At Crystal Palace, 10-man Arsenal prevailed valiantly in the Premier League thanks to a penalty from captain Martin Odegaard.
Sam Johnstone tripped Eddie Nketiah after Gabriel Martinelli promptly took a free kick, and Odegaard then sent the goalie the wrong way from the penalty spot. Mikel Arteta’s team appeared to be in control at that point, but they were left holding on when left-back Takehiro Tomiyasu received a red card for receiving two bookings.
The first yellow card was given for delaying a throw-in too long, while the second was severely given for a little infraction committed in midfield against Jordan Ayew. Tyrick Mitchell missed in stoppage time as Palace applied late pressure, but the Gunners, who saw Nketiah strike the post in the first half, earned their triumph.
At full-back, Arsenal has a little bit of an issue. Jurrien Timber, a summer acquisition, had a knee injury last week that may prevent him from playing for most of the season, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, who just made a full recovery from a calf injury, started on the bench.
When Palace got the ball, Thomas Partey, a midfielder, played as a right-back before switching to his regular position. Tomiyasu, a right-back by profession, started on the left. After receiving a controversial red card, Japanese player Tomiyasu will no longer play in the upcoming match.
While Kai Havertz had squandered most of the time before handing the ball to his teammate, he was still given a yellow card for waiting too long to complete a throw-in. He was later sent off the pitch for a non-call on Ayew that occurred roughly 50 yards from any potentially hazardous place. Since the 2021–22 season, Arsenal hadn’t received a red card in the Premier League.
The majority of the game was dominated by the Gunners, who also came close to taking the lead when Nketiah pushed a shot off the post and then chipped another attempt onto the roof of the net. Despite putting up a strong defence throughout 99% of the game, Roy Hodgson’s Palace lost the match as a result of one mistake.
As they organised their defensive form following an Arsenal free-kick, Martinelli caught them off guard by passing to Nketiah, who was then taken down by Johnstone. Odegaard, who last took a penalty for Vitesse in 2019, converted it perfectly.
Following his £100 million transfer from West Ham, Declan Rice produced another strong performance in the middle of the park, but Havertz is still figuring out where he belongs in the club.
The last five minutes saw six of Palace’s 14 opportunities, including saves from Odsonne Edouard and Mitchell after Aaron Ramsdale parried the ball.
