Posted in Club Friendlies

Arsenal defeat Crystal Palace to a winning start

 August 6, 2022

Crystal Palace, Bukayo Saka’s attempted cross was diverted into his own net by Palace defender Marc Guehi in the 85th minute,

Arsenal – Crystal Palace 2-0

but the Gunners still had to play through a tense second half.

In the 20th minute, a well-executed corner gave Arsenal the advantage. Zinchenko met a long ball into the area and headed back across the goal toward Gabriel Martinelli,

who nodded the ball in from close range.

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After a ferocious run by Jesus,

who dribbled into the box before the ball was diverted into the direction of his fellow Brazilian, Martinelli,

who missed the far post with his shot, the opening minutes should have seen Martinelli score.

Bukayo Saka’s attempted cross was diverted into his own net by Palace defender Marc Guehi in the 85th minute,

ending the tense second half for the Gunners.

A well-executed corner gave Arsenal the advantage in the 20th minute.

Zinchenko met a long pass into the area and headed back across the goal toward Gabriel Martinelli,

who nodded the ball in from close range.

After a ferocious run by Jesus, who dribbled into the box before the ball was diverted into the path of his fellow Brazilian,

Martinelli, who scuffed his shot wide of the far post,

Martinelli could have scored in the opening minutes.

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It was a significantly better start for Arsenal than it had been the previous season,

when the team also played its first game on a Friday night but lost to promoted Brentford 2-0 and then dropped the following two contests.

Gabriel Martinelli became the first Brazilian to open a Premier League campaign with a goal.

Mikel Arteta’s team defeated Crystal Palace in an enthralling 2022–23 Premier League season opener at Selhurst Park,

giving Arsenal the perfect start to their campaign.

Crystal Palace, With a strong effort that was rewarded with Gabriel Martinelli’s goal in the 20th minute thanks to new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko’s headed assist,

the Gunners continued their strong preseason form.

Finally, Odsonne Edouard pushed A aron Ramsdale

into a stop after Joachim Andersen’s header found him in the six-yard area

after Palace finally adjusted to the visitors’ tempo late in the first half.

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The Eagles surged forward in quest of a leveller, buoyed by a boisterous home crowd,

but Arsenal scored again when Marc Guehi unintentionally headed Bukayo Saka’s ferocious cross into his own goal late in the game.

Arsenal with Crystal, Arsenal’s shrewd transfer dealings, prolific preseason play,

and being the subject of Amazon’s newest All or Nothing series have all served to whet their fans’ appetites this summer.

With a 2-0 victory,

Arsenal began the Premier League campaign in fine fashion. They emerged unhurt from Selhurst Park’s furnace.

While the remaining fixtures are being played out,

Arsenal supporters may rest easy this weekend. But in the meanwhile, what can we take away from Friday night’s victory?

First, William Saliba is the real deal.

Arsenal supporters already knew this because they noticed in preseason that he is a “Bentley”-type defender,

but only recently did the rest of the English footballing world catch on.

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As the young Frenchman exuded poise on the ball and impressive athleticism off of it,

Sky commentators waxed lyrical about him.

The MOTM award was handed to the 21-year-old,

and it was well-deserved.

The Arsenal number 12 played as though he were in his own garden despite the hostile environment at Selhurst Park

Arteta’s guys aren’t mentally prepared yet.

Today’s game’s tactical setup was perfect,

and the players executed it perfectly for the first 25 minutes of the game.

Unfortunately, as the Gunners fans witnessed last season,

the players have a propensity to lose their enthusiasm and aggressiveness both on and off the ball.

As is all-too-common with this Arsenal team,

Arteta was seen frantically gesturing for his teammates to enter the field from the sidelines.

One of the hazards of a young squad is that they withdraw when they need to control, solidify, and eliminate any possibility of a comeback in the minds of their opponents.

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Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace – LIVE!

At Selhurst Park, Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 in a hard-fought match to start the Premier League campaign on a winning note.

The Gunners entered the season’s opening night with a high level of confidence thanks to a number of quality additions and an amazing string of preseason victories.

More of that performance was on display versus Palace,

as the guests threatened to overwhelm Patrick Vieira’s team after taking the lead through Gabriel Martinelli’s header in the first half.

In front of a boisterous crowd in south London,

Arsenal held firm in the face of Palace’s inevitable response.

This prevented a repeat of last season’s opening-day defeat to Brentford, and the three points were sealed late on when Marc Guehi headed a dangerous cross from Bukayo Saka into his own net.

This allowed the Gunners, and especially their supporters, to enjoy the final five minutes.

Arsenal frequently reaches this point while still awaiting new recruits,

but this summer,

players like Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko sped through the door, and it paid dividends.

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Although William Saliba, the third debutant, outperformed them both, they both had solid debuts at Selhurst.

Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park to live up to the preseason hype about their potential improvement.

The anticipation will only grow as a result of two new arrivals and one much anticipated Premier League debut.

The summer appears to have been a practise in building pressure for Arsenal. A documentary detailing the events that transpired was released after a late-season error that allowed their competitors to secure Champions League football ahead of them.

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