Arsenal 1 – 0 Crystal Palace – Match Report

Ebere Eze’s superb volley was enough to beat his former club Crystal Palace and hand us a seventh-straight win in all competitions as we moved four points clear at the top of the table.

Having netted the goal that clinched the FA Cup for the Eagles back in May, Eze netted in front of the red and blue-clad fans once again, albeit this time donning our red and white to provide the defining moment of a tight encounter, but one in which we managed to prevail yet again this campaign.

With chances at a premium, our rock-solid defence again held firm to keep a 10th clean sheet from 13 matches this term, and record a fourth-straight league win – all claimed in fixtures we took a single point from last term.

Eze haunts Eagles

Both teams went into the game on the back of contrasting European encounters, with us demolishing Atletico Madrid 4-0 and Palace losing to Cypriot minnows AEK Larnaca 48 hours later, leaving them winless in three heading to N5. However, you wouldn’t have thought that watching the opening half-hour.

Oliver Glasner’s team kept us silent, restricting us to no sights of goal while springing counter-attacks themselves after winning possession in our half or utilising the strength and pace of man of the moment Jean-Philippe Mateta. Fortunately the Eagles were unable to seriously capitalise on those moments, and when David Raya was required to beat away a drive from Daniel Munoz, the marauding right-back was flagged offside.

It took us 33 minutes to finally string together a move that led to a shot, but Leandro Trossard’s low effort after good work by Viktor Gyokeres was easily saved by Dean Henderson at his near-post. Indeed, it was our longest wait for an attempt in a Premier League game since April 2021.

It needed something special to finally get us going, and it arrived on 39 minutes. Once again, a set-piece routine came to our rescue as Declan Rice curled an excellent delivery towards the back of the box, which was nodded back to the penalty spot by Gabriel.

Racing onto the dropping ball was an undetected Eze, who acrobatically hooked a karate kick-like volley towards goal, and Henderson watched it whizz past him into the net as Eagles icon notched his first Premier League goal for his current employers, and produced the standout moment of a lacklustre opening 45.

OVER THE LINE

The first half produced an xG of just 0.20, the lowest of the first half of any Premier League match so far this season, but in contrast four minutes after the restart we went close three times within 10 seconds.

Another Rice free-kick delivery caused panic in the box as Gabriel once again rose highest to crash a header off the crossbar, before the England midfielder forced Henderson into an instinctive save from close range. The ball was then recycled out of the area to Bukayo Saka who took aim with a trademark curler, but watched it flash inches wide of the far post.

Big Gabi rattled the woodwork again midway through the second half, although this time it was his body that caused the collision as a crucial Munoz flick prevented him from nodding in at the back stick, but thankfully, unlike his defensive partner William Saliba who was withdrawn at the interval, our centre-back was OK to continue.

But once again, the chances dried up and as the game entered the final 10 minutes, nerves began to jangle around Emirates Stadium as Palace pushed for an equaliser. Skipper Marc Guehi blazed over after a set-piece, while Maxine Lacroix blazed into the Clock End in the first of six minutes of added time.

A plethora of long balls from Henderson during that period were bravely repelled by our backline who once again wouldn’t be breached, and ensured that Eze’s moment of magic was enough to extend our lead at the summit.

FACTS AND STATS

We have now gone 100 matches in all competitions without conceding three goals in a game, with Luton the last side to do so in December 2023. We’re the second English league side to go 100+ games without shipping three, along with Manchester United between October 2016 and August 2018 (107).

Since the start of 2022/23, we have picked up 90 points in London derby games (W27 D9 L3), 24 more than any other side. Crystal Palace have lost 19 derbies in that time, with only West Ham losing more (24).

Palace have lost back-to-back away Premier League matches – as many as they’d lost in their previous 18 away games combined (W9 D7 L2).

We have scored 11 goals via set pieces in the Premier League this season, two more than any other side (Chelsea, 9). 69% of our goals in 2025/26 have come from set pieces (11/16), the highest ratio by a team in a single Premier League campaign.

We have registered our 700th Premier League victory, becoming just the second side to hit that milestone, along with Manchester United (now 760 wins).

We named an unchanged Premier League starting XI for the first time since September 2024 versus Leicester City. We have now won our last seven Premier League games when they’ve named the same XI as the previous game.

What’s next

We’re back in Emirates Stadium action on Wednesday when Brighton & Hove Albion visit for a Carabao Cup fourth round tie, before we travel to Burnley for our next league encounter on Saturday, November 1. The following Tuesday sees us head to Slavia Prague in the Champions League for our fourth game of the league phase.

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