Arsenal thrash Palace to restore eight point lead

Bukayo Saka’s well-taken brace helped Arsenal thrash Crystal Palace 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The result means Mikel Arteta’s men restored their eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League standings.

Gunners dominate first half

Palace came into this game following Patrick Vieira’s dismissal in midweek and fell behind in the 28^th minute when Gabriel Martinelli’s strike gave the hosts a well-deserved lead.

The Brazilian received the ball from Saka on the right flank and then created a yard of space for himself before drilling his shot in the bottom right corner.

The Gunners dominated possession as they looked to assert their authority on the game. Saka then made it 2-0 right before halftime as the English winger played a quick one-two with Ben White before curling past Joseph Whitworth in the Palace goal.

Ten minutes after the restart, Granit Xhaka made it 3-0 with a calm finish after Leandro Trossard managed to find the Swiss midfielder with a well-crafted through ball.

Palace did get a goal back in the 63^rd minute when Jeffrey Schlupp swept home from just six yards out to give some hope to the visitors.

saka’s brace headlines career best league season

However, Saka closed that door of opportunity for Palace as he made it 4-1 in the 74^th minute after the visitors failed to clear their lines that allowed Kieran Tierney to whip in a low cross towards goal.

It was Saka’s 12^th goal this season, a career-high tally for the 21-year-old.

Palace didn’t carve out any clear-cut opportunities to put their hosts under pressure as Arsenal won their 22^nd Premier League game this season, their most ever in 28 games.

Arteta’s side have now won their last 5 league games and, with 10 games left, are in pole position to win the league title this May.

For Palace, the sorry state of affairs at the club continues. The Eagles are managerless and sit in 12^th, just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Photo Credit: Imago / PA Images