Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace: Player ratings as Eze wins it against former side

Arsenal secured a slender 1-0 win over London rivals Crystal Palace to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points.

Mikel Arteta made two changes to the side that thrashed Atlético Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League. Riccardo Calafiori returned to left back in place of Myles Lewis-Skelly while Leandro Trossard replaced Gabriel Martinelli on the wing. Gabriel Magalhaes also fought off an injury scare to be available to start.

Eberechi Eze was also named in the starting lineup to make his first appearance against his former club since departing for £60million in the summer.

It was a slow start for the Gunners and it was Palace who enjoyed a lot of the ball in the opening half hour. The visitors had a few half chances go their way with Ismaïla Sarr seeing an effort blocked after Martín Zubimendi gave possession away.

Arsenal's first shot finally came just after 30 minutes when Viktor Gyökeres started a quick move with the ball eventually ending up at Trossard's feet. The Belgian struck a low effort at goal, but Dean Henderson got down well to save.

The breakthrough eventually came and it was the Gunners who found the opener. Declan Rice swung a free kick in and it was headed clear only as far as the centre of the box. Eze raced in to meet it on the volley, beating Henderson to score against his former club and grab his first Premier League goal for Arsenal.

Arsenal almost found a second minutes into the second half when Rice played a cross into the box for Gabriel to meet and hit the bar. Rice then saw an effort well saved by Henderson before Trossard had a strike blocked.

As the game went on, Palace struggled to create too much in attack, but did enjoy a few flurries in the late stages. However, the Gunners did well to defend those rare moments and keep their lead intact.

Arteta's side saw out the closing stages and the six minutes of added time to secure the win and make it four consecutive victories in the league. The triumph sees Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the table to four points after challengers Manchester City and Liverpool both fell to defeat this weekend.

Here are the Arsenal player ratings from their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace player ratings

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David Raya (GK) - 7/10 - Didn't have to deal with much from the Palace attack, but did well when called into action.

Jurrien Timber (RB) - 7/10 - Enjoyed a moment of brilliance in the first half where he took on four defenders with skill before being wiped out, winning a free kick. Solid when defending once again.

William Saliba (CB) - 6/10 - Had some 50/50 battles with Mateta, winning and losing some. Played a brilliant ball over the top for Gyokeres to meet. Replaced by Mosquera at half-time.

Gabriel Magalhaes (CB) - 7.5/10 - Made a crucial clearance to get rid of a low cross early on. Battled to win the header in leadup to the opener and almost scored in the second half, but his header hit the bar.

Riccardo Calafiori (LB) - 7/10 - Kept Sarr quiet for a lot of the game and looked to play his usual advanced role. Saw a fierce effort blocked in the second half. Withdrawn late on.

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