Arsenal Vs Crystal Palace: 5 things we learned – Slick, smooth football enthralls

3. Early goals make all the difference

Arsenal were three goals to the good after just 13 minutes. They did very little to earn that blessed advantage.

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The first and third goals came in a very similar manner: A whipped-in Granit Xhaka corner, a sleeping Palace defence, an onrushing Nacho Monreal, two Arsenal goals, though the latter required the intervention of Laurent Koscielny to bundle the ball into the goal.

The second was not much better defending. A poor clearance fell to Monreal’s feet. No one closed down the Spaniard. No one marked Alex Iwobi. A simple cut-back cross and first-time finish later, and Arsenal were flying high.

The goals settled Arsenal down. It wasn’t until they got the third goal that the fluid, slicing play through the midfield began to flourish. Both Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil were relatively quiet early on. In fact, it was Palace that impressed themselves on the game, not the other way round. But the early goals set the pattern of the match, a pattern that Arsenal flourished in. They really do make all the difference.