In 10 seconds David Raya’s clearance found Gabriel Jesus who then put it on a plate for the Belgian forward.
Trossard has now been directly involved in 11 goals across 14 starts at the Emirates, scoring four goals and providing seven assists. Incredibly this was the first time last season’s runners-up had been ahead by three or more goals in the Premier League since October 28th, in their 5-0 win over Sheffield United.
Gabriel Martinelli, off the bench, in stoppage time added the fourth and 101 seconds later the fifth. Palace’s capitulation led to post-match scenes of supporters turning on club co-owner and chairman Steve Parish.
With former Swansea, Brighton and Chelsea head coach Graham Potter watching from the stands Roy Hodgson’s second spell as Palace boss could be drawing to an end. Even with the in-form Michael Olise, who missed today’s game, it’s now one win across ten Premier League outings (including six losses).
Roy Hodgson's first match in management came in 1976, six years before Mikel Arteta was born 🤯
Even his first match in English football was 79 days before the Arsenal manager's birth! pic.twitter.com/cmYQBvZxg7
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 20, 2024
A much-needed win for Arsenal quiets the noise but this being a results-oriented business it will ratchet up the next time Arsenal are on the wrong end of a loss or draw which in this season’s title race feels like one.
