Report & Highlights: Palace slip to narrow defeat at league leaders Arsenal

Summary:

• Three changes from midweek, with Richards, Wharton and Kamada returning.
• 10: Palace start brightly at the Emirates, with Muñoz involved in promising early moves.
• 22: Sarr seizes onto a loose pass from Zubimendi, but his effort is blocked by Gabriel.
• 24: Muñoz’s effort across goal is beaten away by Raya, before the flag goes up.
• 33: Henderson plunges low to his right to save from Trossard.
• 39 – Goal: Eze gives Arsenal the lead with a ruthless scissor kick following a set-piece.
• HT: Arsenal 1-0 Palace
• 51: Gabriel, Rice, Trossard & Saka all go close in quick succession, the former hitting the bar.
• 57: Trossard is played through, dinking past Henderson – but Guéhi sweeps up.
• 69: Gabriel’s header from a corner drifts wide.
• 70: Nketiah challenges Raya from Muñoz’s clipped cross – inches in it.
• 79: Nketiah drives past Mosquera but Mateta’s near-post flick is blocked behind.
• 85: Palace mount a late aerial siege through Richards’ long throws, but Arsenal hold out.
• FT: Arsenal 1-0 Palace

With Palace competing on four fronts this season, the big matches are in full flow – and a trip to the Emirates Stadium to face a Premier League table-topping Arsenal side seeking a seventh straight win on the bounce certainly ranked highly amongst the Eagles’ tests of late.

There were three changes for Oliver Glasner’s side from the team which fell to defeat in the UEFA Conference League in midweek, with Chris Richards, Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada all back in the starting XI – a reversion to the side which drew against Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.

There were plenty of eyes on the opposition teamsheet as well, with Eze making his first start for Arsenal against Palace since his record-breaking transfer in the summer.

But despite the difference in two days’ preparation time, it was Palace who began a tight first-half the brighter of the two attacking outfits, with the ever-tenacious Daniel Muñoz particularly heavily involved down the right flank.

The Eagles’ high press putting the usually-assured hosts under some significant pressure inside the final third, as Muñoz’s 10th-minute pull-back forced William Saliba to make a last-ditch intervention on the slide.

It was a half of few chances but one which suited Palace’s gameplan, with Ismaïla Sarr – also lively on the right – seizing on a loose square ball from Martin Zubimendi. As he drove into the box, he unleashed a shot across goal with his laces; the strike was blocked on the slide by Gabriel.

Two minutes later, another physical contest saw Palace come out on top, Jean-Philippe Mateta holding off Saliba and slipping in Muñoz down the right-hand channel. There wasn’t much of the goal to aim for, but the Colombian still managed to test David Raya’s reflexes with a drive across goal – the ‘keeper beat the effort away before the offside flag was raised.

As the half wore on, as you might expect, Arsenal’s pressure grew, with their first shot on target arriving in the 33rd minute – a simple enough save for Dean Henderson getting down low to his right to comfortably deny Leandro Trossard.

But in the 39th minute, there was a moment with a seemingly inevitable feel about it. After Palace conceded a cheap free-kick in a deep position, Declan Rice whipped it in, Gabriel’s header took a deflection back towards the penalty spot, and Eze – seizing onto it – jumped high to unleash a scissor kick into the top corner, leaving Henderson with no chance.

The former Palace man was muted in his celebration, respectful of his former club – a moment of brilliance with an all-too-familiar feel to it from a Palace point-of-view.

The goal gave the half-time scoreline a harsh glint in light of the Eagles’ otherwise decent performance – but in the second-half, Arsenal came out quickly and looked to seize control of the contest.

A flurry of chances arrived for the hosts just after half-time – typically, from a short corner, as Rice exchanged passes with Eze and clipped in a cross which Gabriel headed against the crossbar.

The ball bounced back out to Rice, who took a touch and fired goalwards – straight at Henderson – before Trossard had a follow-up on the volley, blocked by the charging Adam Wharton. When it eventually fell to Bukayo Saka on the edge of the box, he bent a soaring effort just wide of the top corner – Palace’s goalmouth living a charmed life.

The Eagles fought on but Arsenal’s pressure soon became sustained, and Trossard beat Henderson with a dinked finish from a tight angle – only for Marc Guéhi to be in the right place at the right time to sweep up the danger.

Eddie Nketiah was soon introduced from the bench for Palace to take on his former club, but the chances kept going the hosts’ way, with Gabriel somehow conspiring to crash a header – again from a corner-kick routine – wide from inches out.

Yet Palace remained in the contest, and we showed a glimpse of their potent attacking threat on 70 minutes as Mateta released Muñoz on the overlap and his hanging cross saw Nketiah challenge Raya; under that pressure, the Spaniard needed two bites at the cherry to claim.

This Palace team are always challengers, right until the last kick, and so the case proved as the match entered its last 10 minutes: Nketiah produced a lovely moment of skill from Sarr to skin Cristian Mosquera on the outside and pull the ball back low across the box, but Mateta’s effort was charged down by the excellent Gabriel.

From the corner, Will Hughes’ deep delivery found Guéhi backpedalling to meet it – from distance, and needing to generate both power and direction, his header drifted over the bar.

Palace once more battled hard until the final whistle, mounting a late aerial siege on the Arsenal goalmouth – but the league leaders, so difficult to score against this season, held firm to take all three points.

Arsenal: Raya (GK), Timber, Saliba (Mosquera, HT), Gabriel, Calafiori (Hincapie, 81), Zubimendi, Rice (Merino, 81), Eze (Lewis-Skelly, 88), Saka (Martinelli, 66), Trossard, Gyokeres.

Subs: Arrizabalaga (GK), White, Norgaard, Nwaneri.**

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi, Muñoz (Uche, 90+1), Kamada (Hughes, 74), Wharton (Lerma, 90+1), Mitchell (Sosa, 90+1), Sarr, Pino (Nketiah, 59), Mateta.

Subs: Benítez (GK), Clyne, Canvot, Devenny.

As It Happened