David Sneyd
WHEN GABRIEL MARTINELLI prodded home an instinctive, opportunistic strike to make it 4-1 to Arsenal on the 60-minute mark the away fans could begin to go through the celebratory song book.
On the last Saturday before Christmas, some might even had taken the chance to nip away early and maybe finish the last of their shopping.
They’d have missed Declan Rice making it five six minutes before the end of normal time.
For the second time in two months Arsenal netted five goals away from. Not bad for a side struggling to create and score. They now have three more than league leaders Liverpool although Arne Slot’s side have two games in hand, one of which is away to the Gunners’ north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow afternoon.
Mikel Arteta’s men are now just three off the summit with Chelsea one clear in second and Nottingham Forest two adrift in fourth.
Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over beleaguered Manchester City means Pep Guardiola finds himself languishing in sixth place. With 10th place Fulham only three points off the champions it is not inconceivable that they could find themselves in the bottom half of the table by the time we are ringing in the New Year.
If that should be the case they will at least have neighbours Manchester United for company.
Arsenal, though, are most definitely looking up.
This game was won and the points secured long before Rice’s gorgeous swivel and shot from just inside the left side of Crystal Palace’s box. Not one defending player got within six yards of the England midfielder and his strike into the far corner was superb.
It had turned into a far more enjoyable evening than seemed likely earlier on when Ismaïla Sarr was given the same amount of space in a more central area and equalised on 11 minutes. William Saliba backtracked and stood off before he was used as a decoy for a curler around him.
Either side of that were two goals for Gabriel Jesus. His opener on six minutes was his first Premier League goal since January. A Christmas miracle, of sorts.
The strike to notch his brace was a Christmas cracker, a delightfully precise finish that almost skimmed the post on its way in after Thomas Partey teed him up when a corner kick caused havoc.
“Set piece again, ole, ole,” the Arsenal fans sang.
The good times were only beginning, although the sight of Bukayo Saka limping off on 24 minutes to be replaced by Leandro Trossard will be a major concern for Arteta.
That made the identity of the three goal scorers before Rice even more important.
Martinelli has come in for criticism from fans for his lack of output this season and even club legend Thierry Henry highlighted his performances as part of the reason why Arsenal had only scored three goals from set-pieces in the Premier League since hitting West Ham for five at the end of last month.
A goalless draw at home to Everton last weekend came on the back of a 1-1 away to Fulham.
“This is what I’m trying to say, sometimes they will say ‘Arsenal didn’t create’. You did create, it’s the choice that you didn’t take,” Henry said about Martinelli’s decision-making and apparent reluctance to take risks in one-on-one situations.
So, the sight of him standing up Palace left wing back Tyrick Mitchell before producing a sharp change of pace to get around him for a cross to set up Arsenal’s third goal would have been welcome.
Jesus’ header rebounded off the post and the only other player in the box who anticipated the rebound was Kai Havertz. He made no mistake with the tap in.
Martinelli’s goal won’t live long in the memory but was crucial to kill any lingering desires of a dramatic Palace fightback, while Rice’s
If Saka does face a prolonged period out then Martinelli, Havertz and Jesus must continue to step up and keep the pressure on.
A title challenge that looked to be fading now has a renewed sense of purpose.