The visitors defended very capably for long periods of the contest, and at the point they fell behind after thirty-nine minutes, Arsenal had barely laid a glove on them.
Yeremy Pino conceded a needless free-kick and Eberechi Eze struck the vital blow in his first game against his former club since moving across town at the end of August. Typically, the England star lashed home the second ball in a fashion witnessed many times in red and blue.
It was just the tonic Arsenal needed and the foothold they so desired.
The Gunners were more fluent in the second half, but this victory was very much ground out rather than a performance that set pulses racing. The old ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ seems to be back en vogue.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was delighted afterwards, having extended their lead at the top of the table, but he acknowledged just how difficult Palace were to overcome.
There were some excellent displays from the central defensive trio of Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guehi and Chris Richards, while Tyrick Mitchell continued his rich vein of form on the left side.
_(Image: Keith Gillard)_
### Offensively off colour
Though Palace were able to restrict Arsenal, they created very little themselves.
The adage that you play as well as the other team let you be apparent, as Oliver Glasner’s men ended the game with 0.47xG.
Palace huffed and puffed throughout, though looked a threat in the first half in transition – setting effective traps that, at moments, threatened to bear fruit. But all too often, the likes of Yeremy Pino and Ismaila Sarr were caught in possession or had shots blocked after failing to get them away quickly enough.
In the second period, Palace managed to enjoy better spells of possession higher up the pitch, but David Raya in the Arsenal goal was rarely called into action.
It must be said that they came up against the meanest defence in the Premier League, having conceded just three times in nine matches this term, but Palace must do more.
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With limited chance creation at Arsenal following on from failing to register against AEK Larnaca three days prior, it is slightly concerning.
It’s quite a conundrum. Despite their expected goals being the highest in the top-flight, it is the fifth time in fifteen matches across all competitions that Palace have failed to score.
When you consider that two of those have come in Europe against teams that are not of the standard they are facing week to week, it is even more of a headscratcher.
### Time for Pino to deliver
Yeremy Pino is finding the adjustment from La Liga to the Premier League difficult.
The diminutive Spanish forward was hauled off early again in north London after another ineffective display.
It seemed after the win and his performance against Dynamo Kyiv that Pino was finding his feet and starting to provide game-changing moments in a Palace jersey.
But of late, he has been caught in possession too often and is struggling with the pace and physicality of the English game. He has demonstrated real moments of quality, but his recent form has become quite concerning.
A £20 million replacement for the £70 million Eze, Glasner was quick to bemoan the lack of time to bed him in and pretty much said he would just have to learn on the job.
The way that Glasner sets up with very few goals coming from anybody outside of his striker, two ‘number tens’ and wing-backs, there is a real need for Pino to deliver. So far in ten appearances, he has no goals and two assists, both coming in the aforementioned Conference League encounter in Lublin.
Though rarely mentioned, the harsh reality is that the Premier League is the land of the giants, where few players of smaller stature succeed.
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The likes of Max Meyer are a stark reminder that fine technicians don’t make it without the physical attributes, and the jury is very much out right now.
Pino needs to start delivering and you wonder whether a first goal may enable him to shed the burden. For Palace to enjoy a successful campaign, it’s an absolute must.
Glasner has very limited options in this area, and he has shown a reluctance to use some of those thus far.
### Can Palace pick up their form again?
Having enjoyed an excellent start, Palace need to find the winning formula again. The nineteen-game unbeaten run has been followed by a four-match winless streak.
In fairness, Palace could have taken more from all those games but have not been ruthless enough in front of goal, failing to score in the last two.
Thursday night’s defeat at home was a real blip, with the Cypriot side coming to Selhurst Park as a 17-1 shot in a two-horse race and leaving with maximum points.
_(Image: Nathaniel Hutchinson)_
That embarrassing defeat and the stodgy nature of the Fredrikstad games in the same competition demonstrated the difficulty the Eagles have had against teams that are prepared to sit deep and frustrate.
The next two weeks see them play two Premier League home games against Brentford and arch-rivals Brighton, with AZ Alkmaar also visiting SE25.
First up, Palace must visit Anfield in the Carabao Cup in what is set to be a huge test – though the type of game might just suit them a little more than recent encounters, since they beat the same opponent in the Premier League a month ago. An interesting fortnight awaits…