Key occasions
Half-time leisure.
HALF TIME: Crystal Palace 1-3 Arsenal
Palace have performed fairly properly. However Arsenal have too, and so they’ve acquired the objective machine Gabriel Jesus, who has scored twice and hit the submit to arrange one other. The one draw back for the title-chasing guests: Bukayo Saka went off with what seems like a hamstring problem.
45 min +4: Clyne crosses lengthy from the appropriate. Lerma races in to satisfy it, heading powerfully goalwards … however straight at Raya. That may have modified a few half-time team-talks.
45 min +3: Martinelli crosses low from the appropriate. Palace make a meal of clearing it. Martinelli makes an attempt to retrieve the unfastened ball and goes over within the environs of Mitchell. Arsenal need a penalty however they’re not getting one. It will have been fairly tender.
45 min +2: Raya as soon as once more takes his time over the restart, shifting the ball from one facet of his six-yard field to the opposite earlier than taking the objective kick. However the referee wasn’t watching, his again turned. Intelligent outdated Raya. We are able to paradoxically name {that a} quick one.
45 min +1: Mitchell makes good down the left and crosses for Mateta, who sends a poor header huge left and excessive.
45 min: … however Palace must watch for it, as a result of there might be 5 extra first-half minutes.
44 min: That objective’s taken the wind out of Palace’s sail. Having seemed good for a second equaliser, inflicting Arsenal’s defence a couple of flutters, they’re now chasing shadows and will do with listening to the half-time whistle.
42 min: Palace had been taking part in fairly properly, too. In reality, earlier than the passage of play that noticed Arsenal hit the bar then nearly instantly rating their third, Palace had seemed the extra more likely to rating the subsequent objective. However that’s soccer, and right here we’re. The kind of factor champions do.
40 min: Palace can’t cope with Jesus in any respect. That is an astonishing turnaround by the Arsenal striker. Inches away from consecutive hat-tricks. He’s nonetheless acquired time.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-3 Arsenal (Havertz 38)
From the ensuing nook, Gabriel crashes a header off the bar. So shut. However regardless of! Arsenal come once more by Martinelli out on the appropriate. He reaches the byline and clips a cross again for Jesus, who steers a header off the bottom of the left-hand submit. The rebound falls to Havertz, who can’t miss from a yard out!
37 min: Lacroix miskicks in midfield and out of the blue Jesus is away down the inside-right channel! Can he full a second hat-trick towards Palace in three days? Nope, as a result of Lacroix makes up for his mistake by getting again and telescoping a leg to divert the ball out for a nook. That’s a brilliantly timed deal with. It needed to be.
36 min: Timber is booked for taking ages over a throw. “Everybody jokes about how Jesus is making the distinction for Arsenal at Christmas time, however everyone knows he’ll not carry out on the enterprise finish of the season. Yearly he goes lacking fully after Easter.” David Wall, women and gents. He’s right here all week. Strive the mince pies / chocolate eggs.
34 min: Hughes with the nook. He sends a flat, quick ball in the direction of Lacroix, who flashes a header over from six yards. One other huge likelihood for the defender, whose radar is a wee bit off it could appear.
33 min: One other Palace free kick, one other queue on the sting of the Arsenal field. Kamada swings this one in. Jesus clears. Then Richards and Guehi battle to win a nook on the appropriate. The hosts asking a couple of questions right here.
32 min: Sarr spins Gabriel and is hauled again by the defender, who grabs a handful of his shirt. Into the e-book he goes. Everybody strains up on the sting of the field, awaiting Hughes’s free kick. In it comes. Havertz clears.
31 min: Now it’s Lewis-Skelly who cheaply ships possession. Arsenal aren’t coping too properly with the Palace press. Sarr sashays down the appropriate however his cross is straightforward pickings for Raya.
29 min: Palace push Arsenal again. Hughes and Guehi take turns to hook crosses in from the left. Gabriel heads the previous away; Raya claims the latter. Palace have responded properly since going behind once more, and the Arsenal defenders don’t look notably assured underneath the excessive ball.
27 min: Gabriel is okay to hold on.
26 min: Sarr wins a protracted ball down the center and goals a tough shot in the direction of objective. Gabriel takes it flush within the coupon, and play is stopped with Palace nonetheless on the assault. The house followers not pleased, however what else may the referee do?
25 min: Trossard comes on for Saka, who may need carried out his hamstring. He was actually holding the again of his proper leg after making an attempt to whip a cross into the Palace field.
