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It was a night to test the durability of the limbs and also the strength of Arsenal’s mini-revival. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that they were mired in that ghastly depression, unable to buy a win or even, apparently, a goal.
Statistics showed they had scored just four in 10 Premier League games until the loss at Everton on December 19, but at the start here they could reflect eight in the previous three, all of them wins.
Being Arsenal Arsenal, they duly punctured the mood of cautious optimism by playing a goalless draw and, amid the cold temperatures, the truth is that it could have been worse for them.
Crystal Palace hit the crossbar through defender James Tomkins, and if Christian Benteke in particular had been able to place a vanguard in front of goal, the visitors would have been more abundantly rewarded for a performance of energy, discipline and not a little drive.
It was hard to remember Arsenal extending Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, and their frustrations were summed up in the 84th minute when they tried to counter through substitute Eddie Nketiah, only to be missed by Joel Ward.
The incident happened directly in front of Mikel Arteta, and when the ball shot out, the Arsenal manager ran onto the field to hit him and nearby Andros Townsend. There was contact between him and Townsend, as we are obliged to say these days, and Arteta was perhaps fortunate that the end of the Palace wore a wide smile instead of a frown and was not looking to do anything about it.
Roy Hodgson, the Palace manager, said he hoped the performance would do a lot for his players’ confidence going forward and there was a sense of adventure in their 4-4-2 formation, in which Wilfried Zaha played attacking alongside Benteke. . That said, Zaha’s license to roam was pronounced and the forward was involved in many of the best sequences on his team.
Palace was brilliant in the first half and was unlucky not to lead at the end. Eberechi Eze purposefully slid down the left, what a lovely step, accompanied by composure on possession, while Benteke was effective and disinterested with his linking game.
Arsenal didn’t dare give Zaha too much space and his best moment of the first half came when he exchanged passes with Benteke and cut two Arsenal challenges inside the penalty area. He couldn’t get away from a third, which was placed by Granit Xhaka. The Arsenal midfielder made a series of important one-on-one innings and was the best player on his team.
It had to be said that there was not much competition. Emile Smith Rowe faded after a few flashes in the first half, while there was little from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette or Bukayo Saka.
Palace thought they had the upper hand in the 39th minute when Tomkins edged out Rob Holding to find a free kick from Eze only to have his header come back off the wood as Tyrick Mitchell crossed from the left for Benteke, whose header drew in a flying save out of Bernd Leno. Palace could also signal the moment in the 29th minute when Mitchell cut the ball and Benteke, leaning back, lifted a high splurge.
Arsenal only quickened once before halftime when Smith Rowe crossed low for Lacazette, after being released from the right by Xhaka. But with Lacazette getting ready to shoot, Héctor Bellerín arrived to push the ball away from him and no one in particular.
It was a good example of Arsenal’s lack of cohesion. Sometimes they reached decent positions, but the final action was usually lacking. Aubameyang cut from the left and hit Guaita directly, who stopped in midair before grabbing the second down, while Saka meekly fired at the goalkeeper.
Arsenal lacked spark – Arteta said it was a lack of freshness from the number of games they have played – and it was clear they missed their fit left-back Kieran Tierney, who had to retire at the last minute because of a tight calf. His withdrawal upset Arteta’s plans. Tierney faces a scan Friday.
Arsenal started the second half at a faster pace, with Bellerín and Tierney’s replacement, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, pressing high from the wing positions. Both had goals of goal; Bellerín’s was the best opportunity, but it hit wide open.
Arteta replaced Maitland-Niles with Nicolas Pépé, a change that saw Saka go from right back to left back, and was an illustration of the coach’s determination to push for victory. But he also allowed Palace to blink on the counter, with Xhaka cutting a cross from Zaha that was addressed to Benteke. From the next corner, Benteke should have done better with his header.
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