Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

by Layth Yousif

at Ashburton Grove 

IT HAS been 115 years since Arsenal lost three consecutive home matches in all competitions without scoring — and Mikel Arteta’s under-fire Gunners started as a team very much trying to avoid that staggering statistic.

With only four points earned from the last 15 on offer, hopes had been fading of Arteta’s side maintaining a challenge for the title.

Yet a fortuitously timed midwinter break in Dubai reset and refreshed Arteta’s previously laboured squad. Judging by the way they clinically took apart Palace through effective dead ball situations, set-piece coach Nicolas Jover must take some credit too.