Eberechi Eze finally got off the mark in the Premier League for Arsenal, scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over his former team, Crystal Palace, on Sunday. The narrow win at the Emirates Stadium strengthened Arsenal’s grip at the top of the Premier League table after surprise defeats for both Liverpool and Manchester City.
Eze, who made a £60 million switch from Palace to Arsenal last summer, produced a touch of magic late in the first half to secure the Gunners’ seventh win in nine league games. It was the perfect moment for the midfielder to announce himself to Arsenal fans, having scored just once in his previous 10 appearances in all competitions.
Mikel Arteta’s men now lead the league by four points ahead of Bournemouth, six ahead of Manchester City, and seven in front of Liverpool. The result has only increased fans’ hopes that Arsenal might finally end their 20-year wait for a Premier League crown.
Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to Brentford on Saturday further dented their title ambitions, while Manchester City’s poor form continued, making Arsenal’s victory even more vital.
Once again, Arsenal’s defensive solidity was on display. They have now conceded just three goals in 13 matches across all competitions, recording 10 clean sheets in the process.
However, there were slight worries for Arteta after Declan Rice limped off midway through the second half, shortly after William Saliba was replaced at halftime with a suspected injury.
With rock legend Jon Bon Jovi watching from the stands, Palace started brightly. Jean-Philippe Mateta had an early chance but was quickly shut down by Arsenal’s defence. Saliba made an important block to stop Ismaila Sarr from handing Palace a shock lead.
Arsenal enjoyed most of the possession but found it difficult to unlock Palace’s tight defence. Their first real chance came in the 33rd minute when Leandro Trossard’s low shot was easily gathered by Dean Henderson.
The breakthrough finally came six minutes later through a classic Arsenal set-piece. Declan Rice swung in a free-kick that Gabriel Magalhaes nodded down to Eze, who struck the ball first time with precision, bouncing it past Henderson from close range.
Eze didn’t over-celebrate, raising an arm quietly out of respect for his former club as Arsenal fans roared in delight.Cristhian Mosquera replaced Saliba after the break, and Arsenal nearly doubled their lead soon after. Gabriel’s header struck the crossbar, Rice’s rebound was saved by Henderson, and Bukayo Saka narrowly missed moments later.
Gabriel had another chance to make it two but failed to convert from close range, crashing into the post in the process.
When Eze was subbed off late in the game, he was met with a standing ovation from both sets of supporters, a mark of respect for his composed and classy performance against his old team.
