Sloppy Arsenal stunned by Crystal Palace at the Emirates
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ByEurosport
Updated 21/04/2019 at 21:30 GMT
Premier League, Emirates Stadium - Arsenal 2 (Ozil 47', Aubameyang 77') Crystal Palace 3 (Benteke 17', Zaha 61', McArthur 69')
Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-1 during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on April 21, 2019 in London, United Kingdom.
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal suffered a big blow in their top four aspirations on Sunday as they were beaten at home 3-2 by Crystal Palace.
The Gunners looked tired after their midweek victory in the Europa League against Napoli, and it was Palace who took a first-half lead.
Christian Benteke scored his first goal in 19 games, his first strike in 2019, when he nodded home a free-kick carelessly given away by Konstantinos Mavropanos on the right wing.
The home side thought they should have had a penalty when Sead Kolasinac’s cross was handled by Aaron Wan-Bissaka when the ball struck the defender’s hands, but the referee waved away the appeals.
In the second half, a double substitution brought a quick reward as Mesut Ozil’s brilliant chip from a tight angle levelled the scores.
Then, a dreadful lack of concentration gave Wilfried Zaha the chance to rob Shkodran Mustafi of the ball and he forced a shot past Bernd Leno to put Palace back in front, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back with a late solo effort.
The win leaves Arsenal in fourth, moves Palace into 12th place, and both sides have four games left to play.
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Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace celebrates after scoring a goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on April 21, 2019 in London, United Kingdom.
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT
Wifried Zaha has given Palace enough to earn a move away. In an interview this week, the winger hinted that he might need to move soon to play in the Champions League. On this evidence, he is good enough. The only mistake Zaha made was to move to United when he wasn’t able to embrace his chance, but this time he doesn’t have any time left to waste.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace): After months without a goal - 358 days - Benteke put in a performance that put his side ahead and helped them create more goals to eventually win. He appears to be a confidence player, so for the good of his side he needs to make sure the next goal comes before the end of the season, not at the end of the year.
PLAYER RATINGS
Arsenal: Leno 6, Jenkinson 6, Mustafi 5, Koscielny 6, Mavropanos 6, Kolasinac 6, Elneny 5, Guendouzi 5, Ozil 7, Lacazette 7, Aubameyang 7. Subs: Maitland-Niles 7, Torreira 6, Iwobi 7.
Crystal Palace: Guaita 7, Ward 7, Wan-Bissaka 7, Dann 7, Kelly 7, Meyer 5, Milivojevic 6, McArthur 6, Kouyate 6, Zaha 8, Benteke 8. Subs: Townsend 7, Ayew 6.
KEY EVENTS
17’ - GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Crystal Palace. Benteke scores - The Palace striker gets his first goal since 2018, and his first in 19 games. From a free kick on the right, Milivojevic's cross is met by Benteke at the near post - Arsenal simply did not bother marking him. In retrospect, a mistake.
38’ - PENALTY APPEAL - Kolasinac fizzes in a cross from the left, and Wan-Bissaka's hands - raised to protect his face but nonetheless raised - stop the ball going into the danger area. Palace got away with one there. It could easily have been a penalty.
47’ - GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Crystal Palace. Ozil scores - Free kick for Arsenal, 40 yards out, slightly to the left. Ozil's cross is cleared, and Arsenal play from right to left. Iwobi, the new man on the wing finds Lacazette, whose reverse through-ball finds Ozil into the box, and he dinks a brilliant finish from close range over the stooping Guaita.
61’ - GOA! Arsenal 1-2 Palace. Zaha scores - Arsenal just *will not learn*. A long ball forward, Benteke flicks it on, and with Mustafi jogging towards the ball, Zaha simply runs around him and shoots through a poor effort from Leno.
69’ - GOAL! Arsenal 1-3 Crystal Palace. McArthur scores - Benteke chases a long ball and Mustafi nods behind. Milivojevic takes, Dann meets it first, and two yards later McArthur redirects it past the 'keeper.
77’ - GOAL! Arsenal 2-3 Palace. Aubameyang scores - Aubameyang cuts in from the right. He beats three defenders, lays it off ahead of him but the ball comes back off a defender into his path, and he whistles a strike past Guaita.
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: Crystal Palace players celebrate after James McArthur of Crystal Palace scores a goal to make it 3-1 during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on April 21, 2019 in London, United Kingdom
Image credit: Getty Images
KEY STAT
- Crystal Palace avoided defeat in both league meetings with Arsenal in a campaign for the first time since 1979-80.
- Arsenal suffered their first home league defeat in a London derby since January 2016 (0-1 v Chelsea) - they were unbeaten in 13 such games prior to this loss (W10 D3).
- Crystal Palace’s win saw Roy Hodgson became the seventh different manager to win a Premier League away game at both Highbury and the Emirates Stadium (also Alan Curbishley, Sir Alex Ferguson, Gérard Houllier, Harry Redknapp, José Mourinho and Kenny Dalglish).
- Crystal Palace have scored 29 goals away from home in the Premier League this season; their most in a single campaign in the competition and joint-most overall in a top-flight season (also 29 in 1991-92).
- Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke made his 200th Premier League appearance in this match against Arsenal. He scored 46 goals in his first 100 games in the competition, but has netted just 24 in his second 100 appearances.
- Christian Benteke scored first his goal for Crystal Palace since April 2018 (vs Leicester), ending a run of 19 appearances, 25 shots and 358 days without netting.
- Wilfried Zaha has scored eight away goals for Crystal Palace in the Premier League this season - only Harry Kane (11) and Jamie Vardy (10) have netted more in the competition.
- Mesut Özil has been directly involved in 52 goals in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium (20 goals, 32 assists); the most of any Arsenal player since his debut for the club.
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