Refreshed Arsenal returned to Premier League motion with a straightforward 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Powder-puff Palace have been the proper opponents for the Gunners, whose title problem had faltered previous to their winter break with back-to-back defeats to West Ham and Fulham. But there was little prospect one other derby day defeat towards the Eagles, who performed extra like budgies.
Mikel Arteta’s facet weren’t precisely scintillating – not that they wanted to be – however they did sufficient to get their title problem again on monitor due to Gabriel’s early header and an unlucky personal objective from Palace keeper Dean Henderson within the first half. Leonadro Trossard added the third following a speedy counter-attack simply earlier than the hour mark. Substitute Gabriel Martinelli put the gloss on the end in added time with a brace of well-taken strikes.
Here are 4 issues Arteta received proper on the Emirates…
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Set-piece success
The Gunners have been sharp on attacking set-pieces all season, however they seem to have used their current break to get even higher, with each first half objectives coming from corners.
The first noticed an ideal Declan Rice flag-kick powered residence by Gabriel. But there was extra to it than that. Leonadro Trossard did an outstanding job of blockading the a lot greater Joachim Anderson. Gabriel then simply wanted to get above his man and get his header on the right track.
Gabriel was additionally concerned within the second, this time from a Bukayo Saka nook. The Brazilian was untroubled as he headed in the direction of objective with the ball bouncing into the online by way of the again of Henderson’s head. That’s now a powerful 13 objectives from set-pieces for the Gunners this season.
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(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Restoring Trossard
The full of life Trossard, the scorer of the game-clinching third objective, can rely himself unfortunate to not have began extra underneath Arteta. As one among 4 modifications, the Belgian received his likelihood towards Palace, and he took it with each arms.
As effectively as his superbly-taken objective, he was additionally ready to do the much less glamorous stuff, just like the aforementioned block on Anderson.
(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Rapid begin
Following their winter break and their dismal run of outcomes, the Gunners wanted to come back racing out the blocks towards a Palace facet that got here to the Emirates to spoil.
The early objective definitely helped dislodge the blockade, however Roy Hodgson’s defence was already creaking underneath Arsenal’s intense stress.
(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Zinchenko no-brainer
Oleksandr Zinchenko isn’t probably the most convincing defender, particularly towards high quality opposition and the Ukrainian had his critics amid Arsenal’s New Year downturn.
But restoring him to facet instead of the even-more-unconvincing Jakub Kiwior was a logical transfer by Arteta. Like for the Gunners normally, Palace have been the perfect opponents for the previous Manchester City man, who wasn’t actually examined. It could have been the boldness booster he wanted.