Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal result: freewheeling Palace humble Gunners

Will Savage

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Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal result: freewheeling Palace humble Gunners image

Arsenal's Champions League hopes took a battering at Selhurst Park, as Crystal Palace had too much firepower for the Gunners. Two first half goals punished an uncharacteristically sloppy Arsenal, and the visitors found no way through as the home team defended their lead with confidence.

Arsenal looked tetchy right from kick off, with the usually reliable trio of Ramsdale, White, and Gabriel looking on completely different wavelengths. The absence of Tierney made matters worse, with Tavares among many Arsenal players who had a game to forget. The Gunner struggled with the ball and were forced into mistakes by an aggressive Palace press. The compact shape of the hosts meant that Arsenal couldn't get their attackers into the game, and they had to go long and lose the ball, or risk losing it to the press.

A poorly defended free kick saw Palace take the lead, and it was soon doubled by calamitous defending from Gabriel and Tavares to allow Ayew through on goal. Half time couldn't come soon enough Arteta's side. The second half some improvement. Tavares was replaced by Xhaka, which made Arsenal more stable on the ball, and Arsenal managed to attack with much more regularity.

Nketiah was soon on for Cedric, but despite the number of attackers Arsenal had on the pitch, the home team never seemed overly troubled. Smith-Rowe and Odegaard both had chances, while Nketiah hit the woodwork late. A Zaha penalty fifteen minutes from fulltime put a bow on the result. Arsenal might be able to write off the result as a bad day at the office, and will look to put things right against Brighton. However, more worrying than the result might be the absence of Tierney, the injury to Thomas Partey in the second half, and the continued absence of Takehiro Tomiyasu.

With three key players missing, top four will be a much harder ask for the North London side. For Vieira's side, it was a great result. With their home form not watching their impressive results on the road, many at Selhurst Park will have felt it was a long time coming, and there was a carnival atmosphere throughout the game as the London club moved up to ninth.

MORE: Will Arsenal finish in the top four?

Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal final score

  1H 2H Final
Palace  2 3 3
Arsenal 0 0 0

Goals:

PAL — Mateta (Andersen) — 16th min.

PAL — Ayew — 24th min.

PAL — Zaha — 74th min.

Final: Crystal Palace 3, Arsenal 0

Fulltime: That's your lot from Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace had too much for the visitors in the opening stages, and didn't give anything away in the second half as they saw out the win. Another impressive performance from Vieira's side.

91st min: Arsenal are just hoping for full time now. Palace are too, for different reasons.

84th min: Arsenal, to their credit, are still going. Eddie Nketiah tries a curling, dipping shot from outside the area that cannons off the angle of bar and post. The Gunners are probably unlucky to have not got a goal today, but their shakiness at the back means they have no one to blame but themselves.

80th min: Saka has a shot from a tight angle, that's pushed into danger from Guaita. Smith-Rowe blasts towards goal, but Guehi is on the line to clear. Milivojevic is on for Kouyaté.

78th min: With the game now beyond doubt, Selhurst Park is absolutely bouncing.

76th min: Partey is off for Sambi Lokongo. Ayew is off for Odsonne Edouard.

74th min: GOAL!

Thomas Partey has a problem, and he's pulled up. He can't run, and he can't compete with Zaha who gets away from him and the Arsenal defence is exposed. Up against three defenders he drives into the area and moves left before cutting back onto his right. There's contact from Odegaard and Zaha hits the deck. After thinking about for a while, Tierney points to the spot. Zaha makes no mistake, and that should be the game.

71st min: McArthur is on for Mateta. With twenty minutes to go, Arsenal are trying to build pressure, and the game is being played in Palace's half, but the hosts look largely untroubled.

68th min: Another chance, this time Arsenal's best. A wall pass from Smith-Rowe plays Nketiah into space on the left. He drills a low cross towards the penalty area, where Odegaard meets it, but he can't get it on target.

66th min: Martinelli is back on his feet. It looked like a knock of knees. Eddie Nketiah is on for Cedric Soares. It looks like a back three of Xhaka - Gabriel - White for Arsenal.

64th min: Arsenal fashion a chance after good work from Martinelli on the left. He finds Lacazette in the area. The Frenchman can't hold onto the ball, but it comes to Smith-Rowe, on the left of the six yard box. He tries to open his body up, but it comes at him too quickly and he can only find the 'keeper. Martinelli is down after evading a couple of challenges. He looks to be in some pain.

59th min: Bukayo Saka has been the brightest spark for Arsenal so far. Andersen took a free kick just outside the D, but Ramsdale held it comfortably.

52nd min: Arsenal want a penalty, Saka drives into the area, and is shoulder to shoulder with Kouyaté, who raises his arm as he duels with the Arsenal man. The referee isn't giving it, and there's not enough in it for VAR to overturn.

