No word from Roy, again, the elusive scamp. So that’s your lot. Nick Ames was at Selhurst Park, and his verdict is in. You know what to do: click and enjoy! And many thanks for reading this MBM. See you again soon.
Mikel Arteta speaks. “The first 35 minutes is exactly what I want my Arsenal team to play like. We were very dominant, controlled the game, we created chances, we were so good in transition. I was really pleased with the first half. The first ten to 15 minutes of the second half, credit to them, they started to put balls into the box and we had more difficulties. We conceded a goal where we switched off completely, that is unacceptable and I am really upset with that. But after that we reacted very well. I haven’t seen [the Aubameyang challenge] but I think it was a harsh challenge. Knowing Auba I don’t think he meant to do it, but maybe he mistimed it. To control Palace for 90 minutes is impossible, but to play the way we did, I am very pleased.” He also confirms that Lucas Torreira has picked up an injury. Calm, level-headed, no-nonsense analysis from Arteta there. He really does cut an impressive figure.
Gary Cahill speaks to BT Sport: “It was frustrating. When they went down to ten, we pushed a bit more. Frustrating not to get the win. But then again first half they were very good, we found it tough to deal with their passing and movement. But when we got to grips with it, I thought we certainly deserved a point. I knew [the Aubameyang challenge] looked bad on the pitch.”
Man-of-the-match Jordan Ayew adds: “It was a poor first half, but second half we were the better team and deserved to equalise. I’m a striker, so I’ll take anything!”
FULL TIME: Crystal Palace 1-1 Arsenal
That’s a good point for Palace, seeing they didn’t turn up until the 30-minute mark. Their unbeaten sequence against the Gunners stretches to four matches.
90 min +6: The free kick drops to Tomkins, who lashes wildly over from the left-hand edge of the D. Sokratis goes down, claiming to have been elbowed, but there wasn’t anything in it. A brush of the forearm, little else.
90 min +5: A free kick for Palace out on the right, and a chance for the hosts to load the box. One last chance. Before it can be taken, Luiz picks up the ball and demands the free kick be taken somewhere else. A brief shoving match ensues.
90 min +3: Nelson sends Pepe into space down the left. With Xhaka offering himself on the overlap, Pepe clanks the ball into the nearest Palace player. That’s a poor pass, with Palace very light at the back, a sensational late winner there for the taking. He should have sent Xhaka free.
90 min +2: Lacazette is replaced by Nelson. “The pre-Arteta Arsenal would have folded like a cheap suit after the red card,” argues Mary Waltz. “Give them credit for going for the three points.”
90 min +1: The first of four added minutes flies by without too much incident.
90 min: Zaha goes down in the penalty area, tumbling under not much pressure. He really wants a spot kick, but neither referee nor VAR is falling for the grift.
89 min: Lacazette is booked for a common-or-garden foul, a result of the totting-up process.
87 min: Palace haven’t put too much pressure on Arsenal since the red card. Time’s running out if they’re to take advantage of their extra man. “It wasn’t just Walton who got the Lacazette challenge wrong,” writes Ruth Purdue. “Martin Keown grudgingly thought it was a yellow. That sort of tackle was fine when he did it maybe?”
85 min: Tomkins goes sliding in on Martinelli. Arsenal surround the referee, demanding a red card. It was certainly late; arguably out of control. But front on, and just a yellow. BREAKING NEWS: Peter Walton agrees!
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84 min: In fact, credit where it’s due: Guaita fingertipped Pepe’s effort onto the post. What a wonderful save!
83 min: Pepe hits the post! Martinelli juggles his way down the right and slips the ball inside for Lacazette, who shuttles it further left for Pepe. Pepe sends a low fizzer past Guaita and onto the bottom of the right-hand post. A fine effort, but one that unluckily pings back towards the keeper instead of going in. Guaita can’t gather first time, though, and Lacazette tries to stab home the loose ball. Guaita smothers at point-blank range and gathers. What an escape for Palace!
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81 min: Palace stroke it around the middle, without too much urgency. The crowd urge them to pick up the pace.
79 min: ... nothing happens.
78 min: Tomkins wins a header off Zaha’s left-wing cross. It loops over Leno towards the top left. Sokratis acrobatically hooks off the line, just in time. Palace argue the ball also brushed his arm, but they’re not getting that decision. Maitland-Niles clears for a corner, from which ...
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76 min: A little bit of space down the inside-left channel for Martinelli. He wins a corner, from which Xhaka takes a clean whack at goal from the right of the D. He connects well, but his effort is blocked and cleared. Arsenal aren’t giving up hope of the win, despite going down to ten men.
