Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: 3 talking points from horror night

A sorry first half paved the way for Crystal Palace to brush aside Arsenal 3-0 in the Premier League. First-half goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew gave the home side a solid foundation before a second-half Wilfried Zaha penalty put the game beyond doubt.

Mikel Arteta made one enforced change from the side that defeated Aston Villa 1-0 last time out with left-back Kieran Tierney out with a knee injury and Nuno Tavares replacing him. Nicolas Pepe also missed out through illness.

Palace started the far superior of the two sides, controlling possession and being pushed on by a raucous crowd, and it didn’t take long for the hosts to make their dominance count. Just 15 minutes into the game, a deep free-kick from Conor Gallagher ended with Mateta heading in from close range.

Jordan Ayew doubled the home side’s lead just minutes later after a great ball from Joachim Andersen found its way to the winger, who took a touch and hammered home his shot. A thoroughly commanding Crystal Palace went into the sheds two goals to the good.

Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: 3 talking points from horror night as Gunners’ Premier League top four hopes suffer injury-hit blow

After a difficult first half, Tavares was replaced by Gabriel Martinelli as Arsenal looked to get a way back into the game.

It was a much better start to the half for the Gunners as they dominated possession but still couldn’t find a way through. Arsenal continued to pressure with Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard having great chances, yet neither could convert.

Palace made it 3-0 with a little over 15 minutes left after Odegaard clipped Zaha in the box. The winger stepped up and fired home his shot to end the game as a contest. To make matters worse, Thomas Partey suffered an injury in the build-up to the penalty award.

The match provided plenty of talking points, here they are.

Goal Difference Matters

Something that Arsenal has been efficient at over the last two months is when the pressure is on to get a result and three points, they more often than not got them.

Not tonight.

With Tottenham crushing Newcastle the day before, Arsenal slipped below their north London rivals on goal difference. That was extended even further after events in south London, with the Premier League matchweek ending in a seven-goal swing in Spurs’ favour.

Their goal difference now sits at +15, with Arsenal’s on +10.

Heading into the game, a positive result would have seen the Gunners jump ahead of Spurs. Nonetheless, with a game in hand over Tottenham and level on points, Arsenal has their top-four destiny in their own hands, even if it feels like the sky is falling down.

Given the games that the club has in hand, it was imperative that they got three points tonight, but they were largely found wanting, especially in the first half. Up next is Brighton and anything less than a win will be unacceptable.

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A Serious Reality Check

Having won six out of their last seven, Arsenal was in superb form. However, you wouldn’t have known that given what Arteta’s side dished up in the first 45 minutes.

From the outset, Arsenal was not in the game. At all. Palace dominated the period, and the Gunners couldn’t string two passes together as the pressure applied from the home side was relentless.

If this was deemed as one of the easier matches between now and the end of the season then the team just got a serious reality check. Unless everyone is at their level, and collectively nobody was, you will get found out in this division.

It was as poor of a performance that Arsenal has put forth since the opening day loss to Brentford, and perhaps even worse. Having watched everyone else play and being under the lights on a Monday night, nothing but a strong performance would have sufficed. Instead, the old Arsenal reared its ugly head at the most inopportune time.

It goes to show that on any given night if the side is not with it by even a few percent, they can get pushed around by a team that had the appetite for the contest. A truly disastrous night for the Gunners.

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Tierney & Partey Injury Nightmare

Something that Arteta and Arsenal could not afford in the final run-in was injuries. Well, they suffered a hammer blow tonight; they got two.

First they lost Kieran Tierney to a serious knee injury that, according to some reports, has ended his season. To make matters worse, Partey couldn’t continue with a thigh problem in the build-up to Zaha’s penalty, so much so that the Ghanaian could not even track back to help his teammates.

"Arteta on Partey: “He felt something in the same area that he got injured previously, so [we are a] bit concerned.” Arteta on Tierney: “He is seeing the specialist tomorrow and we will know more the extent of the injury. But the feeling that he had it wasn’t really positive and what the scans showed either, but we have to wait and see what happens.”"

Losing two mainstays is a cruel blow to Arsenal’s top-four chances, and with Nuno being substituted at half-time, just who will start at left-back now remains to be seen. Granit Xhaka was deployed there for the second half but coming up against Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham, that can not be the case.

This was always going to be something that could bite Arsenal in the backside given their lack of activity in the January transfer window. One sorry night in London has the potential to undo all of the team’s good work up until now.

Many will be hoping that Partey’s injury is not severe, however; given his past and the fact he could barely walk, does not bode well for Arsenal. It being the same area he’s injured previously compounds the issue.

If there was any one player Arsenal couldn’t afford to lose, it was him. And, just like last season, the loss of a left-back could risk everything coming crumbling down.

This is ‘bad’.