47th min: We're back underway. Arsenal have brought Tavares off for Cedric. Xhaka is in at left back and Martinelli has come on. Emile-Smith Rowe has moved inside. Already, Arsenal are seeing much more of the ball in Palace's half.

Halftime: The half ends with an Arsenal corner that sees Gabriel's header directed straight at Guaita, who holds comfortably. The whistle goes, and Mikel Arteta has his work cut out for him if his team are to salvage anything from this game.

45th min: Mateta, who was not named after the Arsenal manager, is down briefly, but he's back up on his feet. Arsenal still look less than comfortable, but they've been able to impose their tempo on the game a little more towards the end of the half, rather than playing at Palace's.

42nd min: Arsenal managed to get the ball forward and find Odegaard in a little space, but nothing came of it. Palace look to have slowed a little.

36th min: Palace are really making life uncomfortable for Arsenal here. The home side are forcing mistakes, and their shape is making it hard for Arsenal to play through the middle. Gallagher is all over Thomas Partey whenever Arsenal look to build. The visitors are being forced into long balls, but they haven't been able to pull them off.

29th min: It's been very comfortable for Palace so far. Arsenal manage their first shot of the game as they work it forced, a Saka cross is headed way over by Lacazette. The home side are in their groove.

24th min: GOAL!

Palace are two up. It's a throw in from the left, Palace work it back to the centre circle. From there it's on long ball from Andersen to Ayew, in from the right. Gabriel tries to cut it out, and misses. Tavares stops tracking his run halfway, and he's through on goal. Edge of the area, he curls low to Ramsdale's right. Palace could really punish the Gunners here.

22nd min: Arsenal have really struggled in this opening twenty minutes. The only players who have seen much of the ball are the defenders, and every touch at the back has been loose.

16th min: GOAL!

Palace are ahead! Gallagher swings in a cross, deep from the left, towards the far post. Andersen gets the better of Tavares in the air and it's back across goal. Mateta is free, six yards out, centre of the goal, and it's an easy finish for him to put Palace ahead.

14th min: Arsenal are seeing more of the ball here, but it's all with the defenders. Palace have a very compact shape, and Arsenal are struggling to find players between the lines.

11th min: Wilfried Zaha has been heavily involved so far. If that hamstring issue really was a major concern, he must have gotten over it quickly.

8th min: Palaca have continued their good start. A ball into the area is cleared by Saka, who stayed switched on and tracked his man. There are appeals for handball, but from the crowd rather than the Palace players.

4th min: It's a high tempo start. Palace have got forward a couple of times, down Arsenal's right, and it's a little nervy from Arsenal at the back, but they survive. A good passing move ends with Lacazette combining with Smith-Rowe, the Frenchman's pass just behind the England attacker as he got into the area.

1 minute to K/O: It's a cool night in southeast London by April standards, but the atmosphere is hot as the teams get ready for kick off.

7 minutes to K/O: The teams will be lining up for the game in a few minutes, the atmosphere is building nicely under the lights at Selhurst Park.

27 minutes to K/O: The Arsenal full backs will surely be an area that Vieira will tell his team to target. Arsenal have had a solid structure this season, but Cedric and Tavares could be in for a stern test in this game.

49 minutes to K/O: Kieran Tierney misses out with a knee problem. Arsenal will hope that doesn't keep him out for long. Nico Pepe also missed out, through illness.

56 minutes to K/O: The big news is that Zaha and Ramsdale return to their sides, while Kieran Tierney misses out for Arsenal.

59 minutes to K/O: The lineup for the hosts is out as well.

60 minutes to K/O: The team news is out for the visitors.

75 minutes to K/O: The weekend isn't over until the last game has been played, and this one is sure to be a cracker.

Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal lineups

Wilfried Zaha makes the starting eleven, a big boost for Palace as their star man returns from a hamstring injury. Michael Olise isn't available, while Joel Ward makes the squad after doubts over his involvement.

Crystal Palace starting lineup (4-3-3): Guaita (GK) — Mitchell, Guehi, Andersen, Clyne — Kouyaté, Schlupp, Gallagher — Ayew, Mateta, Zaha

Crystal Palace subs (12): Butland, Ward, Tomkins, Milivojevic, McArthur, Hughes, Eze, Edouard, Benteke

Aaron Ramsdale returns to the starting eleven following his hip injury, while Bukayo Saka is also back after testing positive for COVID-19 while away with England. First choice full backs Tomiyasu and Tierney both miss out, so Cedric and Nuno Tavares start. Smith-Rowe gets the nod over Martinelli.

Arsenal starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale (GK) — Tavares, White, Gabriel, Soares — Partey, Xhaka — Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe — Lacazette

Arsenal subs (12): Leno, Holding, Ogungbo, Swanson, Lokonga, Elneny, Martinelli, Flores, Nketiah

MORE: Premier League standings update

Will Savage