Report & Highlights: World-class strikes earn Palace point at Arsenal

Summary:

• Palace make four changes ahead of the weekend’s semi-final:
• 3 – GOAL: Arsenal take an early lead through Kiwior’s looping header.
• 8: Kamada’s shot deflects just wide; Nketiah heads subsequent also past the post.
• 14: Nketiah’s low pull-back ricochets to Devenny, who can’t control in front of goal.
• 23: Rice’s snap-shot whistles just wide as both sides threaten in opening quarter.
• 27- GOAL: Eze’s picture-perfect volley from a Wharton corner sees Palace equalise.
• 30: Nketiah’s close-range effort from Eze’s pull-back is somehow blocked over by Kiwior.
• 42 – GOAL: Trossard restores the hosts’ lead with a deflected effort.
• HT: Arsenal 2-1 Palace
• 48: Lacroix scrambles clear in front of goal as Arsenal probe for a third.
• 65: Devenny’s looping header is tipped over by Raya; Guéhi also denied from following corner.
• 67: Palace come again, and Muñoz’s header across goal somehow evades Guéhi and Sarr.
• 74: Arsenal have a goal disallowed as the ball crosses the line moments prior.
• 81: Henderson denies Saka at point-blank range, before Trossard heads wide.
• 83 – GOAL: Mateta chips Raya with a remarkable finish from 30 yards.
• 90-1: Sarr’s near-post finish is blocked as Palace end the game the stronger team.
• FT: Arsenal 2-2 Palace

The Eagles’ fourth Premier League match in the space of 11 days fell just three days prior to our FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa at Wembley this coming weekend, with manager Oliver Glasner making four changes to his starting XI.

Dropping out of the initial XI at the Emirates were Chris Richards (suspended), Will Hughes, Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta; and coming into the side were Jefferson Lerma, Justin Devenny, Daichi Kamada and Eddie Nketiah – the former Arsenal forward having scored upon his return to the Emirates in the Carabao Cup in December.

Palace were seeking to avenge a narrow defeat on that occasion – but got off to the worst possible start against a side who went into the game with an identical, league-leading number of goals scored from set-pieces excluding penalties (15).

That strength came to the fore inside three minutes as the hosts won a free-kick on the left touchline, Martin Ødegaard swung it in and Jakub Kiwior rose unchallenged – albeit quite far out – to loop a header over Dean Henderson and into the net.

That set the tone for an entertaining first-half in which Palace created plenty of clear openings, but struggled to apply a finishing touch.

Just five minutes later, after Marc Guéhi had retrieved a half-cleared Palace cross, the ball sat kindly for Daichi Kamada, whose quick shot took a deflection and bobbled just wide of the far post. When Adam Wharton’s corner came in, Nketiah beat the onrushing David Raya to the ball – but nodded wide under heavy pressure.

Five minutes later, another clear-cut chance, as Nketiah did well to bring down a diagonal ball and fire across goal; the Arsenal defence could only touch it into the path of Justin Devenny but, with the goal gaping, the slight deflection caught the Palace youngster off-guard, and it fell back to Raya.

Arsenal were threatening themselves, but only in flashes – Declan Rice attempting more than one shot from long range, with one particular outside-of-the-boot effort whistling just wide – but the South Londoners had the greater momentum.

Then, on 27 minutes, Palace deservedly drew level – on set-piece strikes, and goals within the game – with a simply stupendous effort from a Wharton corner kick.

From a corner on the right, the England duo combined, with Wharton spotting Eze unmarked at the edge of the box - and pinging a perfect pass onto his boot. Eze, watching it all the way, volleyed it down into the ground, and the ball bounced twice before kissing the inside of Raya’s post, and rolling over the line gloriously.

It was the least Palace deserved – and moments later, they should have taken the lead, Eze crossing for Nketiah who – with his back to goal – spun and shot, but at point-blank range, somehow saw Kiwior deflect the ball over the bar.

Palace deserved to go in level at half-time – but, as can so often be the case in the Premier League, were made to pay for profligacy.

Leandro Trossard was afforded too much room in the box and – via the aide of the slightest of deflections – found Henderson’s bottom-left corner just before the whistle.

When the two teams reemerged after half-time, it was Arsenal who started the brighter again, almost scoring from a corner after a goalmouth scramble – the danger shut down, decisively, by Maxence Lacroix inside the six-yard box.

Perhaps with the FA Cup semi-final in his thinking, Glasner began to ring the changes on the hour mark – Ismaïla Sarr and Will Hughes injecting new energy into the Eagles’ attack.

Sarr’s introduction proved the catalyst for a succession of Palace opportunities – his first cross found Devenny in space, and the youngster’s header looped high, forcing Raya to turn it over the bar.

From the subsequent corner, Guéhi won the near-post header and Raya reacted sharply to deny him.

Seconds later, Muñoz was found at the far stick by a deep cross, heading back across goal – and the ball somehow sailed beyond Raya, Guéhi and Sarr combined.

Having survived that onslaught, Arsenal themselves came close to putting the game to bed: Gabriel Martinelli had a goal disallowed after Timber allowed the ball to initially drift out of play – confirmed by a lengthy VAR review.

Moments later, Henderson was forced into a stunning point-blank save, diving back across goal to turn substitute Bukayo Saka’s close-range volley over the bar. From the corner, Trossard – with a free header – found the side-netting.

If a lack of cutting edge had been Palace’s foible in the first-half, Mateta – not long off the bench – provided it with the equaliser five minutes from time – and what an equaliser it was.

It might have stemmed from William Saliba’s error on the ball but, when the square pass found Mateta, 30 yards from goal, he still had to work wonders to roll his defender, turn and – without looking up – clip the most pinpoint of lobs round his marker, over Raya – and in via the underside of the bar.

Palace finished the stronger of the two sides and might even have won it when Mateta’s pull-back found Sarr inside the box – but his effort was blocked by a last-ditch challenge.

Nevertheless, finishing so strongly against a side still in the running for the Premier League title – albeit some distance behind Liverpool – will give Palace and Glasner plenty of encouragement

And if that doesn’t, the quality of Palace’s incredible goals most certainly will. Up next: a date with destiny at Wembley.

Arsenal: Raya (GK), Timber, Lewis-Skelly (Tierney, 86), Saliba, Kiwior, Partey, Rice, Odegaard (Nwaneri, 86), Sterling (Saka, 60), Martinelli, Trossard.

Subs: Neto (GK), Zinchenko, Gower, Henry-Francis, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Lerma, Lacroix, Guéhi, Muñoz, Wharton (Hughes, 63), Kamada, Mitchell, Devenny (Esse, 80), Eze (Sarr, 63), Nketiah (Mateta, 80).

Subs: Turner (GK), Ward, Clyne, Kporha, França.

As It Happened