Arsenal had the chance to respond to their defeat against Sporting CP in the Europa League from Thursday night when they faced Crystal Palace shortly after in the Premier League. The Eagles came into the tie without a win in 2023 and a permanent manager after former Gunners captain Patrick Vieira was dismissed.
After an end-to-end start to the clash, the north London side took control when Gabriel Martinelli shifted the ball from right-to-left before sweeping the ball home for the opener. Shortly after that, Bukayo Saka doubled the scoreline with a run behind the defence to smash a second goal.
After half-time, the lead was extended further as Granit Xhaka fired home a third goal, though there was some concern shortly after as Jeffrey Schlupp scored from a corner to pull one back for the visitors. Any worries were soon put to rest as Saka found the back of the net again with a cool finish.
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The victory pushed the Gunners up to eight points clear of rivals Manchester City at the top of the table - though the Citizens have a game in hand. The win was a boost to their title hopes as there's one fewer game until the end of the season and points on the board for the side.
It was also a chance to respond to defeat in midweek as Arsenal responded to a demand from Gabriel Jesus after the tie against Sporting CP. After the loss, the striker posted a picture of Arsenal players lined up at the halfway line during the penalty shootout, with a caption saying: "Heads up" with fist bump and heart emojis attached.
The squad have managed just that with the victory that keeps up their imperious form in the league, with a few months to go before they can lift the trophy.
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