Arsenal dominated their rival in the derby but lost their best player

Crystal Palace suffered from Gabriel Jesus again. But when will Saka return?

Arsenal and Crystal Palace faced off twice quickly. On Wednesday, Arteta’s team secured a 3-2 home win in the League Cup. On Saturday, they traveled to Selhurst Park for a Premier League clash. It felt less like a new match and more like a continuation of the previous one.

Gabriel Jesus left Man City for Arsenal to get more playing time. Still, in London, he hasn’t been a regular starter either. However, the Brazilian has reinvented himself recently, almost as if Arsenal made a signing outside the transfer window. In the first derby against Palace, Jesus scored a hat-trick, and this time, he netted a brace within the first 15 minutes.

Both goals came from him being unmarked in the box. The first was a lucky deflection, while the second was teed up perfectly by Partey. Performances like this might secure him a starting spot in the next match.

However, Palace struck early, too. Arsenal nearly gifted them a goal when Raya played a risky pass inside his box. Soon after, Ismaïla Sarr drove into the penalty area and fired a shot past Saliba into the far corner.

Arsenal’s troubles didn’t end there. Midway through the first half, the team’s star player, Bukayo Saka, went down clutching his hamstring. Such injuries typically sideline players for around 20 days. Trossard came on to replace him.

Leading by just one goal, Arsenal began time-wasting even before halftime. The referee warned Raya for delaying goal kicks and eventually booked Timber, who spent 25 seconds holding the ball at the sideline before deciding where to throw it. Recently, there's been talk in England about Arsenal matches having the least active playing time, with some even joking about Arteta’s “dark magic.”

Still, Arsenal can accelerate when needed. With Saka off, Martinelli shifted to the right wing, sprinted down the flank, and crossed to Jesus, who came inches away from another first-half hat-trick. His shot hit the post and bounced to Havertz, who scored quickly from close range.

In the second half, Arsenal nearly conceded again. Sarr had two-headed chances from 7 and 10 yards, but Raya saved both. The game was sealed when Arteta brought on Calafiori and Rice. Their presence stabilized Arsenal’s defense and also contributed to the attack. Rice assisted Martinelli’s goal, making it Arsenal’s fourth of the match.

Rice then completed the rout himself, scoring from the edge of the box. By the end, Palace failed to create real threats, with just two blocked long-range shots in the last 40 minutes. Their most notable moment was a rough foul on Calafiori. Klein could have been sent off, but the referee only showed a yellow card.

Now, Arsenal is just three points behind Liverpool. However, Slot’s team still has two games in hand.

Published by Patrick Jane
21.12.2024