Gabriels bring tidings of joy for Arsenal by crushing woeful Crystal Palace | Premier League

For Mikel Arteta, it was almost the perfect way to celebrate his five-year anniversary as Arsenal manager. Another two goals for Gabriel Jesus – his first in the Premier League since January – followed his game-winning performance against the same opponents as Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and substitute Declan Rice a few days ago with his first league goal of the season rounding off another win Crystal Palace off.

Only the sight of Bukayo Saka limping off the pitch in the first half with a suspected thigh injury could dampen the enthusiasm of the traveling fans, whose team is now just three points behind leaders Liverpool – despite having already played two games more. But with Manchester City six points behind Arsenal and almost a speck of dust in the rear-view mirror, Arteta will know they have never had a better opportunity to make it to the end after comfortably defeating Oliver Glasner’s side.

Arteta said Jesus “deserved to play” after scoring a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup midweek and it took him just six minutes to repay his manager’s faith. While Arteta made seven changes as Havertz moved to the midfield role, Glasner decided to make changes to his defense after they fell short in the second half of Wednesday’s quarter-final defeat, with Trevoh Chalobah dropped in favor of Chris Richards for the first time in 12 games where Palace changed their back three. But the home defense faltered when Saka passed over a cross from the right and Tyrick Mitchell was unable to prevent Jesus from closing in as the ball fell kindly at his feet.

Mitchell made amends when his pass set up Ismaïla Sarr for the equalizer, although it was more to the credit of the Senegalese striker who left Thomas Partey in the dust and fired a sumptuous shot past David Raya for his two goals against Brighton last weekend to continue. But with Arsenal players wearing black armbands in honor of their former player George Eastham, whose death was announced on Saturday, the visitors were soon back on top.

Palace had received praise for the way they dealt with Arsenal’s threat from set pieces in midweek. But Nathaniel Clyne was caught napping at the back post during a corner, allowing Partey to set up Jesus, and the finish past Dean Henderson was on target. A rare error from William Saliba should have resulted in a second equalizer for Palace, but somehow Raya parried Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shot from point-blank range.

There were more than a few frowns on the bench as Saka stopped with his hand on his Achilles tendon and eventually had to be replaced by Leandro Trossard after receiving treatment. Only Maxence Lacroix’s quick pace prevented Jesus from scoring another hat-trick after the Frenchman gifted him the ball, and Gabriel’s header from the resulting corner bounced off the crossbar. Palace’s relief was only temporary, however, as Jesus headed Martinelli’s cross against the post and Havertz, having been played offside by the dozing Mitchell, tucked the ball in.

Things could have been even worse for Palace had Martinelli’s effort not been parried by Henderson just before half-time. No wonder Glasner looked anything but happy as he trudged through the tunnel.

Arteta returned to the dugout late in the second half and almost missed Saliba giving the ball away before Sarr’s diving header forced Raya into a save. With former Palace strikers Michael Olise and Wilfried Zaha both watching in the stands, Sarr proved a real challenge for Arsenal’s centre-backs but was again thwarted by Raya as he pursued Mateta’s piledriver.

The Arsenal manager responded by introducing Rice and Riccardo Calafiori and, as on Wednesday, his substitutions had an immediate impact. Jesus was suspected of being offside when he was hit by Trossard’s cross, but Martinelli was there to fire Rice’s shot into the goal on the rebound, ending any hopes the home fans had of a comeback.

Daichi Kamada had started in place of the injured Eberechi Eze but was unable to establish himself as the game progressed and looked unimpressed as he made way for Eddie Nketiah, who scored as a substitute against his former club in midweek. This time it was Rice who rounded off the scoring as he curled in from Calafiori’s pass, confirming Arsenal’s dominance.