Arsenal made sure it was a memorable weekend for their supporters as they went four points clear at the top of the Premier League table thanks to a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.After Liverpool were beaten by Brentford on Saturday and Manchester City lost to Aston Villa on Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s men didn’t let the opportunity slip as Eberechi Eze’s stunning first half strike against his former club secured all three points. Daily Mail Sport reporter ISAAN KHAN attended the game at The Emirates Stadium. He has picked up some key talking points. Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Sunday thanks to Eberechi Eze’s stunning first half strike Mikel Arteta’s side are now four points clear at the top of the table after another victoryHow Arteta can unlock Gyokeres After his two midweek goals against Atletico Madrid, Viktor Gyokeres’ worrying goalless run had ended.It was hoped that the spike of confidence generated by that would be the start of a new chapter for Gyokeres.Against Crystal Palace, the striker, as usual, was hungry to be involved in play. His limited involvement in and around his area will frustrate him. Some of his runs upfield helped bring teammates into the picture and his work-rate was always high. Yet, as seen during his Sporting Lisbon years, Gyokeres is most effective in his box. He didn’t get to do much of this on Sunday, instead making do with possession outside the area and trying to capitalise from there.It’s an area which Mikel Arteta and Arsenal still need to properly exploit to maximise Gyokeres’ effectiveness.Facing low block defences makes it more tricky, but Palace weren’t just camped in their own half. In the first half, they put together attacks and tried to get the ball. Adam Wharton played a key role in possession, giving the Gunners’ Martin Zubimendi & Declan Rice an extremely tough match. But with goals still fresh in his memory, it is time for Gyokeres take advantage of that. A Carabao Cup game against Brighton in midweek could be the perfect game. Viktor Gyokeres did a great job again but Arteta has to find his goalscoring. Arsenal’s set piece machines keeps rolling on. ‘Set piece again, ole, ole’.It was a Declan Rice free-kick, headed down by Gabriel, that teed up Eberechi Eze’s half-volley, which opened the scoring for the Gunners.The north London club have now netted nine goals from set pieces from nine Premier League matches this season. This makes them the top team in the league. Their five goals from open play is 17th in the division.It’s an insane statistic, reflecting just how well Arsenal have mastered the ploy under set piece coach Nicolas Jover.Arteta said on Friday how his own expertise in the field has been in the making for the past 10 years, starting in his final season as a player at Arsenal.Set pieces can’t be sneered at. The impact of these set pieces is unquestionable, as they earned Arsenal three valuable points. ‘I think they (different scoring methods) all have the same value. We are noticing, obviously, a shift.‘The moment that physicality increases, methods that are implemented are more efficient and the game is more difficult to play because you can constrain spaces because physically you are better. Eze’s goal came from another set piece. Arsenal have now scored nine times from that method‘You have to find ways to score in different ways and that’s what I think everybody is trying to do.’It’s clear that Arsenal has depth. Before the game, Jean-Philippe Matéta was the name that stood out to an Arsenal fan. He had scored five league goals in his last eight appearances. Arsenal’s depth is evident in this sign. Prior to the match, the name that stood out to Arsenal fans was Jean-Philippe Mateta. The striker has been in great form and scored five goals in his last eight league games. Cristhian Mosquera put in another assured performance after replacing William Saliba Yet, Cristhian Mosquera, who came on for Saliba at half-time, shone. Arteta’s depth is evident, particularly at the back. Mosquera has performed well almost every time Arteta calls on him. At 21, he’s still developing. Arsenal have conceded three goals in the league this season, which is incredible. Their defensive strength has been the backbone of what appears to be an exciting campaign.
2025-10-27 07:00:49
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace: What Mikel Arteta must do to unlock Viktor Gyokeres, the incredible statistic that shows the Gunners’ strength – and the fringe star who stepped up again
