After a rocky run of form post-Christmas, Arsenal appear to be back on track following their five nil thumping of a Crystal Palace who are going through troubles of their own.
Despite scoring five goals, it was not a scintillating attacking display from the Gunners. It was set pieces which saw Arsenal break the deadlock. Gabriel Magalhães opened the scoring with an astute header from Declan Rice's corner. A similar corner routine saw Arsenal double their lead, this time with Bukayo Saka turning provider for Gabriel who nodded the ball off of scrambling Dean Henderson.
Crystal Palace, unaided by the absence of talisman Michael Olise, looked lost of any real ideas going forward leaving Jean-Phillipe Mateta up front with nothing but scraps to feed off of. Eberechi Eze looked like the only player showing attacking intent for the Eagles, winning two free kicks in dangerous positions around the Arsenal box as well as driving his team forward.
The second half saw Arsenal seal the victory with a fantastic counter attack finished off by Leandro Trossard. Substitute Gabriel Martinelli, who has come under some scrutiny for his performances this season, came on and bagged himself a late brace. Both of his goals looking eerily similar to each other - slotting past the helpless Henderson with cushioned finishes into the far corner.
Neither Arsenal or Crystal Palace were at their best today however Arsenal's individual quality and tactical nous secured them the 3 points.
Here are four things we learnt as Arsenal cruised past a languid Crystal Palace.
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Old Methods Prevail
Comparing Arsenal this season to last, there are clear differences stylistically. Last season, the Gunners got in behind teams more often and looked a lot more decisive in the final ball. Arteta appears to have traded off attacking unpredictability for a more robust defensive setup this season. While the statistics indicate its effectiveness, this shift has also led to a decline in Arsenal's ability to generate varied open-play goalscoring opportunities.
Arsenal's three second half goals looked reminiscent of last season, racing up the field in the blink of an eye, exemplified greatly by Trossard's goal and Martinelli's second. Utilising the pace of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and especially Gabriel Martinelli in more fast breaks could see a potential upsurge in goals this campaign as they did so last season. Goals such as Martinelli against Brighton, Aston Villa and Liverpool last season highlights the ways in which the Brazilian gets in behind defences to great effect.
The three second half goals did come when Palace shifted out of their low block though, so this could be the potential way of racking up a hefty goal difference once already having scored.
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Set-Piece Galore
Gabriel Magalhães towered two headers home in the first half - the latter of which soon got deemed as an own goal. A lot has already been made of Arsenal's set pieces this season with the Gunners having scored the most goals from set-pieces, corners, as well as having the most headed goals in the Premier League this campaign. A new corner routine more than likely brought to the fold by set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.
Both of Arsenal's goals in the first half came in similar fashion. Benjamin White impedes the goalkeeper on each corner which we have seen since last season, but the slight tweak that came in this match was having Leandro Trossard blocking the movement of 2 defenders simultaneously, thus allowing Gabriel a free run onto the ball for both of the goals. We have seen this for Declan Rice's goal against Manchester United earlier this season with Gabriel blocking Johnny Evans, however we have not seen a double screen until this match.
This could perhaps be a nod to Arteta's unique coaching styles, taking influences from different sports. It was revealed last year that Arteta belonged to a messaging group between managers of different sporting teams. The double screen has long been a traditional play in the NBA, and one that the Spaniard has now deployed within football to great effect.
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It Could Get Ugly for Palace
The defeat today made it one win in 12 matches for the Eagles. Losing away to an Arsenal team who currently find themselves in a title race usually would not be looked too harshly at, but it was the manner of performance yesterday which show worrying signs for the South London side.
It seemed as if defeat was accepted from the moment Arsenal went 1-0 up. The team lacked the intent and energy that you would expect from a Premier League side with no guarantee of safety. The Eagles now sit 15th and are only five points off the dreaded relegation zone with teams in and around them having games in hand.
A banner was unveiled towards the end of the match which read, "Wasted potential on and off the pitch, weak decisions taking us backwards."
Undeniably, Crystal Palace has got some real game-changers in their lineup with the likes of Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, and Michael Olise. But let's be real, it's like they're in a constant dance – one step forward, two steps back. This is highlighted by the reappointment of Roy Hodgson who left the club in May 2021. Despite the Englishman keeping them up last season, it felt like a safest option for the club with Hodgson's style of play leaving a lot to be desired.
With Hodgson leaving again at the end of the season and performances not looking likely to improve, could Crystal Palace be brave and cut ties early to get the fans back on side? Graham Potter was in attendance.
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Smith Rowe Looks Hungry
A lot has been made of the role of Emile Smith Rowe's place in the Arsenal team. The signing of Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have seemed to kicked the Englishman down in Arteta's pecking order, however recent comments from the Arsenal boss following the squads Dubai training camp suggest that Emile is very much still in his plans.
"No change, Emile is Emile. He's got incredible qualities, we are really happy to have him and what he needs now is chances to put all those desired qualities on the pitch. In order to do that, we have to give him minutes."
This week, Arsenal rejected West Ham's approaches for a loan move for the 23 year-old which suggests Arteta genuinely believes he can play his way back into the side.
Emile was provided with 21 minutes and took his chance to impress. Neat touches and a driving force in midfield showed a different style of midfielder to Havertz who he came on for.
With the transfer window coming to a close, could Emile Smith-Rowe act like a new signing and find himself playing regular minutes? The cameo suggests he is more than capable.
