THINGS WE LEARNED as the Gunners beat Palace 1-0
Eddie Nketiah’s confidence makes him a worthy understudy and Arsenal have become the team to beat… but defensive concerns loom after Takehiro Tomiyasu’s red card: THINGS WE LEARNED as the Gunners beat Palace 1-0
- Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal: Gunners cling on to victory to maintain winning start
- Mikel Arteta’s side pulled off an against-the-odds triumph with just 10 players
- WATCH: ‘It’s All Kicking Off’ – Episode 2 – Mail Sport’s brand new football show
A 10-man Arsenal clung on to snatch all three points against Crystal Palace in a gritty 1-0 win at Selhurst Park on Monday night.
The Gunners’ solitary goal came from the spot, when captain Martin Odegaard stepped up to send Sam Johnstone the wrong way after Eddie Nketiah drew a foul in the box from the Palace keeper.
Takehiro Tomiyaso was given his marching orders half and hour before time after picking up a second yellow card – just seven minutes after his first – but Mikel Arteta’s side hunkered down to see out the win.
The side impressed without looking their best, giving hopeful fans a flash of the promise that could make them Manchester City’s closest rivals to the title this season.
Here, Mail Sport’s Isaan Khan looks at three things we learned from the slender victory on the road.
Arsenal hunkered down and saw out a gritty 1-0 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park
Eddie Nketiah (right) draw a foul from Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to put the side ahead
Captain Martin Odegaard was nerveless from the spot to score the team’s only goal of the tie
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EDDIE NKETIAH IS A WORTHY UNDERSTUDY
If there were to be any hesitation in Mikel Arteta’s mind as to whether Eddie Nketiah is able to temporarily fill the gap made vacant by Gabriel Jesus’ injury, that notion was further alleviated last night.
The signs had been laid before the move which proved to be the winner.
After 29 minutes, the 24-year-old struck a post after a darting run into the box. It was not a simple chance, but one he would have wished landed on the right side.
Seven minutes later he really should have scored after Declan Rice’s sublime reverse pass left Nketiah one-one with goalkeeper Sam Johnstone – he could only chip over the bar.
This chance in particular will have hurt his confidence, but this is where Nketiah is different from many other young strikers.
No matter how many setbacks he encounters, he brushes himself down and goes back for more with a real sense of self-confidence.
Nketiah is different from many young strikers in his boundless confidence to take his chances
The 24-year-old will have to step up in Gabriel Jesus’ absence and is doing the job very well
It is why he was alert to Gabriel Martinelli’s quick thinking in the second half, to latch onto a quick free-kick on 51 minutes. That saw him pedal away from Johnstone, as the goalkeeper swept his legs away. Captain Martin Odegaard duly stepped up to convert the penalty.
Jesus is of course missed, but in the meantime Nketiah is doing more than fine.
TOMIYASU’S RED CARD RAISES DEFENSIVE CONCERNS
Arsenal’s defensive options ran deeper than most teams in the league, yet they now already face a complicated backline conundrum after Takehiro Tomiyasu’s red card.
Prior to the opening weekend, new signing Jurrien Timber was shining at both left back and right back, Kieran Tierney had played chunks of pre-season, and Gabriel had put in an impressive display in the Community Shield victory against Manchester City.
Now, their options are somewhat shorn. Timber is out for months with an injury sustained against Nottingham Forest, Tierney has not even made the squad with speculation suggesting he is not in Mikel Arteta’s plans, while Gabriel started on the bench once again amid reported interest from Real Madrid and Saudi Arabia.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (centre left) will be missed during his red card ban by Arsenal’s defences
Losing Jurrien Timber during the first match of the season was a massive blow for the club
With Tomiyasu’s absence for the next couple of games, Arteta faces a dilemma as to whether he should recall Tierney, and whether to accept an anticipated bid for Gabriel who played an integral part in the last campaign.
Both are big decisions.
GUNNERS WILL BE A TEAM TO BEAT
Facing an opposition comprising of just 10 men for more than 20 minutes for sure helps the cause. It, inevitably, saw Crystal Palace commit further bodies forward in sustained waves of attack in a bid for a late equaliser.
The Gunners enjoyed more than 75 per cent possession in parts of the game; Palace mustered 80 per cent in the 15 minutes following Tomiyasu’s dismissal. The wider message at the game’s end was this: the North London club are already a marked team.
After their exploits in the last campaign, the league from top to bottom were already aware of the ambitions of this club. But their signings over summer further heightened the intentions, and it is why Arsenal are being treated in a similar vein to any other title contender.
The Gunners had to scrap until the last to ensure their treasured victory and all three points
Mikel Arteta at times cut a frustrated figure from the bench as Arsenal saw out the difficult win
Palace did not mind ceding possession, nor soaking up pressure with patience and eye on seizing the couple of moments produced across the match.
That added sharpness and understanding that scant opportunity and an absolute requirement to follow tight tactical instruction are integral against the best league sides.
Such endeavour was wholly embraced by Palace last night who had a couple of near chances, and resulted in Arsenal needing to scrap to the very last minute for victory.
It will be something the Gunners must get used to if they are to achieve their ambitions and more.
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!
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