Arsenal show signs of progress – but also vulnerabilities

In April, Arsenal had a torrid time in South East London. They were convincingly beaten and seemed to crumble amid the hostile atmosphere generated by the Crystal Palace faithful.

But to start the 2022/232 campaign, the Gunners quickly zapped the anticipation of the home crowd with a commanding start, zipping the ball from side to side before grabbing a deserved lead through Gabriel Martinelli, who missed a sitter minutes earlier.

Arsenal show signs of progress – but also vulnerabilities – on opening night

A trip to Palace is an acid test – the kind that demonstrates whether the players have the mettle to cope with raucous stadiums. In what promised to be a performance wrought with trouble, Mikel Arteta’s side came out somewhat comfortably unscathed.

And while Palace did have a couple of gilt-edged chances that, on another day, they could have conceivably buried, so did Arsenal, most notably the Martinelli chance in the opening exchanges. Martin Odegaard, too, was presented with chances to score, but his remarkable reticence to shoot was on display.

In the second half, however, Arsenal’s dominance and creativity wilted. Palace inevitably raised the tempo, as most home teams do eventually, and neutralised a lot of the attacks. The stadium’s decibel rose steadily as the home side continued their offensive onslaught.

But the towering, athletic and extraordinarily composed William Saliba, who is just 21, was a brick wall. When Ben White or Gabriel Magalhaes were bypassed, Saliba swooped in to sniff out the danger. His presence alone may have been the defensive difference between this game and the April one.

Arsenal fans will certainly rejoice with the collection of three crucial points, but some alarm bells will surely ring on the attacking front, where Arsenal continued their tradition of playing in moments and creativity drying up as the game went on.

The Gunners are extremely reliable on individual moments, as was the case with Gabriel Jesus who single-handedly weaved his way through Palace bodies for the Martinelli missed chance. Bukayo Saka, too, was often isolated and expected to conjure up chances.

For some, the nit-picking may be unnecessary pedantry, for others it is necessary to examine weak areas as Arsenal embark on what will be an fiercely competitive race for champions league football.

Nonetheless, this is a compact Palace team that is well-drilled by Patrick Vieira, who managed to shut out a prolific Manchester City team in March. It is by all measures a very difficult fixture, especially under the lights.

Emerging with all three points, no matter the circumstance, is a sign of progress and a cause for celebration. But with top four being the aim, and rivals like Spurs strengthening, Arsenal will have to continue to improve in many areas.