********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (min:McCarthy launches another long free kick towards theArsenalbox. Tomkins brings the ball down and nearly bursts through the pack on the edge of the area, but Torreira gets involved and clears. Palace have had 53% possession in the last five minutes. Small acorns, and all that.
8.**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (amEST
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ (min:Kouyate barges his way through a couple of half-arsedArsenalchallenges , and enters the box on the left. He’s not afforded that much time to shoot, though, and can only send a speculative snapshot towards the top right. Leno makes a nine-course tasting menu of dealing with Kouyate’s effort, nearly spilling it into the top right, but he gathers himself, and the ball, just in time.
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** min:McArthur slams Ozil legally to gain possession, then sends Zaha away down the left. Zaha dribbles in an absent-minded fashion, eventually forgetting to take the ball along with him. The chance of launching a dangerous attack is gone. But Palace are finally putting their back into this, and they’re finally in the game. Just the best part of half an hour too late.
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************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ min:Another break in play as Pepe and Torreira clatter into each other in mid air. Pepe was eased into that by Zaha, nudging slyly from behind. Both are momentarily winded; both seem fine to continue.
min:Kolasinac rolls around in agony. He doesn’t know whether to hold his ankle or his head. He’s turned his ankle while being accidentally whacked on the back of the nut by a Palace knee. After reaching for both top and tail, he eventually opts for his ankle, then gets up as though nothing’s happened. On we go.
(************************************ 7. 59 amEST(***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************: ()
min:Palace have finally woken up. A free kick out on the right. McCarthy floats the set piece towards Cahill, just inside the box. It sails out of play for a goal kick. But this is a vast improvement from the hosts, who, as Mary Waltz observes, “look like someone slipped some Ambien in their vitamin pack this morning”.
(************************************************ (7.) amEST09:
min:Ayew twists and turns, advancing down the middle. He lays off to Meyer, who slips a pass wide left for Zaha. Finally something for the home fans to shout about. A swell of noise as Zaha enters the box. It quickly subsides as he loses control, and Torreira buys a cheap free kick to relieve the pressure.
min:Torreira releases Aubameyang into acres of space down the right. Danger here. Fortunately for the hosts, the flag goes up for offside, though that’s a poor decision. He was on, and play should have continued. A break for Palace, who have been a complete non-event so far.
min:Ozil flicks a cute pass down the right, releasing Pepe from a tight spot. Pepe skins Riedewald, and upon entering the box should get a shot away at the very least. But he stumbles and lets the ball run through to Guaita. That could easily have been a second.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** min:Ayew comes through the back of Xhaka in the middle of the park. A frustrated lunge, and he’s slightly fortunate not to go in the book.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** min:That’s no more than Palace deserve, too. They’ve been (so) ***************************************************************************************** passive, ever since the get-go.Arsenalhave been afforded the run of the shop, and they’ve not looked the gift horse in the mouth.
(7.) ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (AM) ******** (EST)
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************: GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal (Aubameyang 13)
No more thanArsenaldeserve. They ping it around awhile. Palace stand around like traffic cones. Then Luiz slips a ball down the middle from deep. Ozil and Lacazette combine crisply to spring Aubameyang clear. He draws Guaita and slams the ball into the bottom right.
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Updated (at 7.) ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ (am EST
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****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** min:Palace still haven’t put together anything resembling a passing sequence. Some more groans from the home faithful as possession is again squandered cheaply.
(************************************************************************************************************************** (7.) ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (am) ******** (EST****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************:
9 min:McCarthy plays the ball back towards Cahill, who waits for Guaita to come and collect. The keeper doesn’t arrive. Cahill hooks into the crowd. Palace can’t string two passes together at the minute. A few groans from the crowd. Palace are a model of passivity right now.
(****************************************************************************************************************************** (7.) amEST(***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************: () ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
7 min:
Palace continue to sit back.Arsenalcontinue to knock it about. They’ve had percent possession so far! Aubameyang and Kolasinac combine down the left and eventually run the ball out for a goal kick, though they nearly ripped Palace open. The home side need to wake up.
09:
5 min:Aubameyang drifts down the left and scoops a cross towards nobody in particular. Riedewald nearly makes a hash of a chest-down and hoof upfield, but just about manages to get the ball away before Lacazette can make his presence felt. A gust of wind didn’t help Riedewald, to be fair.
(************************************************************************************************************************************ 7). ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ (am) ******** (EST) **********08:
4 min:
Palace are sitting deep, allowingArsenalto hog the ball. The visitors stroke it around the middle for a while, just because they can. They don’t really go anywhere, but that’s not the point: they’ve started much better than they did against Leeds in the cup.
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2 min:
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seconds or so.Aubameyang makes his way down the left and wins a corner off Kelly. Corner. The ball might have gone out before Aubameyang played it off Kelly, but here we are. Ah, but it’s all a waste of time, as the referee spots some pushing in the box and it’s a free kick to Palace. Stand down.
And we’re off!A fine atmosphere at Selhurst, as there almost always is. What a fine ground. Arsenal get the ball rolling. It’s the first time they’ve named the same side in successivePremier Leaguematches for a year
(************************************************************************************************************************************************** 7. (AM) ******** (EST)
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No word from Hodgson.Perhaps he talked earlier; if so, your super soaraway Guardian MBM missed it. Anyway, the teams are out! Palace are in their red and blue shirts, whileArsenalsport second-choice yellow, an ersatz tribute to the famous bruised banana kit of the George Graham era. We’ll be off sooner than you think.
Mikel Arteta speaks.“It’s an early kick off, and a very difficult ground to come. Hopefully we are ready from the first minute. I want everybody ready. The team can compete, and I have the squad to make changes if we need to do that. It’s a great atmosphere here, it will be tough. It is incredible what Roy Hodgson has done in the game. ”
(6.) ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** am EST
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************: ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ (The teams)
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Kelly, Tomkins, Cahill, Riedewald , Meyer, McCarthy, Kouyate, McArthur, Zaha, Ayew. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (**************************************************************************************** Subs: Dann, Hennessey, Tosun, Wickham, Woods, Kirby , Pierrick.
Arsenal:
Leno, Maitland-Niles, Papastathopoulos, Luiz, Kolasinac, Torreira, Xhaka, Pepe, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************* (************************************************************************************** Subs: Holding, Nelson, Martinez, Willock, Guendouzi, Martinelli, Saka. **************************************************************************************
(************* (Referee:
Paul Tierney (Lancashire). ******************************************************************************************
(********************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (5) ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (pmEST)
: (Preamble) ****************************************************************************************************************
Two years ago, give or take a couple of weeks, Arsenal went four goals up againstCrystal Palacein 22 minutes.They ended up winning that one 4-1, but since then, they’ve not had the best of it against their London rivals. A 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park in October 2295. A 2-3 reverse at the Emirates last April. And they shipped a two-goal lead at home in October, Palace coming back for a draw that hammered one of the last nails in Unai Emery’s coffin. Arsenal weren’t in too good a shape back then.
But times change.Palace have won only one of their last seven matches in all competitions, while(Arsenalare two on the bounce, a record that might not be much to write home about, until you consider the Gunners had only previously won one in 17. Under new boss Mikel Arteta, their tails are up, even if they relied on the profligacy of Leeds United in the cup on Monday night.
So Palace are cooling; Arsenal are hotting up.But neither are particularly predictable right now, and it’s too early to establish trends. There have been goals in the last five matches between these two, so good luck working out how it’ll all come down this lunchtime. The Premier Leagueis back after the FA Cup interregnum. It’s a London derby. It’s on!
Kick off:
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Updated (at 5.) ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** EST EST
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