London, April 5 (BNA) Arsenal’s hopes of grabbing one of the top four places in the Premier League this season took a heavy blow as the under-performing visiting team suffered a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Arsenal were under the sword in the first half by the hosts, with goals from forwards Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew, giving Palace a deserved 2-0 lead in the first half.
The London side improved after the break, as Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard missed great opportunities to get their team back into the match. Their extravagance proved costly as Wilfried Zaha put the match to bed with a penalty kick 16 minutes from time.
Tottenham Hotspur’s 5-0 win at home to Newcastle United on Sunday means they are fourth, ahead of their north London rivals on goal difference after playing a game more.
Arsenal were in great shape on the road in the Premier League ahead of their trip to south London on Monday.
“I congratulate Palace on the match they played but we made it impossible for ourselves with the way we played,” Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports.
“I apologize to our fans. We didn’t have the presence today or the composure to control the situation, and that’s what bothers me the most.
“First of all, we need to raise our hands and get the cash we deserve. Then we accept it, look ourselves in the mirror and look forward to the next match. It wasn’t good enough.”
no rhythm
Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa last time was their fifth consecutive away win – and the first time an Arsenal side have battled such a victory since May 2015.
But they struggled from the start to find any rhythm, and Palace fared much better in the opening period.
It took the hosts 16 minutes to break the deadlock, as Joachim Andersen’s header sent a free kick across the penalty area to lead Mateta to his fourth league goal of the season.
Eight minutes later, centre-back Anderson again turned to the goalkeeper, picking up a perfect pass for Ayew, who dominated well before netting for the first time since December.
Arsenal were unable to create any notable openings in the first half, as Mateta came close to adding a third for Palace before the first half.
Satisfied with their two-goal lead, the hosts sat down and called to press after the break. Smith Roe should have done better at close range before Odegaard dragged his effort away.
Then Zaha broke on the counter and awarded a penalty – only Raheem Sterling (23) and Jamie Vardy (21) have received more penalties in Premier League history than the Ivory Coast striker – which emphatically turned him.
Arsenal substitute Eddie Nketiah hit the crossbar but it would have been too little too late.
A second defeat in their last three league games opens the door to Arsenal’s top-four rivals, and Arteta’s side still have everything they can do to secure a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2016-2017.
Arsenal, which is fifth, with 54 points, is equal with Tottenham, three points behind West Ham United and Manchester United, although all of their competitors in the top four have played more matches.
The result at Selhurst Park was not impressive, which continued to improve under former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, with their ninth-place win.
“I’m really proud,” Vieira told Sky Sports. “We defended well and took our chances. We scored in important moments of the match. We needed a top team performance and we did it so we are really happy.
“It’s a good moment for the club but we know we need to be consistent in our performance and results.”