Report: Palace beaten by Arsenal

Summary:

• Three changes for Palace from midweek Cup tie between two the two teams: Richards, Clyne and Kamada introduced.
• 6 – GOAL: Jesus slams Arsenal into early lead after Palace fail to clear their lines.
• 10: Lacroix heads over and Hughes pokes narrowly wide as Eagles respond instantly.
• 11 – GOAL: Sarr bends Palace level with delightful low finish.
• 14 – GOAL: Jesus picks out the top corner to restore Arsenal’s lead.
• 21: Sarr plays in Mateta, but Raya gets down to deny the forward one-on-one.
• 37: Gabriel heads against the crossbar.
• 38 – GOAL: Jesus heads against the post and Havertz converts the rebound.
• 45+3: Henderson gets down low to deny Martinelli before Lerma heads at Raya.
• HT: Palace 1-3 Arsenal
• 46: Sarr’s diving header kept out by Raya.
• 52: Arsenal ‘keeper then denies Mateta and Sarr in quick succession.
• 60 – GOAL: Martinelli stabs home after Henderson denies Jesus.
• 84 – GOAL: Rice finds the bottom corner for Arsenal’s fifth.
• 90: Visitors run down the clock to secure the three points.
• FT: Palace 1-5 Arsenal

With the two teams having shared five goals in an enthralling Carabao Cup tie just three days prior, an entertaining match was always on the cards in South London.

Palace brought Chris Richards, Nathaniel Clyne and Daichi Kamada into their starting XI from that game – but unfortunately, it took the Eagles’ midweek tormentor, one of only four Arsenal players to retain their place, just six minutes to give them the lead.

A ball in from the right by Bukayo Saka was fortuitously deflected by Gabriel into the path of his namesake forward Jesus – scorer of all three of Arsenal’s goals in North London – and the Brazilian side-footed home with ease.

But as they did so earlier in the week, Palace mounted a fierce response. Within minutes, Will Hughes’ deep free-kick moments had found Maxence Lacroix near the penalty spot. Under pressure, the Frenchman headed over.

From the resulting goal kick, Arsenal looked to play out from the back and Hughes – pressing high – slid in to take the ball off Thomas Partey inside the box. He won it – and in doing so, poked narrowly wide.

And seconds later, Palace’s tidal wave of pressure paid off, a ball from the back from Marc Guéhi played square by Tyrick Mitchell.

The two quick passes gave Ismaïla Sarr space to run into, but he still had plenty of work to do from the corner of the penalty box, bending a beautiful low finish round Gabriel and into the far bottom corner, beyond David Raya’s despairing dive – the Senegal international’s fourth goal in his last seven matches.

Quite remarkably, Arsenal restored their lead with their next proper attack – and it was Gabriel Jesus yet again. After Palace struggled to deal with a visiting corner, Partey laid the ball off to the striker, who picked out the top corner with an emphatic finish.

Three goals in the opening 15 minutes had ignited an already fervent Selhurst Park, and the crowd were on their feet again mere minutes later when Sarr pinched the ball off Gabriel and played in the unmarked Jean-Philippe Mateta. Clean through, the striker’s shot was blocked low down by the advancing Raya, and the opportunity escaped him.

After a blistering start, it was little surprise that the pace did eventually simmer down – although Lacroix, just a fortnight after opening his Palace account in the same spot, was once again on the end of a Hughes corner kick, this time shouldering over the bar.

For all the entertaining football on show, set-pieces were providing most of the clear chances, as Gabriel was next to go close for Arsenal, heading square against the crossbar from the Gunners’ next corner.

Seconds later, the visitors led by two: Gabriel Martinelli was afforded too much space and clipped a cross in from the right which Gabriel Jesus met with a standing jump. His header trickled towards the bottom corner, hit the post, and presented Kai Havertz with the simplest goal of his career from a yard out.

That made for a sobering end to a half in which Palace had created their fair share of chances, but the visitors had simply been more clinical with theirs.

There would be one final opportunity before the half-time whistle as Jefferson Lerma attacked Clyne’s hanging cross at the far post, but he could only direct his header into the ground and straight at Raya.

Into the second-half, and Palace were quick out the blocks.

Kamada dropped deep to play Clyne into space, and his hanging cross was headed on by Mateta. Although the effort was mis-directed, Sarr reacted sharply, diving onto it and diverting the ball goalwards; Raya got low down once again to save.

The Senegal forward was proving a livewire, and was again alive to the opportunity when Raya could only parry Mateta’s powerful 30-yard effort five minutes later. Sarr jumped high to head the loose ball goalwards, but the Spaniard was equal to it once more.

Palace were still in the contest – until, unfortunately, the hour mark, when the visitors’ greater efficiency put the game to bed.

In the first instance, Henderson did superbly to deny Gabriel Jesus another hat-trick from close range, but when the ball came out to Declan Rice, his drilled effort across goal was diverted in by Martinelli.

The goal drew Palace’s sting, and try as they might, opportunities dried up inside the final 30 minutes.

With little over five minutes remaining, Rice added a fifth for Arsenal, finding the bottom corner with a swerving effort inside the box.

The Eagles will now look to bounce back on Boxing Day away to Bournemouth.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Clyne (Kporha, 81), Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Lerma (Doucouré, 68), Hughes (Devenny, 68), Kamada (Nketiah, 61), Sarr, Mateta (Schlupp, 81).

Subs: Turner (GK), Ward, Chalobah, Agbinone.

Arsenal: Raya (GK), Timber (Merino, 86), Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly (Rice, 58), Partey, Odegaard, Havertz (Calafiori, 58), Saka (Trossard, 25), Martinelli, Jesus (Nwaneri, 86).

Subs: Neto (GK), Tierney, Kiwior, Jorginho.

As It Happened