Eze Ends Stalemate Early, Arsenal Cruises Past Toothless Palace

Atla Futmetrix Puanı: 26/100. A solitary goal in the 39th minute decided a match that never threatened to ignite.

When One Goal Is Enough

Eberechi Eze struck at the Emirates with clinical precision in the 39th minute, and that proved sufficient. Arsenal controlled proceedings with 60% possession and 10 shots, yet the dominance felt perfunctory rather than commanding. Intensity never materialized—a single goal across 90 minutes tells the story. Stakes loomed large with Arsenal perched atop the table while Crystal Palace languished in 10th, but the pitch reflected none of that tension. The Gunners' title credentials weren't tested; Palace's survival hopes weren't threatened.

Declan Rice orchestrated Arsenal's midfield with three key passes, demonstrating the control expected from a league-leading outfit. Yet control without consequence breeds apathy. Crystal Palace mustered only four shots on target across the entire 90 minutes—a damning indictment of their attacking ambition. David Raya made just one save, a statistic that encapsulates the mismatch.

The Balance tilted decisively toward Arsenal from Eze's opener, but no comeback drama followed. Palace never mounted a genuine threat to equalize, never forced Arsenal into uncomfortable moments. The visitors completed 265 passes with 74% accuracy—respectable but toothless. Arsenal's expected goals of 0.92 versus Palace's 0.45 underscored the gulf in quality, yet neither team generated the chaos or urgency that transforms a 1-0 victory into compelling television.

This wasn't a masterclass. This was a team doing what was expected against inferior opposition, nothing more. Arsenal's unbeaten run extended, their position at the summit secured, but the performance offered no insight into their title credentials. Palace collected nothing and offered less—a microcosm of their season's inconsistency.