23 min: Saka can’t proceed. He limps off … very slowly, a lot to the annoyance of Lacroix, who comes over to offer each participant and physio a bit of his thoughts. For a second, it seems prefer it may kick off, however Lacroix, having made his level, jogs on.
22 min: Saka goes down and sits there shaking his head. At all times a fear for Arsenal.
21 min: An enormous likelihood for Palace to degree issues up once more! Saliba lets Sarr rob him 25 yards out. Sarr rolls ahead for Mateta, who’s one on one with Raya on the penalty spot! He has to attain … however slams the ball straight on the keeper. Nice save, having mentioned that. Raya getting Saliba out of an enormous gap there.
20 min: Palace sluggish issues down themselves with some cautious passing across the again. “I used to be sceptical of Jesus coming again on Christmas final Wednesday, however okay,” writes Kieran McKintosh. “Possibly I’ll maintain my tongue. Possibly it’s Christmas in any case.”
18 min: Can Palace discover one other quickfire equaliser? Kamada has a dig from 25 yards, however sends the ball miles over the bar. Raya then takes his candy time over the restart, and is given a stern talking-to by the referee. No card. Not but.
16 min: Sky flash up a graphic that has Arsenal main the Most Targets From Corners in main leagues within the final two seasons. They’ve scored 24 instances; the subsequent greatest groups are Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach, who’ve a mere 18 every.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal (Jesus 14)
It’s that man once more! Martinelli sends the nook lengthy. Gabriel wins a downward header on the far stick. Partey tees up Jesus, speeding in from the appropriate. Jesus slams into the right-hand facet of the online, and that’s now 5 objectives for Jesus towards Palace in three days!
14 min: Now it’s Arsenal’s flip to reply, and Martinelli bustles down the left to win a nook. And you realize what occurs when Arsenal win a nook …
13 min: Palace had began chilly, however that’s warmed Selhurst up. Can all of it be traced again to Raya faffing round? That actually acquired Palace tails up.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Arsenal (Sarr 11)
Palace come straight again at Arsenal. Mitchell, on the left touchline, finds Sarr infield. Sarr drives onerous at Gabriel and Saliba down the inside-left channel, reaches the sting of the field, and lashes a creamy drive throughout Raya and into the underside proper. What a end!
11 min: Raya, underneath stress from the Palace press, makes an attempt to play a cross down the center from his personal six-yard field. Hughes slides in to dam, however the ball whistles inches previous the right-hand submit. So shut. Irrespective of, although, as a result of …
10 min: Hughes swings the free kick, from a place left of centre, 30 yards out, into the mixer. Lacroix ought to do higher than slam a header huge proper and excessive from ten yards.
9 min: Mateta barges his approach down the center and attracts a foul from Partey. A clip on the ankle. Partey’s lucky not to enter the e-book. They’re making it up as they go alongside, children.
8 min: Arsenal scoring from open play within the Premier League for the primary time shortly, too. The primary time in 4 video games. Just about the right begin for the title hopefuls.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal (Jesus 6)
Gabriel Jesus scored a hat-trick in midweek, and now he’s scored his first objective within the Premier League since January! Odegaard performs the aforementioned free kick quick, and the ball’s labored out in the direction of Martinelli on the appropriate. Martinelli crosses. Gabriel and Mitchell compete, six yards out, however each miss the ball. It drops to Jesus, who can hardly miss, slotting into the underside left. Scoring out of the blue simple for the Brazilian!
5 min: Lewis-Skelly cuts in from the left and is once more fouled by Hughes. No whistle this time. Irrespective of, although, as a result of Lerma comes throughout to finish the job. A free kick and an opportunity for the set-piece kings of the Premier League to load the field and trigger some mayhem.
4 min: Now it’s Palace’s flip to have a wee go of the ball. Each groups sizing one another up.
3 min: Arsenal stroke it across the again for a bit, establishing some early authority.
2 min: Sarr pings a cross down the inside-right channel for Mateta, and issues look promising for Palace. However then the whistle goes, as a result of Hughes was judged to have fouled Lewis-Skelly within the build-up. A barely tender free kick, however to be truthful Palace don’t actually complain.
Arsenal get into their pre-match huddle … then realise their captain and keeper aren’t in it. Odegaard and Raya finally deign to show up, the group hug is accomplished, and the guests then kick off.
The groups are out! Festive cheer ringing out round Selhurst Park … however then it’s all the time agreeably noisy at probably the most atmospheric stadiums within the land. The house facet sport their purple and blue stripes, whereas Arsenal are in third-choice turquoise. It gained’t be lengthy now.
