10-man arsenal showed character and determination to hold Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park with a narrow 1-0 victory.
Arsenal asserted their control in the first half, and they carried forward that same approach in the second half. Their efforts were rewarded when Gabriel Martinelli earned a swift free-kick behind the Palace defense to locate Eddie Nketiah, courtesy of Sam Johnston’s deflection.
Taking advantage of the chance to find the net, Martin Odegaard, made the most of the opportunity to score. His successful penalty gurantees that Arsenal maintains their winning streak this season, joining the ranks of just two other teams who have achieved this feat.
A yellow card was shown to Takahiro Tomiyasu for time-wasting when throwing the ball in. Shortly after, he tugged Jordan Ayew’s shirt, who sprinted past him, prompting another yellow card, and then he was shown the way out with a second yellow.
With an extra man, Palace suddenly seized control, and momentum shifted in their favor.
As the home team sought parity, Arsenal’s defense exhibited resilience and secured three points, showing flexibility.
Mikel Arteta speaks. “I love to win like this … the way we played in the first half against a team that is so difficult … we dominated but conceded nothing … even with ten men we didn’t concede … I am so happy the team responded in a positive way to win the game … it shows how much we want it.”