75 min: The game itself has fallen a bit flat since the sending off, as both teams come to terms with the new landscape.
73 min: Peter Walton, though. Sweet mercy. What a company drone. The Man always right. There won’t be a more obvious potential leg-breaker all season, but God forbid questioning a decision made by a fellow official. BT Sport aren’t getting much bang for their buck, to say the very least.
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71 min: Martinelli comes on for Ozil, who has done very little. His first contribution to the story is to be fouled from behind by McCarthy, who is booked for his trouble.
69 min: Meyer is replaced by Cenk Tosun, making his Palace debut. Hopefully Meyer hasn’t been badly hurt. He walked off and doesn’t seem in too much pain as he sits back in his seat in the dugout, but that was a very unpleasant challenge. Here’s hoping all’s well.
RED CARD: Aubameyang (Arsenal)
67 min: Yep, off you go. That was a no-brainer of a decision. Aubameyang caught Meyer above the ankle, studs showing, the player’s leg bending in a sickening fashion. The Arsenal captain can have no complaints.
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66 min: On BT Sport, Peter Walton, whose job it is to agree with whatever the referee does, like a good company man, suggests there’s not enough force for a red card. That’s preposterous. It’s an obvious red.
65 min: Aubameyang comes sliding in on Meyer, and that’s a booking. In fact, it should be a red card. He’s studded him above the ankle. That’s a bad challenge. VAR will have a look at that.
64 min: Moves of two passes or more are at a premium right now. All a bit scrappy.
62 min: Ozil takes a whack on the ankle from McCarthy, who came in from behind with unnecessary force. The referee doesn’t react, much to Ozil’s annoyance.
61 min: This one goes to the near post as well. Luiz rises highest and flicks a fine header inches over the bar, the ball landing on the top of the netting. So nearly payback for his role in the equaliser.
60 min: Ozil and Pepe combine down the right to earn a corner for Arsenal. Pepe takes. It’s whipped towards the near post. Lacazette gets there first, but can’t flick a header goalwards. It’ll be another corner, though.
59 min: Free kick for Palace in the centre circle. McCarthy larrups it straight out of play for a goal kick. Very poor.
57 min: This is good end-to-end stuff now. Meyer takes a snapshot from the left of the D, but slices it wildly right of the target. A fair chance this won’t end 1-1.
56 min: Arsenal try to respond immediately, Guendouzi slipping a pass down the inside right for Lacazette, who nearly spins McArthur, but not quite. The defender just about holds his ground, allowing Guaita to claim.
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Arsenal (Ayew 54)
This is certainly better from Palace. Meyer springs a high Arsenal line down the right. Kouyate cushions the resulting cross on the spot for Ayew, who shoots towards the left of goal. The ball takes an absurd break off Luiz, looping over Leno, suddenly stranded, in slow motion. And in it goes, bouncing apologetically into the bottom left. That could be an own goal, not sure if Ayew’s effort was off target, but let’s give it to the striker.
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53 min: McCarthy is sent into a pocket of space down the left by Zaha. He drops a shoulder and enters the box, but Guendouzi steps cleverly into the space, stealing possession and earning a free kick. This is better from Palace, though.
52 min: Luiz clears the set piece with ease. Leno has yet to be called into action.
51 min: Kouyate is clattered unceremoniously by Maitland-Niles, as the Palace man attempts to spin free down the left. That’s a booking, and a free kick in a dangerous position, just to the side of the Arsenal box.
49 min: Luiz faffs again, this time deliberately over a free kick in the midfield, to draw some of Palace’s early second-half sting. Full marks for game management.
47 min: Luiz knocks over Meyer, and it’s a free kick out on the right touchline. McCarthy hoicks it into the box. Tomkins wins a header, and Ayew latches onto the ball in the six-yard box, with Luiz snoozing. But the flag goes up for offside. Relief for Luiz, who was faffing around in the grand style.
Here we go again! Palace get the ball rolling for the second half. Torreira appears to have picked up an injury, and he’s replaced by Guendouzi. A big loss for Arsenal; Torreira was arguably their best player in the first half. He was certainly heavily involved. Big shoes for Guendouzi to fill.
Half-time entertainment.
HALF TIME: Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal
Nothing of note happens in them, other than the crowd giving their own team the bird as they pass the ball meekly backwards. The hosts need a serious rethink. Arsenal will be more than happy, especially with their fast start.
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45 min: There will be two added minutes to this first half.
44 min: Pepe is booked for tangling with a prone McCarthy, petulantly letting his boot brush the Palace man.
