Arsenal holds firm after red card to win at Crystal Palace

Tyrick Mitchell was bright for Palace and deserves the green next to his name, as does invaluable Joachim Andersen.

Martin Odegaard was special as usual for the Gunners.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal player ratings (fotmob.com)

Lots of talking points, but Mikel Arteta’s men hold on to win 1-0.

But Arsenal was better, with 54% of the ball despite the 22 minutes down a man. The Gunners had 2.00-1.06 in xG and really fought well when the anchors were down late.

The kind of win you point to later in the season.

Since the Tomiyasu red card, the Gunners have taken off Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard.

They’ve plugged Gabriel Magalhaes, Jorginho, Jakub Kiwior, and Oleksandr Zinchenko into the fold.

Nothing against Zinchenko’s ball wizardry or Jorginho’s game mastery, but Mikel Arteta’s here for a 1-0.

Seven minutes stoppage.

Eberechi Eze cuts past Declan Rice, who catches the playmaker on the chest.

That’s not enough to take the Palace player down, but Eze does hit the deck when Thomas Partey’s leg makes contact with the 25-year-old England international.

VAR takes a look but cannot call it a clear and obvious error.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson brings on young Naouirou Ahamada for Jeff Schlupp.

Mikel Arteta needs to sub a defender for an attacker.

It’s one Gabriel for another, as Gabriel Martinelli gives way to Gabriel Magalhaes.

The other red cards this weekend, to answer the last post, went to West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd, Fulham’s Tim Ream, Wolves’ Matheus Nunes, and Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister.

A full 60% of those were pretty soft.

Jordan Ayew has played the game well, here, as the Palace striker has drawn a second yellow card for Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The Japanese fullback had been booked earlier for time wasting and has his hand on the small of Ayew’s back as the Ghanaian pulls away at midfield.

Ayew hits the deck. It’s minimal pressure but it’s a fast game and the foul can’t be reviewed because it’s just a second yellow (Seems like a rule we’ll see changed in the future because of moments like this).

Anyway, Arsenal will have to play 22 minutes down a man. It’s the fifth red card of the Premier League weekend. Can you name the other four?

A clever through ball to Eddie Nketiah on a free kick sees Sam Johnstone charge at the English striker.

Nketiah’s first touch is to the right of Johnstone, whose dive takes down the forward.

Hold on, though, there’s a VAR review for a potential blocking foul on Thomas Partey. No dice from VAR.

Up strides Martin Odegaard. The captain rolls it home. 1-0.

There were flashes from Arsenal but nothing as bright as their neon away kits and it remains a pretty solid 0-0.

The ball spent most of its time in Palace’s end, and the Gunners’ 69% possession number is backed up by nine of the game’s 13 shots.

Arsenal has 0.96 expected goals to Palace’s 0.11. It’s all zeroes at Selhurst Park.

Arsenal’s captain has won a corner, as Martin Odegaard’s hard, curling, and rising shot is on target but within reach of the jumping Johnstone.

It’s tipped over for a corner kick, and Palace deals with it well. But Bukayo Saka wins the ball back and it’s soon in the box for Gabriel Martinelli, who badly misses his shot.

William Saliba’s made an error and Jordan Ayew may be off to the races.

Just when it seems that Ayew has shaken Saliba, the Arsenal defender slides in and knocks the ball away in the box.

That flattens Ayew, but the ball was caught first and VAR agrees with that.

Now Arsenal attacks the other way and Declan Rice probably felt he had an assist only to see Eddie Nketiah chip over the bar. Should he have fired hard and low, or did Johnstone have it covered?

0-0, 37'

Arsenal wants a penalty for a Joel Ward coming-together with Eddie Nketiah, but the Arsenal forward was always hitting the deck and VAR agrees with the non-call.

But moments later it’s Jordan Ayew’s frustration getting him in the book, as the Ghanaian feels he was fouled and then rakes his boots across the ankle of Kai Havertz. Yellow card, but VAR doesn’t upgrade to red.

Now Thomas Partey heads the ensuing free kick strongly but wide of the goal, and Nketiah’s soon back into the box to beat Johnstone from a tight angle but just miss the far post.

0-0.

It had been all Arsenal at Selhurst Park, though the Gunners failed to really threaten Eagles goalkeeper Sam Johnstone through a quarter-hour.

But watch out now, Aaron Ramsdale, because Palace makes two moments of danger on the counter attack.

First it’s Odsonne Edouard dribbling into the box and forcing a scrambled intervention from the back line, and then Eberechi Eze pumps a 17-yard shot into the arms of the Arsenal keeper.

0-0, 18'

An interesting Gunners lineup that seems to place Thomas Partey at the back, while Takehiro Tomiyasu will slide in for the injured Jurrien Timber.

Eddie Nketiah leads the line for Arsenal.

Jefferson Lerma and Cheick Doucoure partner in what looks like a very tough midfield.

Arsenal injuries

OUT: Gabriel Jesus (knee), Jurrien Timber (torn ACL - out for season), Mohamed Elneny (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), Folarin Balogun (foot), Albert Sambi Lokonga (undisclosed)

Crystal Palace injuries

OUT: Michael Olise (thigh), Matheus Franca (back), Will Hughes (knee)