Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace: Eberechi Eze scores winner as Gunners extend lead at top | OneFootball

Gunners move four points clear as they capitalise on slip-ups from Liverpool and Manchester City

Eberechi Eze scored against his old club as Arsenal recorded a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at the Emirates to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.

Palace failed to muster a single shot on target against an Arsenal side which has now conceded just three times across 13 matches in all competitions so far. Arsenal's clean sheet here was their fifth in succession.

It was a far from a spectacular performance from Mikel Arteta's men, but the triumph takes them four points clear of second-placed Bournemouth in the table, and six ahead of Manchester City following their 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa.

Defending champions Liverpool are a further point off the championship pace.

Arsenal scored four times in 14 electric second-half minutes as they rain riot against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League earlier this week. But on Sunday, they required 33 minutes to register their first shot.

Fresh from his quickfire double against Atletico, Viktor Gyokeres did well to bounce off Maxence Lacroix and hold the ball up before bringing Declan Rice into play. Rice found Leandro Trossard but the Belgian's first touch allowed the ball to get stuck under his feet and his subsequent shot was straight at the Palace stopper.

Speaking prior to Sunday's match, Arteta revealed he hatched his masterplan to transform Arsenal into set-piece kings a decade ago.

On Tuesday night, Arsenal became the first team across Europe's top five leagues to register 10 goals from free-kicks this season, and on the 39th minute that became 11.

Rice's inswinger from the right-hand side was met by Gabriel at the far post, and who else was on hand other than Eze, to rifle the bouncing ball home with a delicious half-volley to hand his new employers the lead.

There was no celebration from Eze against the club he served for five years, but this marked a much-needed first league strike in seven attempts for the England international - with manager Thomas Tuchel watching on from the Emirates directors' box - and for Arsenal, a 38th set-piece goal in the league since the start of 2023-24 season.

Five minutes into the second period and the crossbar prevented Arsenal from increasing that tally to 39. From a dead ball, Rice played a give-and-go with Eze before his left-footed cross was met by Gabriel but the Brazilian's header cannoned off the goal frame.

Rice was there for the follow-up but Henderson stopped his shot with an outstretched arm. A trademark Saka long-range shot with his left instep then fell wide.

Arsenal continued to dominate possession but, with their advantage standing at just one, Oliver Glasner's players always remained in the contest.

However, Arsenal's defence has been breached by just one team - Manchester City - from open play this season, and, in truth, the south Londoners rarely looked like becoming the second despite a nervier-than-expected finale.

The only sour notes on another day of triumph for Arsenal in their pursuit of a first league title in 22 years arrived with injuries to William Saliba and Rice. The former was replaced at the interval, while the latter hobbled off in the closing stages.