43 min: McCarthy launches another long free kick towards the Arsenal box. Tomkins brings the ball down and nearly bursts through the pack on the edge of the area, but Torreira gets involved and clears. Palace have had 53% possession in the last five minutes. Small acorns, and all that.
41 min: Kouyate barges his way through a couple of half-arsed Arsenal challenges, and enters the box on the left. He’s not afforded that much time to shoot, though, and can only send a speculative snapshot towards the top right. Leno makes a nine-course tasting menu of dealing with Kouyate’s effort, nearly spilling it into the top right, but he gathers himself, and the ball, just in time.
39 min: This has become scrappy. Kolasinic bowls Kouyate to the ground. A free kick out on the right. Palace line up on the edge of the box. Luiz clears McArthur’s ball in. Lacazette threatens to break, but clumsily clatters McCarthy, and the chance of racing up the other end, with Palace light at the back, is gone.
37 min: Arsenal waste the free kick, which leads to a bit of head tennis and nothing more.
36 min: Tomkins cynically checks Torreira, who is bustling down the inside left. A free kick in a dangerous position.
34 min: Palace want a penalty, as Kouyate tries to scoop the ball past Luiz as the pair chase backwards down the inside-right channel. Luiz’s hand was raised. They’re not getting it, though, both players being so close together.
33 min: Sokratis shoves Ayew to the ground. A garden-variety free kick in the centre circle, though it nearly kicks off as the pair tangle on the floor. Team-mates step in to ensure the situation doesn’t escalate.
32 min: McArthur slams Ozil legally to gain possession, then sends Zaha away down the left. Zaha dribbles in an absent-minded fashion, eventually forgetting to take the ball along with him. The chance of launching a dangerous attack is gone. But Palace are finally putting their back into this, and they’re finally in the game. Just the best part of half an hour too late.
30 min: Another break in play as Pepe and Torreira clatter into each other in mid air. Pepe was eased into that by Zaha, nudging slyly from behind. Both are momentarily winded; both seem fine to continue.
28 min: Kolasinac rolls around in agony. He doesn’t know whether to hold his ankle or his head. He’s turned his ankle while being accidentally whacked on the back of the nut by a Palace knee. After reaching for both top and tail, he eventually opts for his ankle, then gets up as though nothing’s happened. On we go.
27 min: Palace have finally woken up. A free kick out on the right. McCarthy floats the set piece towards Cahill, just inside the box. It sails out of play for a goal kick. But this is a vast improvement from the hosts, who, as Mary Waltz observes, “look like someone slipped some Ambien in their vitamin pack this morning”.
25 min: Ayew twists and turns, advancing down the middle. He lays off to Meyer, who slips a pass wide left for Zaha. Finally something for the home fans to shout about. A swell of noise as Zaha enters the box. It quickly subsides as he loses control, and Torreira buys a cheap free kick to relieve the pressure.
24 min: A little bit of possession for Palace at last. They don’t do much with it, Cahill just failing to release Zaha down the left, but that’s better, and at least Arsenal are finally made to chase for a while. Onwards and upwards.
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22 min: VAR hasn’t stuck its unwanted neb in yet. But that isn’t stopping the crowd loudly singing the latest addition to the great British songbook, Fuck VAR. As protest songs go, it’s right up there with the best.
20 min. A telling match statistic: Arsenal have made 117 passes so far, while Palace have made just one in the final third. This has been as one-sided as it gets; only the scoreline fails to reflect the huge gulf.
18 min: Torreira releases Aubameyang into acres of space down the right. Danger here. Fortunately for the hosts, the flag goes up for offside, though that’s a poor decision. He was on, and play should have continued. A break for Palace, who have been a complete non-event so far.
17 min: Ozil flicks a cute pass down the right, releasing Pepe from a tight spot. Pepe skins Riedewald, and upon entering the box should get a shot away at the very least. But he stumbles and lets the ball run through to Guaita. That could easily have been a second.
15 min: Ayew comes through the back of Xhaka in the middle of the park. A frustrated lunge, and he’s slightly fortunate not to go in the book.
14 min: That’s no more than Palace deserve, too. They’ve been so passive, ever since the get-go. Arsenal have been afforded the run of the shop, and they’ve not looked the gift horse in the mouth.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal (Aubameyang 12)
No more than Arsenal deserve. They ping it around awhile. Palace stand around like traffic cones. Then Luiz slips a ball down the middle from deep. Ozil and Lacazette combine crisply to spring Aubameyang clear. He draws Guaita and slams the ball into the bottom right. An 18-pass move!
