Arsenal took a huge stride towards ending their two-decade wait for a Premier League title, after securing a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace earlier this afternoon.
Eberechi Eze’s goal against his former employers was enough to secure Mikel Arteta’s men all three points in a hard-fought encounter against the Eagles.
Three points alone is a huge deal for the Gunners, but given the slip-ups from their title rivals, the victory has become an even more important one for the club.
Liverpool suffered a 3-2 defeat to Brentford last night, whilst Manchester City fell to a 1-0 loss against Aston Villa this afternoon – resulting in a four-point cushion for Arteta’s side.
However, despite the triumph in North London, numerous players fell way below the high standards they’ve previously set for themselves in England’s top-flight.
Arsenal’s poor performers against Crystal Palace
Despite spending around £65m on the signature of Viktor Gyokeres, the striker has often failed to live up to the expectations of the Arsenal faithful in the last few months.
The Swede may have scored five goals for the Gunners to date, but he’s now without a league goal in any of his last five appearances for Arteta’s men.
His showing against the Eagles was yet another to forget for the 27-year-old, as he only registered 27 touches of the ball in his 90-minute showing – whilst also notching a solitary effort on goal.
Bukayo Saka has been another player who has made himself a fan-favourite at the Emirates, but there’s no denying that his showing against Palace was one below the expectations he’s set for himself.
The England international matched Gyokeres in failing to register a single effort on target, whilst also being unable to register a single chance for any of his teammates.
The 24-year-old also lost possession on 11 separate occasions, producing a somewhat wasteful showing – something which is highly unusual for his usual standards.
The Arsenal star who needs to be dropped after Palace
The three points will undoubtedly be the most pleasing aspect for Arteta, but he will certainly have a few issues to iron out ahead of next weekend’s clash with Burnley.
His men dominated the play in large spells, subsequently having 60% possession, but they were only able to muster three efforts on Dean Henderson’s goal.
Arteta’s side’s total xG of just 1.08 also reflected the lack of threat that the Gunners carried throughout the all-London affair at the Emirates this afternoon.
However, despite the disappointing performances from the aforementioned duo, Leandro Trossard once again failed to repay the manager’s faith in starting the winger.
The Belgian was handed his fifth successive league start this afternoon, but was unable to have the desired impact off the left-hand side of the Gunners’ attack.
He featured for the entirety of the contest, but was unable to hugely threaten the opposition goal – even missing a big chance in front of goal during his performance.
The 30-year-old also only completed one dribble, whilst achieving a tally of just 44 touches – a figure lower than that of goalkeeper David Raya, who achieved a total of 46.
Minutes played
90
Touches
44
Dribbles completed
1
Shots on target
0
Big chances missed
1
Crosses completed
1
Ground duels lost
60%
Possession lost
11x
Trossard’s dismal afternoon was further reflected in his tally of 60% duels lost, often struggling to create any chances against Palace right-back Daniel Munoz.
To top off his afternoon, the wideman was given a measly 5/10 match rating by The Express journalist Tom Parsons – further highlighting how poor he was in North London.
After such a display, Arteta must be left with no choice but to drop the Belgian back down to the substitutes bench, with Gabriel Martinelli deserving of a run off the left-hand side.
It’s a shame to see Trossard struggling to deliver, but given what’s at stake for the club this campaign, the manager has to be brutal if his side are to end their extended wait for a league title.