Arsenal's winning run came to an end in a dour Premier League goalless draw at home to Crystal Palace on Thursday. (More Football News)
1 day ago And welcome to tonight's live blog of Arsenal vs Crystal Palace. We are still over an hour away from the first whistle, but stick with us as we've got plenty of build-up coming your way. Match Thread: Crystal Palace vs Manchester United by thesmallprint13 in soccer – renzohtfc 0 points 1 point 2 points 2 years ago (0 children) Generally the ball has to not be moving at all, it has to be taken around the same spot and the ref has to be ready himself. 1 day ago After four wins in a row, Arsenal were found wanting against Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium, scarcely threatening a breakthrough Omnisport 15 January 2021 Facebook Twitter Google +. 1 day ago Stuck on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin – January 13, 2021. We also spotted some more Disney kitchen towels that will have fans raving; they are $19.99 each. Finally, we revisited The Crystal Palace after our initial reopening review to see if anything has improved.
The Gunners had won their past four matches in the league and cup to arrest an alarming slump, but their performances have still not been quite as convincing as results would suggest.
2 days ago arsenal 0-0 crystal palace 73. Just like the first half, Arsenal came firing out of the blocks but got a little complacent and have allowed Palace to find their feet.
Mikel Arteta's men needed extra time to defeat Newcastle United last time out in the FA Cup and lacked any sort of imagination against Palace as the influential Kieran Tierney sat out with muscle tightness.
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Indeed, Arsenal were ultimately fortunate to preserve a first home Premier League clean sheet since July 1 as they stayed 11th.
0 – Arsenal have kept their first home clean sheet in the @premierleague since July (12 games), whilst Crystal Palace have recorded their first on the road since June (13 games), with this the first goalless draw in the top-flight between the sides since Oct 1997. Predicted. pic.twitter.com/fUpcPK4kgJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 14, 2021
It quickly became clear the hosts would miss Tierney, their outstanding left-back, whose right-footed deputy Ainsley Maitland-Niles did not provide the same balance on that flank.
Home chances were therefore few and far between before the break and Palace instead twice came close to breaking the deadlock.
James Tomkins met Eberechi Eze's free-kick but nodded against the crossbar, then Bernd Leno was required to use the full length of his frame to reach Christian Benteke's header and claw clear.
There was marginal improvement after the break, yet visiting goalkeeper Vicente Guaita was largely untroubled, watching Rob Holding head wide as Palace extended their unbeaten run against Arsenal to five league matches.
What does it mean? No disguising Arsenal's issues
This was no better or worse than many of Arsenal's wins and losses this season.
They bossed 67.3 per cent of the possession, yet Palace were comfortable and the Gunners were unable to produce a moment of magic.
When Arsenal endured a long winless stretch, Arteta insisted they deserved more. It was not a universally held opinion and this stalemate, in which they had just five shots from inside the box, laid their failings bare again.
Tierney too important
Tierney's excellence is no secret to Arsenal supporters, but he was the one Gunner to emerge from the first half with credit, his absence glaring on the left.
The Scotland defender, who has created more chances than any other Arsenal player in all competitions this season (28), was not efficiently replaced by Maitland-Niles.
Arteta eventually relented and moved the versatile Bukayo Saka to the left, yet he finished with only two key passes, not granted the same space without Tierney as a distraction.
Easy ride on the road
Palace had mustered just their second clean sheet of the season in their prior match against Sheffield United.
Not since June had Roy Hodgson's men kept opponents at bay in consecutive matches, yet they were never truly under threat here, with Guaita making four routine saves.
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Key Opta facts
- Draws are becoming a familiar outcome when these teams meet. In their last five league games against Arsenal, Palace have won once and the other four have ended in stalemate.
- Palace have kept consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since a run of four in a row between February and June last year.
- Arsenal have kept four consecutive clean sheets in all competitions for the first time since October 2016.
- Arsenal have failed to score in seven Premier League matches this season, as many as in the entirety of last season, last failing to score in more games in a season in 2015/16 (8).
- Benteke had more attempts on goal than any other player (6). The last five players to have six or more shots in a Premier League game at Emirates Stadium have all been visiting players: John McGinn (Sept 2019), Raul Jimenez (Nov 2019), Sadio Mane (July 2020), Danny Welbeck (July 2020) and Benteke in this game.
- Palace have kept more Premier League clean sheets in two matches in 2021 (2) than they managed in their final 24 matches of 2020 (1).
What's next?
Arsenal have until Monday to prepare for Newcastle's second visit of the month, while Palace play a day earlier at Manchester City.
Arsenal’s recent resurgence was checked by a stubborn Crystal Palace, who claimed a hard-fought point from a forgettable encounter at Emirates Stadium. Tagged as relegation candidates as little as three weeks ago, the Gunners came into the game off the back of four straight wins in all competitions, but were unable to find their way past the well-drilled and disciplined visitors. For a side in such good form, Arsenal were a disappointment going forward, their best effort at goal a shot on the turn from Alexandre Lacazette into the side-netting.
Their only other clear-cut chance was an angled shot from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang that Vicente Guaita palmed away. There was more goalmouth action at the other end, with James Tomkins heading an Eberechi Eze free-kick against the bar and Christian Benteke drawing a fine save from Bernd Leno with a nodded effort of his own. The point leaves Arsenal 11th on 24 points and Palace two points and a league place worse off, but comfortably clear of any relegation worries. It was only three weeks ago that West Brom boss Sam Allardyce said Arsenal were in the middle of a battle against the drop.
To be fair to Allardyce, he had a point at the time. But that prediction has been made to look somewhat foolish by the Gunners’ subsequent three straight league wins, which included hammering the flailing Baggies. In light of their upturn in form this result has to count as a minor blip, but it underlines the fact that Arteta’s side remain a work in progress. Young players like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have added some much-needed zip and creative flair in recent games, but they were stifled here, flickering into life all too rarely against a dogged opponent. Lacazette had scored in each of the last three league games but was marshalled well by Palace and spurned his only real chance, while Aubameyang remains frustratingly ineffective in his role on the left. Arsenal also felt the absence of the injured Kieran Tierney and his driving forward runs from full-back.