Arsenal, coming off two consecutive defeats in the Premier League, regained its winning form on Saturday with a resounding 5-0 victory against Crystal Palace. The triumph allows the team, led by Spanish manager Mikel Arteta, to reclaim its spot in the top three of the English Premier League.
The ‘Gunners’ now have 43 points, the same as Manchester City (2nd) and Aston Villa (4th), although City has a pending match. All three teams are just two points behind the leader, Liverpool, who visits Bournemouth (12th) on Sunday in an unusual 21st matchday spread over two weekends.
At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal, known for its offensive play under Arteta, secured the win thanks to set-pieces. Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring with a header from a Declan Rice corner (11), and his shot led to an own goal by Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson just before halftime (37).
With a two-goal lead, Arsenal played on the counter in the second half and dismantled Crystal Palace, with goals from Belgian Leandro Trossard (59) and two added-time goals from Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli (90+4 and 90+5), who played only the last 20 minutes.
The victory momentarily ends Arsenal’s recent negative streak. After leading the Premier League before Christmas, Arsenal suffered three defeats, a draw, and only one victory in the last six weeks, along with an FA Cup elimination against Liverpool.
“We wanted to start the second half of the season with a great game and a great result and get back on track. The boys did a great job today,” said a proud Arteta.
The Arsenal manager emphasized the team’s improved effectiveness in the opponent’s area compared to recent matches. Arsenal faced this match with recharged energy after a nearly two-week break, as their previous game was on January 7, ending in a 2-0 home defeat against Liverpool in the FA Cup third round.
In another Saturday Premier League match, Brentford (14th) won 3-2 against Nottingham Forest (16th) in a direct clash between two teams fighting for survival. Brentford’s Ivan Toney, returning after an eight-month suspension for sports betting, celebrated his comeback with a goal. Toney, who scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League matches last season, adds significant value to Brentford’s lineup. Nottingham Forest struggled with the absence of several players participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.