For the sixth time in 2024, Arsenal scored five goals away from home in the Premier League, this time demolishing Crystal Palace to reignite their title challenge.
Gabriel Jesus continued his midweek form with a tidy brace, while Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Declan Rice also found the net, bringing a smile to Mikel Arteta’s face as he celebrated his fifth anniversary as Arsenal manager.
Here’s what the managers, players, pundits and stattos had to say about an eventful match at Selhurst Park…
Mikel Arteta on another five-star away day…
A very good week. It is always weird to play the same opponent twice in three days. We started well and then conceded and the team reacted so well. To score five goals away from home in this league is never easy.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
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Oliver Glasner on his side’s performance…
In football, sometimes it’s crazy. When I compare the performance in the first-half, to [how we played at] the Emirates [in the Carabao Cup], it was far better today. But we were 3-1 down, and over there we had the lead, so it’s crazy because I thought we did many things well. When you concede five goals, it is unlikely you get a point! But yes, at 2-1 down we had a big chance and before they scored a third goal. We had big chances in the second-half, then they scored the fourth and the game was over. We will learn from it. We have to learn that when you give the top teams a crumb, they take the whole cake!
Source: BBC Match of the Day
Crystal Palace (1.84) 1-5 (3.13) Arsenal
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) December 21, 2024
Palace captain Marc Guehi on the defeat…
We’re disappointed. It’s not nice to lose that way. Heads are down and we have to go again. There are moments we create for ourselves every single game, today we didn’t take them and they did. But I think tonight it was about both boxes. When we look back on it we didn’t defend well and a top team like Arsenal will punish you. We have to go again, look at the areas we can improve and take this game with a pinch of salt.
Source: premierleague.com
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Gabriel Martinelli on the win…
It was a brilliant performance from the team, we did really well and deserved to win. We know our quality, we know what we can do. We trust ourselves and when we play in the way that know, things happen. It’s tough to play here but we just did our job.
Source: premierleague.com
6 – Arsenal have scored 5+ goals in six different away games in all competitions in 2024, the most ever by an English top-flight club in a single calendar year. Ruthless.
— OptaJoe (@optajoe.com) December 21, 2024 at 7:21 PM
Arteta on whether Jesus can kick on from here…
It has to be, we have to now push him and let him go and be behind him. He’s had some difficult moments and, as a striker, it’s not easy, and you get a lot of the spotlight, but again credit to him. His work ethic, the way he came back in the summer, he was a completely different player and now he’s getting rewarded, sometimes it takes time.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Martinelli on compatriot Jesus coming back into form…
I’m so happy for him. Not just me, I think the whole club is really happy for him. He really deserves that. He’s a guy who tries to help everyone around the club: the youngest players, the oldest, everyone. He’s a guy that deserves what he’s been doing. So really happy with the goals that he scored midweek and today as well. Really happy.
Source: Arsenal.com
50 – Gabriel Jesus has scored Arsenal’s 50th Premier League goal from a corner since Nicolas Jover joined the club as set-piece coach in 2021 – the most of any club in the competition in this time. Bullseye.
— OptaJoe (@optajoe.com) December 21, 2024 at 5:51 PM
Arteta on losing Saka and Sterling to injury.
He felt something in his hamstring, he couldn’t continue, he will have to be assessed. We’re pretty worried about that one. They’ve tested him inside but it’s difficult to say how bad it is. We lost Raheem yesterday as well, we don’t know for how long but to lose two players in 24 hours is not good. Unfortunately, with the amount of games that we are playing, every three days with this schedule, it doesn’t surprise me. But the team will react to that.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Ian Wright on Saka’s injury…
This is what happens in the season, especially a season where you’ve got a team that’s trying to challenge for things. And when you’ve lost your best player, because he is the best player, it’s up to people to step up, and at the moment, Martinelli has stepped up, but yeah, he’s a massive miss.
