Arsenal Downs Palace to Extend Perfect Start

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Despite Takehiro Tomiyasu receiving a red card, Arsenal continued their flawless beginning to the Premier League season by securing a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace on Monday, with Martin Odegaard scoring the decisive goal.

Odegaard’s penalty in the second half at Selhurst Park set Arsenal on the path to their second consecutive victory. However, Mikel Arteta’s team had to work hard to maintain their lead after Takehiro Tomiyasu, the Japanese defender, was given a debatable second yellow card and sent off during the second half.

Tomiyasu received a yellow card for delaying a throw-in and later got sent off for a slight touch on Jordan Ayew. Arteta was pleased with Arsenal’s determination to hold onto their lead, which helped them climb to the third position in the standings. They are currently behind Brighton, the league leaders, and Manchester City in second place, with the positioning being determined by goal difference.

“Great win. I’m so happy. To play 30 minutes away from home with 10 men is extremely difficult,” Arteta said. “Some players were suffering physically. The subs were magnificent, they knew what they had to do. Today we had a difficult one, we overcame it and it will make us better.”

Arteta expressed his frustration with Tomiyasu’s initial yellow card for time-wasting, commenting, “This is the standard. I think it was eight seconds. We might have to play with a stopwatch.”

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Expected to contend strongly for the title after their previous season’s late collapse, which allowed City to secure the trophy, the team from North London seemed prepared for the competition. They have carried forward their momentum from the victory in the opening weekend against Nottingham Forest.

Although their gameplay hasn’t been at its smoothest, this match could serve as an important foundation in their pursuit of a title, which they haven’t won since 2004. During the previous season, Arsenal possessed the strongest away record in the top league and managed to keep clean sheets in 10 of their away matches, the highest in the division.

Arteta’s team displayed their skill on the road once more by holding off Palace’s last-minute surge. With David Raya, the new goalkeeper from Brentford, on the Arsenal bench after his loan transfer, the focus remained on Aaron Ramsdale. As the English national team player, Ramsdale is striving to maintain his position in the lineup.

Ramsdale met the challenge head-on, showing assurance from the instant he deflected Eberechi Eze’s long-distance shot in the initial moments. In a strategy reminiscent of City’s manager Pep Guardiola, Arteta had Thomas Partey playing as a right-back, allowing him to connect play from his favored midfield position whenever the team had the ball.

This approach enabled Arsenal to control the ball, yet Eddie Nketiah, standing in for the injured Gabriel Jesus, couldn’t convert their first-half dominance into goals. Despite an opportunity for the 24-year-old, who skillfully evaded Joachim Andersen, he ended up mishitting his shot against the far post with only Sam Johnstone, the goalkeeper, to overcome. VAR overlooked a potential penalty for Palace when William Saliba’s sliding tackle on Ayew went unnoticed.

Nketiah’s wastefulness continued when he chipped the ball over the goal from just six yards out, after Declan Rice found him unmarked. Arsenal maintained their composure, and Odegaard’s powerful strike from 25 yards forced an impressive save from Johnstone.

Odegaard’s determination paid off as he scored from the penalty spot in the 54th minute, rewarding Arsenal’s dominant performance. Taking advantage of Gabriel Martinelli’s quick free-kick that caught Palace off guard, Nketiah evaded Johnstone but was fouled by the goalkeeper, who was then deceived by Odegaard’s composed penalty.

When Johnstone managed to tip Partey’s powerful shot from the edge of the area over the bar, it seemed like Arsenal would secure an easy victory. However, Palace’s hopes were revived in the 67th minute when Tomiyasu received a controversial second yellow card for a minor push on Ayew. Strangely, VAR didn’t review the incident according to the rules for second yellow cards.

Palace’s frustration grew when Eze went down after contact from Partey, but his plea for a penalty was turned down. In the tense closing moments, Odsonne Edouard had the best opportunity to equalize for Palace with a headed effort that went wide from Tyrick Mitchell’s cross. Mitchell also missed a chance, sending the ball over the bar from six yards out, as Arsenal managed to hold their ground.

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