Arsenal kicked off the new Premier League season with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Gabriel Martinelli scored the first goal of the 2022-23 season as the Gunners got off to an electric start in south London and threatened to destroy their London rivals.
Patrick Vieira’s Palace improved after half-time and looked like they might have a chance to come from behind, but Arsenal’s victory was assured when Marc Guay headed Bukayo Saka’s cross into his own goal.
Mikel Arteta made his debut alongside new signings Gabriel Jesus and Alexander Zinchenko and the return of William Saliba, who spent last season on loan at Marseille.
Vieira, meanwhile, began adding Check D’Coeur to his familiar Crystal Palace squad this summer after Christian Benteke was loaned out to MLS side DC United.
Arsenal have struggled with similar tensions in recent years, but there was no sign of that tonight at Selhurst Park as they dominated the opening exchanges.
Martinelli should have put the visitors ahead just three minutes later, but the Brazilian missed the keeper after Jesus passed two defenders and his own shot was blocked.
Former Manchester City defender Zinchenko felt the opportunity to score his first Premier League goal in the 10th minute, but his curling effort was stopped by Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
However, Zinchenko did contribute to Arsenal’s first goal of the new season, but when the Ukrainian fired into the back post from a corner, the ball bounced into the penalty area and was pushed home by Martinelli.
A vibrant and dynamic Arsenal looked capable of overcoming Palace but failed to turn the dominance into another goal before the hosts returned to the game after half-time.
Odson Eduardo was hampered by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and the Palace striker was again threatened when his shot was blocked by the post just before half-time.
Crystal Palace’s momentum continued into the second half, when Eberechi Eze should have equalized after Wilfried Zaha caught Eberechi Eze with an excellent through ball, but Ramsdale held their ground again to frustrate the hosts.
However, Arsenal were still in danger when new captain Martin Audegaard missed a free kick soon after, only to hesitate to shoot on goal.
Crystal Palace played at their best midway through the second half, twice seeing the ball close to Arsenal’s goal, but no one was able to score.
Six minutes later, however, Palace’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Saka’s cross bounced off Guehi’s corner.
Crystal Palace are back in action against Liverpool when Arsenal play their first home game of the new season next Saturday with Leicester City visiting the Emirates.
It remains to be seen what Arsenal can achieve this season, but they have barely entered what could be a difficult opening game.
For more stories like this, visit our sports page .
Follow us for the latest news
Facebook, twitter and Instagram .
Source: Metro
Chad-98Weaver, a distinguished author at NewsBulletin247, excels in the craft of article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a penchant for storytelling, Chad delivers informative and engaging content that resonates with readers across various subjects. His contributions are a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field of journalism.
