Arsenal vs Crystal Palace LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Gunners net five at Emirates Stadium
Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace: Gabriel, Trossard and Martinelli all scored as the Gunners ran rampant
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Arsenal earned themselves a much needed win with a 5-0 hammering of Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in Saturday’s early Premier League kick off.
From the start the Gunners looked to take control but seemed nervous and tentative after their recent troubles in front of goal. The breakthrough came from a set piece, Gabriel rising highest at the back post to nod Arsenal ahead. The second goal came in a similar fashion. Bukayo Saka swung in another corner, Gabriel won the header but this time sent the ball into Dean Henderson for an own goal.
The Gunners went into the break two goals to the good and grew in confidence. Leandro Trossard ended his goal drought with a fine finish to complete a counter attack before Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score two goals late in stoppage time to put the icing on the cake.
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Arsenal show poor form was little more than a blip, while pressure mounts on Roy Hodgson
Arsenal eased all the noise while increasing that around Roy Hodgson.
This had looked like it was going to be a nice little story of Mikel Arteta’s side managing to get going again, through a look backwards. With former manager George Graham watching on, Arsenal twice scored through the set-piece route that won the Scot two league titles at this club. That instead served to finally release Arteta’s side after a month of relative malaise, and this 2-0 into a 5-0 and a much grimmer tale for Hodgson. He is surely on the brink, as Palace now look at real risk of falling into a relegation battle.
Their typically loud fans made it very clear they have far bigger concerns, holding up banners stating “wasted potential on and off the pitch, weak decisions taking us backwards”. It comes amid stories of increasing tension in the hierarchy and a report by the Independent that John Textor is about to begin the process of selling his shares.
Arsenal show poor form was a blip, while pressure mounts on Roy Hodgson
Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace: The Gunners returned emphatically to winning ways and played with freedom
Mikel Arteta speaking to TNT Sports:
“The positivity we had right from the beginning. I had a really good feeling in the last 10 days about the team and how they reacted. They are great players, we have a great team and today they really wanted it. I could feel that. It was a win with a clean sheet and we scored five goals which we really needed.
“We opened the game up the way we did [with the early goal] which is really helpful as it means the opponent has to be more aggressive which allows more spaces. We exploited that really well.
“We work on everything and we want to dominate every phase of play. We want to be the best team in the world so you have to be the best in everything. We can still do better so we will continue to work on everything that can make us better.”
Bukayo Saka speaking to TNT Sports:
“Most games it feels like we’re going up against a low block. The Premier League is a really physical league. It’s about me studying it, trying to find a solution - whether that’s dribbling, finding space or passing it.
“It hasn’t been easy but I’m still trying and we’re still doing well as a team.
“We do a lot of work on set-pieces. It’s the worst! Our set-piece coach tries to make it fun. We’re doing well and what he’s doing is working.
“We went out of the FA Cup mostly on a set-piece so we wanted to put it right today and get a clean sheet. We scored two so we’re happy.
“Everyone knows we lost the last three games so this one was important for us and the fans to build some momentum. When you look at the league table, you want to be first. You don’t want to be third, fourth of fifth. That’s my feeling personally.”
Post match reaction from Mikel Arteta
The Arsenal boss told Match of the Day: “Very pleased, clean sheet and five goals, win the game and performance.
“I had a really good feeling after we left the stadium after Liverpool, the performance was there but the results were not.
“Today we were much more efficient in the opponents’ box particularly than the last few games. Last few games we had moments playing better than today but this is about scoring goals.
“Set pieces are a big part of us, especially against teams that want to defend deeply. It is a good way to win games. The success of last season was the amount of players who scored more than 10 goals and we are going to have to do that again.
“We used moments of the game we knew could exploit really, really well. The subs did really well and had a big impact. Everyone was really focused.
“This is the second part of the season we want to tackle it with a lot of aggression and motivation.
“I would like to play three days after but it is what it is! We will keep preparing and we must continue to do better and improve as a team.”
FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace have won just one of their last 18 away London derbies in the Premier League and are winless in nine (D4 L5).
FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
Roy Hodgson has failed to win any of his six Premier League encounters with Mikel Arteta (two draws, four defeats).
FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
Since the start of 2020-21, Gabriel has scored 12 Premier League goals for Arsenal, at least three more than any other defender during this period.
FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
More from Gabriel Martinelli who says: “It was so important. We know our qualities. It doesn’t matter what people say on the outside, we believe in ourselves. We showed that today and what we can do.
“We knew we needed a game like that where we had a clean sheet and scored five games.
“We will try our best and keep going like that because we know our expectation.”
FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
Today’s win was Arsenal’s joint-biggest margin of victory in a Premier League London derby, alongside their 5-0 win against Wimbledon back in April 1998.
FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal have scored more goals from corners than any other team in the Premier League this season (9), while their 10 headed goals are also the most of any side.
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