Pre-match postbag o’pessimism. “As a agency believer within the course of, I want it seemed extra like a intelligent ploy to have three left-sided defenders on the bench moderately than having nonetheless a fairly badly balanced squad 5 years in. Does Arteta have the identical obsession with versatile full-backs that Wenger developed with micro skill-imps? And can it result in his downfall when Zinchenko turns into our first selection no9?” – Paul Curievici
“Simply confirmed that image of Odegaard to my little brother, who mentioned he seemed like Captain America. And yeah, that appears to suit his description fairly properly. He principally is our Captain America. Now all we want is a good striker” = Kieran McKintosh
“I do know that this meant to be the season of excellent cheer, however your preamble made me mirror on how true it’s that on sure days, no matter occurs, one nonetheless finally ends up removed from the golden ticket. Certainly, on many days. Maybe for the unfortunate amongst us, on all days. I suppose the optimistic facet of that’s that it teaches us to not count on an excessive amount of of life – like, maybe, Gabriel Jesus scoring once more” – Charles Antaki
Oliver Glasner talks to Sky. “We analysed the sport [against Arsenal on Wednesday] … the standard of Arsenal … they all the time have the identical patterns … Odegaard got here on at half-time and most of their possibilities got here from their proper facet … overloading … nice passes … we’ve got made one or two changes … we’ve got to be extra courageous in possession … when you’ve simply 20 % possession the stress will increase and it’s only a query of time after they discover the pocket and the gaps … this occurred within the second half … we have to have the ball and have them run after us … hopefully we do it higher than on the Emirates … we weren’t match sufficient originally of the season … totally different causes … we have been struggling … however everybody stayed calm and gamers labored onerous … we’re nonetheless not on the finish of the place we wish to be.”
Mikel Arteta speaks to Sky Sports activities. “We didn’t begin in the appropriate approach [against Palace on Wednesday] conceding a sloppy objective … hopefully as we speak might be very totally different … they’re a extremely powerful opponent … very properly organised … we’re totally ready for it … the way in which [Gabriel Jesus] scored his objectives, the arrogance he dropped at the crew, he deserves to play once more … [Declan Rice] has solely had one coaching session … we misplaced [Raheem Sterling] yesterday, he felt one thing in coaching … we wish to win our recreation and wait [for leaders Liverpool to play] however we’ve got to win first.”
All the earlier video games within the Premier League have now completed …
… and Nottingham Forest’s win at Brentford means Arsenal begin tonight’s recreation in fourth place. A draw might be sufficient to take the Gunners again into third, which is as excessive as they will go this night. Crystal Palace will finish the day the place they started, in fifteenth place, no matter occurs.
Crystal Palace make three adjustments within the wake of the League Cup assembly between these golf equipment; Arsenal make seven. However Carabao groups usually are not actual groups, so let’s do that correctly.
Palace make three adjustments to the beginning XI named for final weekend’s 3-1 win at Brighton. Nathaniel Clyne, Daichi Kamada and Chris Richards are in. Trevoh Chalobah drops to the bench, whereas the suspended Daniel Muñoz and injured Eberechi Eze miss out altogether.
Arsenal make two adjustments from the facet that started the goalless draw with Everton. Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus are again; Mikel Merino and Declan Rice are on the bench.
The groups
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Lacroix, Richards, Guehi, Clyne, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell, Sarr, Kamada, Mateta.
Subs: Turner, Ward, Nketiah, Schlupp, Chalobah, Doucoure, Devenny, Kporha, Agbinone.
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Partey, Havertz, Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Kiwior, Trossard, Jorginho, Merino, Calafiori, Rice, Nwaneri.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).
VAR: Michael Salisbury.
Preamble
If current historical past between these two groups is something to go by, this ought to be a shoo-in for Arsenal: the Gunners have gained their final 5 matches towards Crystal Palace, to the cumulative tune of 15-4, the latest victory coming a mere three days in the past within the League Cup. However nothing’s ever that easy, is it? Arsenal have dropped factors of their final two Premier League matches, whereas Palace look to have rediscovered the shape that closed out final season: they’re unbeaten in 5 within the League, and gave Arsenal a great recreation in that aforementioned League Cup tie earlier within the week. So that is arrange properly. Will Arsenal make up floor within the title race? Or can Palace snap their dropping sequence on this London derby? We’ll discover out quickly sufficient. Kick-off is at 5.30pm GMT. It’s on!
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