Arsenal left their Champions League hopes in tatters, as the North London club were humiliated 3-0 to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, the Eagles taking another big step in their path to Premier League survival.

Andros Townsend gave Palace the lead after the hosts dominated the early stages of the first half, allowing Wilfred Zaha to set up the former England intentional for the opening goal from close range.

There was hope in the second half for the Gunners after the visitors saw a good spell of possession and chances in the start of the second half, however their efforts were extinguished in a five minute spell that saw Yohan Cabaye chip third choice keeper, Emiliano Martínez, to make it 2-0, and Luka Milivojević made it three from the spot.

The result means that Palace six points away from the relegation zone with a game in hand, and that Arsenal are now seven points away from Manchester City in fourth spot.

Palace dominate early on

The pace of Zaha and the strength of Christian Benteke proved to be a problem for the shaky Arsenal defence, as the duo found it way too easy to find space in the Gunners defence, and exploit third choice goalkeeper, Martínez, who again was filling in for the injured Petr Čech and David Ospina.

The threating attacks paid off in the 17th minute, when former Tottenham winger Andros Townsend put Palace ahead.

The Eagles countered after Arsenal lost possession of the ball, and from there the Gunners were on the back-foot. Benteke quickly passed the ball to Cabaye, who in turn thread in Zaha, and the Ivorian winger’s sloppy pass was met by the run of Townsend inside the penalty area, who fired the ball into the roof of the net, to give the south London side the lead.

Lazy, lazy Arsenal

It was the same storyline that has been lingering with Arsenal for the past two months. The visitors looked uninterested and lazy, and only the skill and attacking threat of Alexis Sánchez tested Wayne Hennessey and the Palace defence after going a goal down.

As the half progressed, Arsenal still looked stale and lousy in possession, whilst whenever Palace were gifted the ball from a common miss pass, the Eagles looked dangerous and hungry for the second goal that would had put Arsenal in their grave, however the goal didn’t come as the half-time whistle blew.

Palace started the second half with the same intensity and passion as they had done with in the first half. Benteke came agonisingly close to doubling the host’s lead three minutes after the restart, when Townsend played in the big Belgian with an incredible flick, but the striker’s effort from close range was brilliantly parried by Martínez.

Thursday night football looms

Despite encouraging signs of a equalising goal, and the introduction of Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud, Palace managed to make it 2-0 though French international Cabaye.

The former PSG midfielder managed to slip through on goal via a pass from Zaha, and from a tight angle Cabaye managed to lift the ball over the head of Martínez, and into the corner of the net, to send the Palace fans into pandemonium.

Arsenal might have thought they could have come back from a 2-0 deficit. But five minutes later, two became three as Milivojević extended the Eagle’s lead from the penalty spot, after Martínez foolishly brought down Townsend in the area. The Serbian midfielder stepped up, and squeezed the ball past the reach of the Argentine keeper, to seal the game for Palace.

Arsenal in tatters, Palace close to safety

‘We want Wenger out' and ‘You're not fit to wear the shirt' at the players ringed around the stadium, as the vocal Arsenal fans made themselves know what they wanted from tonight’s train crash of a performance.

As the full-time whistle blew, the stadium erupted in joy for the home fans, as the win meant that Palace were safe from the drop by going six points clear with a game in hand.