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11 min: Palace still haven’t put together anything resembling a passing sequence. Some more groans from the home faithful as possession is again squandered cheaply.
9 min: McCarthy plays the ball back towards Cahill, who waits for Guaita to come and collect. The keeper doesn’t arrive. Cahill hooks into the crowd. Palace can’t string two passes together at the minute. A few groans from the crowd. Palace are a model of passivity right now.
7 min: Palace continue to sit back. Arsenal continue to knock it about. They’ve had 87 percent possession so far! Aubameyang and Kolasinac combine down the left and eventually run the ball out for a goal kick, though they nearly ripped Palace open. The home side need to wake up.
5 min: Aubameyang drifts down the left and scoops a cross towards nobody in particular. Riedewald nearly makes a hash of a chest-down and hoof upfield, but just about manages to get the ball away before Lacazette can make his presence felt. A gust of wind didn’t help Riedewald, to be fair.
4 min: Palace are sitting deep, allowing Arsenal to hog the ball. The visitors stroke it around the middle for a while, just because they can. They don’t really go anywhere, but that’s not the point: they’ve started much better than they did against Leeds in the cup.
2 min: But Arsenal have started very much on the front foot. Kolasinac makes his way down the left, forcing Riedewald into a hurried clearance. A couple of early statements of intent by the visitors.
10 seconds or so. Aubameyang makes his way down the left and wins a corner off Kelly. Corner. The ball might have gone out before Aubameyang played it off Kelly, but here we are. Ah, but it’s all a waste of time, as the referee spots some pushing in the box and it’s a free kick to Palace. Stand down.
And we’re off! A fine atmosphere at Selhurst, as there almost always is. What a fine ground. Arsenal get the ball rolling. It’s the first time they’ve named the same side in successive Premier League matches for a year. Oh Unai, we hardly knew ye.
No word from Hodgson. Perhaps he talked earlier; if so, your super soaraway Guardian MBM missed it. Anyway, the teams are out! Palace are in their red and blue shirts, while Arsenal sport second-choice yellow, an ersatz tribute to the famous bruised banana kit of the George Graham era. We’ll be off sooner than you think.
Mikel Arteta speaks. “It’s an early kick off, and a very difficult ground to come. Hopefully we are ready from the first minute. I want everybody ready. The team can compete, and I have the squad to make changes if we need to do that. It’s a great atmosphere here, it will be tough. It is incredible what Roy Hodgson has done in the game.”
Palace welcome back Wilfried Zaha, while captain Luka Milivojevic is suspended. All in all, there are four changes to their side from last week’s FA Cup defeat to Derby County. Zaha, Vincente Guaita, James Tomkins and James McArthur step up, taking the place of Milivojevic, Wayne Hennessey, Brandon Pierrick and Connor Wickham.
Four changes for Arsenal to the side that beat Leeds in the FA Cup on Monday evening. Bernd Leno, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang take the places of Emiliano Martinez, Rob Holding, Matteo Guendouzi and Reiss Nelson.
The teams
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Kelly, Tomkins, Cahill, Riedewald, Meyer, McCarthy, Kouyate, McArthur, Zaha, Ayew.
Subs: Dann, Hennessey, Tosun, Wickham, Woods, Kirby, Pierrick.
Arsenal: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Papastathopoulos, Luiz, Kolasinac, Torreira, Xhaka, Pepe, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette.
Subs: Holding, Nelson, Martinez, Willock, Guendouzi, Martinelli, Saka.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).
Preamble
Two years ago, give or take a couple of weeks, Arsenal went four goals up against Crystal Palace in 22 minutes. They ended up winning that one 4-1, but since then, they’ve not had the best of it against their London rivals. A 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park in October 2018. A 2-3 reverse at the Emirates last April. And they shipped a two-goal lead at home in October, Palace coming back for a draw that hammered one of the last nails in Unai Emery’s coffin. Arsenal weren’t in too good a shape back then.
But times change. Palace have won only one of their last seven matches in all competitions, while Arsenal are two on the bounce, a record that might not be much to write home about, until you consider the Gunners had only previously won one in 15. Under new boss Mikel Arteta, their tails are up, even if they relied on the profligacy of Leeds United in the cup on Monday night.
So Palace are cooling; Arsenal are hotting up. But neither are particularly predictable right now, and it’s too early to establish trends. There have been 23 goals in the last five matches between these two, so good luck working out how it’ll all come down this lunchtime. The Premier League is back after the FA Cup interregnum. It’s a London derby. It’s on!
Kick off: 12.30pm.
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