Arsenal missed the opportunity to go above Tottenham and into the top four after losing 3-0 at Selhurst Park on Monday night.
Arsenal were uncharacteristically flaccid on an evening when three points were up for grabs.
The Gunners have now put themselves at a disadvantage to challenge for a Champions League spot.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side looked good coming into Monday night’s game against Crystal Palace, as they had won six of their last seven games in the Premier League.
The pressure on Arsenal to win following Tottenham Hotspur’s 5-1 thrashing of Newcastle United the previous day should have been mitigated by the Gunners’ recent form.
This was not the case, however; Arsenal produced their worst performance in months as they crashed to a 3-0 loss at Selhurst Park.
The result means they are now fifth in the table, behind Tottenham by goal difference, although they have one game still to play.
Yet while a defeat away from home is disappointing, it begs the question of whether Arteta’s side has what it takes to maintain their top four challenge through the end of the season.
The North London club was missing Kieran Tierney due to an injury. The defender had sustained a knee injury while with the Scotland squad.
It is reportedly feared that, if the injury is severe, the Scotland international may be unavailable for the remainder of the season.
Nuno Tavares took Tierney’s place on the left side of the back four, exposed to pressure, the Portuguese had a tough outing.
The 22 year old endured a miserable start to the game as he was beaten in the build up to Palace’s first and then outwitted together with Gabriel for Palace’s second.
At half-time, Arteta unsurprisingly replaced Tavares with Martinelli. The decision was the second time in a row that Tavares had failed to see out a match under Arteta.
This just means the absence of Tierney for the rest of the campaign would be a major blow to the team, having nine games left to play.
Arsenal’s Europa League adventure last season ended with midfielder Granit Xhaka playing left back.
It cost them dearly as they crashed out of the competition and they could now face a similar fate this season with top four on the line.
And in more bad news for the away side, midfielder Thomas Partey limped off with what appeared to be a thigh injury midway through the second half.
Despite the Ghanaian attempts to signal that he needed to come off with an injury, the referee did not allow the game to be stopped as a penalty was awarded to Crystal Palace when Martin Odegaard fouled Zaha.
Arsenal’s misery was complete when Zaha converted from the penalty spot, and It looks like Partey will miss a few games.
The central midfield pairing of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey has been a catalyst for Arsenal’s recent success. Therefore, His injury will be a major concern for Mikel Arteta.
After the break, Arsenal played better but still struggled to challenge Palace and failed to create many chances.
Eddie Nketiah hit the post in the second half, while Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard both missed glorious opportunities.
With two of his most important players, Kieran Tierney and Partey, nursing injuries, Arteta needs to rely on his small squad to keep Tottenham out in the chase for a top-four finish.
The manner in which Arsenal responds to the events of last night’s match against Crystal Palace will likely determine its success for the remainder of the season.
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