Arsenal took full advantage of a day off for Manchester City to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League with a comfortable 4-1 win over struggling Crystal Palace. The Gunners entered the game to exploit City’s FA Cup commitments. They duly took their opportunity, scoring four goals against an interim-led Palace side who have now gone 13 matches without a win in all competitions.
Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Arsenal after just 12 minutes, with Bukayo Saka adding a second shortly before half-time. Wilfried Zaha had earlier gone close for Palace, hitting the post with a low effort, but their hopes of mounting a comeback were dashed shortly after the restart when Granit Xhaka fired in a third for the visitors.
Palace did manage to get on the board when Jeffrey Schlupp fired in from a corner, but the Gunners’ lead was restored when Saka scored his second of the game shortly afterward. The result puts Arsenal eight points clear of City at the top of the table and moves them closer to their first Premier League title since 2004.
The hosts started the game brightly, with Zaha going close in the opening minutes. Eberechi Eze played the winger in, but he could only find the post with his low effort, much to the relief of Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
The visitors then went ahead through Martinelli, who latched onto a long ball from the back before coolly slotting past Palace’s keeper Vicente Guaita. The young Brazilian almost doubled his tally shortly afterward, but a Palace defender blocked his effort.
Saka made it 2-0 shortly before the break, curling an excellent effort past Guaita from outside the box. Palace responded well in the second half, with Zaha again going close, but it was Arsenal who scored next when Xhaka fired in from the edge of the box.
Schlupp gave Palace a lifeline with a close-range finish from a corner, but the Gunners restored their two-goal lead soon afterward when Saka scored his second of the game with a neat finish.
The win puts Arsenal firmly in the driving seat for the Premier League title, but there is still a long way to go before they can start celebrating. Meanwhile, Palace remains in 12th place, three points adrift of safety, and faces a fight to preserve its top-flight status.