Arsenal’s misery in the Premier League continues as they were held 2-2 by Crystal Palace at home earlier this evening.
It was a fascinating contest, with each side dominating each half. Arsenal were the ones who were on top for most of the first half. They took an early two goal lead through goals from defenders Sokratis and David Luiz, both of which came from set-pieces. But, Crystal Palace recovered around the half-hour mark when Wilfried Zaha was awarded a penalty via VAR. Luka Milivojevic converted the spot-kick.
The goal gave Palace just the boost they need as an improved display in the second half saw the Eagles create a plethora of counter-attacking opportunities. The visitors deservedly restored parity in the 52nd minute through Jordan Ayew, though they were lucky as VAR overturned Arsenal’s goal late in the game (albeit unfairly probably), denying the Gunners three points.
Here is how Unai Emery’s men fared in their disappointing performance against Palace.
Bernd Leno 7
Couldn’t have done anything to stop the two goals, one of which, as mentioned earlier, was a penalty. The German had very little to do otherwise, though he looked quite convincing with his punches and clearances from Palace corners.
Calum Chambers 4
Had a game to forget dealing with the tricky Wilfried Zaha on the right flank. The ex-Southampton star lacked pace and clearly wasn’t the right fit at RB. He should have done a lot better with his positioning as well, with James McArthur notably finding acres of space for Palace’s second goal. Moreover, he was the one who fouled Zaha and conceded the penalty for the first goal. Probably for the best if Bellerin comes in for him in the next league outing.
Sokratis 8
Despite Arsenal conceding two silly goals, Sokratis actually performed well this evening. The Greek looked convincing with his tackles and stopped the Palace attackers on their tracks on many instances. Not to mention, he scored the opener and might have scored the winner as well, had it not been for an unfortunate decision from VAR (see the final paragraph).
David Luiz 5
Yet another terrible defensive display from the ex-Chelsea star, who, despite scoring the second goal, looked clumsy with his actions at the back. His poor marking allowed Jordan Ayew space to time his header for the equaliser while the Brazilian also played a couple of horrendous passes out from the back.
Kieran Tierney 8
Despite the mediocrity raging elsewhere, Kieran Tierney was solid at the back and did quite well in what was his Premier League debut. He stuck to his task at left-back and restricted Andros Townsend from making inroads into the defensive third. The Scot also looked threatening with his crosses from the far side.
Granit Xhaka 5
It seems like Granit Xhaka’s performance depends on how Arsenal perform collectively as the midfielder was excellent when the Gunners were dominating the game early on. But, as soon as the Eagles started to push forward, he failed to provide stability in midfield and was rightly booed by Arsenal fans when he made way for Saka around the hour mark. And yes his antics when coming off definitely did not help the collective mood.
Matteo Guendouzi 7.5
Guendouzi had a decent evening despite failing to guide his team into making yet another comeback. The Frenchman went forward when it was necessary and looked solid in possession. However, he was fortunate to get away with a yellow right at the death when he fouled Zaha, who was free on goal.
Dani Ceballos 6
It wasn’t the best of performances, who featured in an unnatural wide attacking slot at the beginning. Ceballos had more time on the ball during the final phase of the campaign, but still, it wasn’t enough to make a difference.
Nicolas Pepe 8
An admirable performance from the new signing, although he wasn’t as effective as midweek. Pepe completed his defensive chores by tracking back and providing cover for Chambers in the right flank. But, what really caught the eye was his deliveries from set-pieces, with both the Arsenal goals originating from his corners.
The third goal, which was overruled was also a corner delivered by the Ivorian. However, he did struggle from open play, which could be a cause for concern for Emery.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 5
It was a tough day at the office for Aubameyang, who was barely involved in the game. He was mostly anonymous and given his low work rate; Emery should have subbed him off during the second half.
Alexandre Lacazette 6.5
Lacazette deserves credit for fighting for his team, despite not actually making a mark on the pitch. Palace’s rigid defending proved too much for the Frenchman, it seems.
SUBSTITUTES
Bukayo Saka 5
Struggled to make an impact after replacing Xhaka during the hour mark.
Sead Kolasinac N/A
A late replacement for Tierney.
Special Mention
VAR 0/10
Yes, the decision to give Palace the penalty was absolutely correct. However, VAR was the biggest reason behind the result being a draw and not an Arsenal win as somehow unbelievably VAR decided to upend all precedences of the last few games in deciding to overturn Sokratis’ goal. It simply did not look like a foul in the build-up to the goal. Even if you want to argue the same, there cannot be any doubt that the high bar of ‘obvious error’ had not been met for reversing the goal.