Source: premierleague.com
Saka leaving Palace on crutches, not looking great #arsenal pic.twitter.com/N3Jnd7bS8x
— Joao Castelo-Branco (@j_castelobranco) December 21, 2024
Arteta on ceding control in games in the hope of scoring more…
I like to be dominant in the right areas, I don’t like to concede much. We’ve conceded nothing in the four games, today we conceded more especially because we have given two big chances. It’s always the balance that we want and when you win, everything is okay.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Arteta on the impact of substitute and goalscorer Declan Rice…
When he came on he gave us something else in the game. He grabbed the game and gave us control.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝟏-𝟓 𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥: 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒
Arsenal score five or more goals away from home (all comps) for the sixth time in 2024, the most ever by an English top-flight club in a single calendar year.
Re-live a five-star performance with the key Opta stats ⬇️
theanalyst.com/2024/12/crys…
— Opta Analyst (@optaanalyst.optajoe.com) December 21, 2024 at 7:39 PM
Paul Merson on Arteta’s tenure at Arsenal…
They will be disappointed if they don’t win it this season with Man City where they are at the moment. I think the spotlight will be on them because Man City didn’t turn up and haven’t turned up so far this season. At the moment, as we talk today, I think he’s done an outstanding job. Arsenal were also runners [when he took over], they were just also runners, they were a team that started the Premier League and had no chance of winning it and now they’ve become a team that have a chance of winning the Premier League.
Source: Sky Sports
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Arteta on whether this is Arsenal’s best chance to win the title…
At the moment, we are not there yet, and they have a few games in hand. It’s so difficult for any team to win it in any competition so anything can happen. We want to put our noses right in there and compete the way we are competing every single game, let’s see what happens. We’re not even halfway!
Source: Post-game press conference
This is the first time #Arsenal have played the same opponent in consecutive matches and won both games since doing so against Bolton in January 2010.
— Harvey Downes (@harveydownes92.bsky.social) December 21, 2024 at 7:27 PM
Martinelli on receiving a message of support from Ian Wright this week…
You have played the game, you know how tough it is to be on this side. i’d like to say thank you for the message that you sent me the other day, it means a lot to me. As I said, it’s really good to score and win the game and an honour to receive a message like that, the one you sent me. Love you, legend. Thank you.
Source: premierleague.com
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Arteta on Arsenal being the first team to score five goals in six away games in a year…
I think nobody else has done it, no? Ever. So it is a big achievement. It’s not a title. So let’s put all these records that this team is achieving into the big things that we want.
Source: Arsenal.com
🎯 A new club record for Arsenal!
They scored 86 Premier League goals in 2004 and 2009.#CRYARS pic.twitter.com/osLbbd7KhR
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 21, 2024
a goal and an assist… may martinelli take the helm on the right side while bukayo is injured! fingers crossed
The worry then becomes Trossard on the left and he is a wonderful impact sub but not a starter for me
I’d start Nwaneri in Saka’s position. He can do an inverted winger, and can come inside as well to combine. Timber overlapping Ethan and Martin will terrify defenses.
Hopefully Saka will be back soon. It will be interesting to see how that changes our tactics going forward. Will Martinelli stay on the right? One thing is for sure that we will be less predictable since when Saka plays, we tend to favor attacking from the right hand side. Also I don’t think we had a good balance in the first half with Havert playing deeper. Odegard, Rice, and Partey should be our first choice in the middle when they are all fit.
Missed the game because I was completely down with malaria, hoping to be back up soon, pray for me gunners
Rest up and get better very soon mate 💪
The injury to saka is obviously not good but if he’s out for a few weeks I’m glad it’s happened now, there are much worse times for it to happen. We really needed this result and if we can get 6 points from the next 2 games i think we might just about be back in the conversation. Have a good Xmas everyone!!
8th, 5th, 2nd, 2nd under Mikel, great progress. Let’s hope for the final step this season.
Sterling wasn’t even on the bench today. Unless he is injured, it seems to have really broken down.
Arteta said he was injured
At least read before you comment..
Well the narrative changes quickly doesn’t it. Can’t score, can’t score from open play, now the talk is that no team has score 5 away in PL. This is a really good team, subject to things not going well as many others do.
I’ve barely had time to watch the games let alone make a post. Hope everyone is enjoying this team. The journey to trophies is long and fraught and we have many miles to go.