please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Saturday 20th January 2024 KO time: 12:30 GMT Overall Record Wins: 32 Losses: 6 Draws: 16 Last six meetings Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal Arsenal 4-1 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace 1-3 Arsenal please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Palace are bloody awful...lucky for them that Everton lost points and Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton are cack. Plus they played this week.
Gonna ban you if you carry on trying to jinx us Don't think I can't see through your pesky little games RCL!
Really not a fan of Trossard starting out wide. He's not a touchline winger to stretch teams, he needs to be played closer to goal to get the best out of him. Don't understand what else ESR has to do to get a start. I'm not saying we won't win the game (I still expect us to), but it's annoying we don't optimise our chances of winning by playing the best XI possible.
2-0 after 45 minutes and I have to say, although we are deservedly winning, I am still concerned about our inability to create clear chances from open play. Yet again, we are relying on in-swinging free kicks and corners, as opposed to patterns of play, one-touch football, combinations and movement. Having Havertz in midfield really hinders us in and out of possession. He just doesn't look for space to receive and turn with the ball, and is never anticipating the ball. Makes our dynamics look so clunky.
Ok that chance from Trossard was good football and intricate passing between Havertz, Odegaard, Jesus and Trossard, but that's the only real chance from open play we've had. We need to do that more. We're certainly playing well enough to be leading, but need to see improvement in how we use the ball.
Does Arteta really think Havertz is more useful than Smith-Rowe in a game like this? Yet again, looks like a game where he’ll get barely any minutes and Arteta will overlook him.
Right, Jesus is starting to piss me off. He's been offside 7 times already and it's ruining our attacking moves, it's not hard to watch the line.
3-0! Trossard! Lovely counter attacking move from the Palace corner, fast throw from Raya into Jesus who plays a perfect ball into Trossard, who sits Clyne down and buries it past Henderson emphatically. Good.
Jesus had another chance to play Trossard in to get a 4th and delayed the pass. I know he got an assist for the third goal, but he's been so wasteful and frustrating today.
And now, at the other end, he's given a stupid free-kick away on the edge of the box on Eze. Needless challenge.
4-0! Martinelli! Saka wins the ball back from Eze, who tried a lazy skill, and he feeds it into Nketiah who passes to Martinelli that makes it 4.
5-0! Martinelli with a brace! Lovely lofted ball from Jorginho who plays it in behind to Martinelli and it's a carbon copy of his first. A route.
FT. 5-0. As comfortable as we could have hoped for. The last two goals embellished the scoreline slightly, as we weren't at our scintillating best, but Palace were truly dreadful and this is just what the doctor ordered. So happy for Martinelli to get a brace; loved to see ESR get some minutes; both he and Nketiah looked sharp when they came on, Trossard took his goal well; Jorginho showed some excellent pass selections and shifted the tempo well; Saka was a bit quiet, however, he was industrious and was key in winning the ball high up the pitch to sustain pressure. Jesus got a nice assist and worked hard as always, but he needs to refine his decision-making in the final third. Back 4 weren't really troubled. Just hoping the Rice injury isn't too serious. Thankfully we have 9 days before our next game, but I hope he won't be out for long. We need him badly. Top win overall .
I did say they were ****e....a great team to play when you need a confidence boost....unless you're City
Even your jinxing powers couldn’t prevent Palace from being so **** In all seriousness, they were horrible and we weren’t even that great today, but we were good enough to be miles better than them - and that says a lot. Scoreline flatters us a smidge as I felt 3-0 was a more accurate scoreline, however, we’ve been starved of goals recently so I’m not complaining . I think Hodgson is gonna go now though. The confidence of the players are shot and they can’t even defend well anymore. They should have got rid of him last Summer and replaced him properly (like they originally planned). Keeping him on beyond last season was a grave mistake and Palace are paying for that decision now. Luckily, they’re not bad enough to go down, but there’s no prospects or long-term ambition with him in charge.
