Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: The Gunners raced out to an early lead, but the Eagles soared ahead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer to mark Patrick Vieira’s return to Arsenal in scintillating fashion on Monday.
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it 1-0 after eight minutes, but Arsenal were unable to find a second goal and Crystal Palace made the most of the open invitation. Christian Benteke drew the visitors level in the 50th minute and Odsonne Edouard scored a screamer for 2-1 in the 73rd. Alexandre Lacazette bundled the ball home amid a goal-mouth scramble in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time.
The results pushes Arsenal into 12th place in the Premier League table and extends their league unbeaten streak to five games. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, remain in 14th, three points behind the Gunners.
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace final score, stats, results
Final score: Arsenal 2, Crystal Palace 2
Goal scorers: Arsenal (Aubameyang 8', Lacazette 90'+5), Crystal Palace (Benteke 50', Edouard 73')
Shots: Arsenal 17, Crystal Palace 9
Shots on target: Arsenal 7, Crystal Palace 6
Possession: Arsenal 54%, Crystal Palace 46%
2 things we learned, Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
1. Palace perfectly positioned to pose problems: Vieira has done incredibly well to not only put together his team in short order after taking over late in the summer, and he’s done even better to get them playing the kind of cohesive, cooperative football that Crystal Palace played on Monday. Down a goal after eight minutes, Palace of last year would have conceded a second (and maybe a third) without battling their way back into the game. On Monday, the combination of their renewed spirit and Arsenal’s lack of self-belief combined for what almost felt like an inevitable comeback.
2. Pace of play a problem for Arsenal: There’s no denying that Arsenal have a squad full of fantastic technical players who can turn a game on its head with a jaw-dropping sequence at any moment, and therein lies perhaps the most frustrating thing about Arsenal: The tactical setup, slow and plodding as it is under Arteta, does very little to showcase the brilliance they possess. With Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka (subbed off at halftime due to injury), Martin Odegaard and various others manning the front-six spots on the field, Arsenal should be an ruthless counter-attacking side that punishes opponents dearly after winning the ball back with a high press. Too many times, as was the case on Monday, it allows lesser teams to hang around in games they should be 2-0 or 3-0. Arteta’s ideas clearly take precedence over the outlay of talent at his disposal, and he seems incapable of changing his ways.
Man of the Match: Odsonne Edouard - The Frenchman scored the winner, but he also made the last-man tackle at the other end to deny Arsenal a goal at the other end.
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace recap, highlights
Aubameyang finishes at the back post for 1-0 (goal video)
Vicente Guaita nearly made a spectacular play to palm the ball away from Nicolas Pepe’s cross in the 8th minute, but he couldn’t quite get it out of the six-yard box. Of course, Aubameyang was lurking in the exact spot where the failed clearance fell. The angle was tight as can be, but it didn’t matter.
Christian Benteke equalizes after Thomas Partey turnover (goal video)
Partey was perhaos clattered into by Jordan Ayew, but the ball was already away from the Ghanaian’s foot and didn’t contribute to the fact he played it straight to Benteke, in the general direction of the Arsenal goal. Benteke was quick and clinical with his dribble and finish.
[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]
Odsonne Edouard smashes Crystal Palace’s 2nd goal off the crossbar (video)
Again, it was a needless giveaway that saw Arsenal concede goal no. 2, and again it was Crystal Palace quickly breaking the other way to take the lead.
Alexandre Lacazette slams home the last-gasp equalizer (goal video)
Crystal Palace were this close to taking all three points.
Arsenal team news, injuries, lineup (INJURY REPORT)
OUT: Granit Xhaka (knee)
⭐️ OUR STARTING XI ⭐️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 18, 2021
🏴 @KieranTierney1 starts
🏴 @BukayoSaka87 on the wing
🇬🇦 @Auba leads the line
#️⃣ #ARSCRY
Crystal Palace team news, injuries, lineup
OUT: Eberechi Eze (achilles), Nathan Ferguson (achilles), Wilfried Zaha (undisclosed)
COME ON YOU PALACE#CPFC | #ARSCRY
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) October 18, 2021
Odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)
Arsenal (-137) | Crystal Palace (+350) | Draw (+275)
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Prediction
Perhaps Vieira’s most impressive accomplishment to date is how quickly he has turned Crystal Palace into a high-energy side that presses two-thirds of the field and looks to play quickly in possession. Arsenal’s steadfast insistence on passing the ball out of the back has hurt them against similar sides in the past. Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace.
How to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, stream live and start time
Kickoff: 3 pm ET Monday
Online: Stream via Peacock Premium