This was supposed to be the banker. The relatively easy one, at home against a team who had hit the magic 40 points and would be forgiven to have sandals and sunglasses at the ready. Of all the hurdles lined up between Arsenal and their aspirations to reclaim a Champions League position either via the Premier League or Europa League, this was supposed to be straightforward. How wrong could you be.
If Unai Emery was lulled into thinking he could afford to over-rotate, that notion was obliterated as a combination of Arsenal’s incohesion and Crystal Palace’s determination injected the afternoon with a pressure that left its burning mark. Roy Hodgson’s team capitalised on an underpowered Arsenal line-up and wreaked havoc with their power from set pieces. Arsenal’s ten-game winning streak at the Emirates disintegrated at a costly moment.
Written by Amy Lawrence at the Emirates Stadium
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/apr/21/arsenal-crystal-palace-premier-league-match-report under the title “Crystal Palace’s victory deals major blow to Arsenal’s top-four hopes”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
