Gabriel Jesus delivered another masterclass against Crystal Palace, leading Arsenal to a dominant 5-1 victory at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
After his midweek EFL Cup trey against the same opposition, Jesus went on to score again on his (second) League venture, assisted one goal and set the platform for a clinical Arsenal move.
With the result Arsenal went back into third position and are now three points behind the table leaders Liverpool and one below Chelsea but both have remaining games to play.
Nevertheless, success was tainted by an injury to Bukayo Saka who was injured in the first half with a suspected hamstring strain.
How the Match Unfolded
– Early Dominance: [Arsenal] went ahead early,
when Jesus converted from close range in the sixth minute after Tyrick Mitchell could not clear Saka’s cross.
– Palace Equalizer: Crystal Palace replied 5 minutes later with Ismaila Sarr who came forward to bend a glorious low shot into the bottom-right corner.
– Jesus Strikes Again: Arsenal have immediately restored the advantage after when Jesus struck accurately after a layoff by Thomas Partey’s during a corner.
– Third Goal: Before halftime, Jesus’s towering header hit the post, allowing Kai Havertz to tap in and make it 3-1.
– Defensive Resilience: Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made valuable saves, blocking Jean-Philippe Mateta and Sarr time and time again.
– Second-Half Goals: In the 60th minute, Gabriel Martinelli pounced on a rebound after Jesus’s missed chance to score Arsenal’s fourth.
Declan Rice closed the win in the 84th minute with a curling shot and celebrated the same way as basketball star Steph Curry.
Key Takeaways
Jesus Breaks His Drought
Jesus’s opening goal ended a 23-game Premier League scoring drought dating back to January. His playing, including a stunning second goal and an important assist, exemplified why Mikel Arteta held faith in the Brazilian.
David Raya’s Heroics
Although Arsenal were overpoweringly on top, Palace, especially Sarr, showed some opportunities. Raya’s quick reactions and positionalness helped Arsenal keep a grip during potentially decisive phases.
Saka Injury Concern
Saka’s injury will make Arteta uneasy, as the attacker has been critical to the attacking freedom in Arsenal. His conditioning will be an important discussion in the lead up to Arsenal’s busy festive run.
What’s Next for Arsenal?
Arsenal will meet Ipswich Town and Brentford both in their next matches and dreaming keeps the momentum going and seize any opportunity should their rivals to Liverpool and Chelsea falter.
Despite the fact that the Gunners are stabilizing,
the parting of Saka could challenge their depth and their ability to hold together through the season’s pivotal stretch.
For Palace, currently 15th in the table, a tough fight to climb out of the lower half of the league awaits.
