Arsenal kicked off their Premier League campaign with a battling win at Selhurst Park on Friday night.
After a dominant opening half, the Gunners slipped into their shell somewhat during the second period but ultimately made the best of their chances to claim all three points over Patrick Vieira’s Eagles.
The performance stood in stark contrast to the disappointment of the opening night at Brentford at 12 months ago when a makeshift and underpar Arsenal were overwhelmed by their hosts to set up a miserable start to the campaign.
There was to be no such repeat on this occasion, however, as the Gunners made sure to stamp their authority on the match from the outset. There were some nervy moments throughout, particularly in the second half, but Palace ultimately didn’t show enough quality to get back on terms.
Credit in the most part must go to the Gunners’ defence, with special mentions for William Saliba and Aaron Ramsdale. The young Frenchman was absolutely unflappable at centre back while Ramsdale produced some sharp saves to twice deny Palace a goal.
It proved a rather difficult night for full backs Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White but they ultimately came through rigorous examinations to lay claim to the clean sheet and all three points to boot.
It was good to see the midfield impose itself on the game in a way that was badly lacking when the Gunners visited Selhurst Park back in April, while Gabriel Jesus was a perpetual menace up front.
All that was missing from the performance was the additional goal or two to make control of the game that little easier. Excellent chances for Gabriel Martinelli before his opening goal, and for Martin Odegaard early in the second half, went begging when the goal was at their mercy.
That said, the season is still extremely young and the passage of time will hopefully see the finer points of their games sharpen up.
After the excellent pre-season campaign we had, it was important to turn our momentum into something tangible so it was great to see Mikel Arteta’s men do just that. The intensity and commitment much in evidence over the last month was front and centre at Palace and the rewards were welcome.
In what could have been a real banana-skin of a fixture, Arsenal came through in combative style and it feels so good to be able to go into the weekend relaxed and worry free!
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