Eberechi Eze scored against Crystal Palace to give Arsenal a 1-0 win at the Emirates, a result that nudges Mikel Arteta’s side four points clear at the Premier League summit on a weekend when rivals stumbled. The decisive strike, a crisp, acrobatic half-volley from a rehearsed set-piece, was Eze’s first Premier League goal for the Gunners since a £67m summer move from Selhurst Park.
This was not Arsenal at their silkiest. Palace were compact and combative, limiting clear openings in a first half that offered precious little entertainment. But Arsenal’s growing reputation from dead balls told again, and a controlled second half featuring close calls from Gabriel and Bukayo Saka ensured the points stayed in north London, with David Raya rarely troubled.
Set-piece precision, priceless timing
When the breakthrough arrived, it came from a familiar Arsenal avenue. Declan Rice curled a free-kick into the area and, after the ball broke loose in a crowded box, Eze read the drop, adjusted with both feet off the ground and lashed a first-time finish into the corner. The Emirates erupted for a player who, poignantly, delivered the moment against his former club.