Arsenal bounced back to the winning column with an impressive 5-0 triumph over Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The Gunners secured their first Premier League victory of the New Year, initiating the scoring in the 11th minute with a header from Brazilian defender Gabriel. Taking advantage of a corner kick from Declan Rice, Gabriel directed a powerful header past Henderson.
Palace’s misfortunes continued as Henderson found himself with an own goal, where the ball struck the back of his head, with Palace players contending it resulted from an obstruction by Ben White. The third goal stemmed from a counterattack initiated by Arsenal goalkeeper Raya, who swiftly delivered the ball to Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian advanced the ball and passed it to his Belgian teammate, Trossard, who skillfully fired it past Henderson.
Unrelenting in their attacking display, the Gunners didn’t settle for a 3-0 lead, continuing to showcase their offensive prowess throughout the match. In stoppage time, Martinelli sealed the victory with two rapid goals, securing a comfortable win against Roy Hodgson’s side.
Prior to this convincing victory, Arsenal had faced setbacks in their last two EPL matches in 2023, suffering a 2-0 home defeat against West Ham and a 2-1 loss to Fulham at Craven Cottage. Additionally, they encountered a 2-0 defeat in the FA Cup against Liverpool.
With this win, Arsenal maintains their position in third place, level on points with Manchester City and trailing league leaders Liverpool by two points.
Crystal Palace, on the other hand, finds themselves five points clear of the relegation zone with a total of 21 points.