Arsenal edged Crystal Palace in a hard-fought Premier League fixture, with Eberechi Eze brilliantly scoring against his former club and Gabriel Magalhaes earning top marks for his commanding display.
Arsenal Player Ratings vs Crystal Palace
David Raya (Rating: 6)
His involvement was minimal during the opening period. In the second half, however, he demonstrated solid handling by securely claiming a dangerous cross intended for Eddie Nketiah.
Jurrien Timber (Rating: 8)
Displaying excellent composure, he drew a foul for a free-kick with superb close control early on. After Gabriel Martinelli entered the game, he delivered a perfectly weighted pass to the winger and maintained a high level of defensive effort throughout his time on the pitch.
William Saliba (Rating: 6)
He was outpaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta on one occasion in the first half, which led to his substitution at the interval, with Cristhian Mosquera taking his place.
Gabriel Magalhaes (Rating: 8)
The centre-back made several key defensive interventions, notably a strong sliding tackle to thwart Ismaila Sarr following a midfield error. Early in the second half, he nearly scored from a Declan Rice set-piece, only to see his header cannon off the crossbar. He also initiated an attack with a beautiful forward pass to Leandro Trossard.
Riccardo Calafiori (Rating: 7)
Exhibiting wonderful technical ability on the left flank, he successfully evaded his marker and consistently contributed to the offensive build-up. His distribution was excellent, marking yet another reliably solid display.
Martin Zubimendi (Rating: 6)
He was momentarily careless with possession in the central area around the 23rd minute, almost inviting a significant opportunity for the opposition. Nevertheless, he quickly regained composure, anchoring the team’s construction play as usual, though this match represented a slightly below-par, yet still acceptable, performance.
Declan Rice (Rating: 7)
He supplied a superb cross that resulted in the first goal, picking out Gabriel at the far post. Later, a training-ground free-kick routine allowed him to cross again for the Brazilian, who struck the woodwork. He also tested the keeper with a powerful volley. His afternoon ended disappointingly when he had to be substituted due to a right leg injury.
Eberechi Eze (Rating: 8)
He struck a spectacular volley following a free-kick earned from a foul by his former club’s player, Yeremy Pino. The shot was a stunning and unstoppable effort that flew past his old colleague in goal.
Bukayo Saka (Rating: 6)
Early in the second half, he nearly found the net with a curling shot from outside the area. Having been rested during the week’s training sessions, he was taken off prematurely, likely as a precautionary measure.
Viktor Gyokeres (Rating: 6)
The striker received minimal opportunities from his teammates, yet his ability to retain possession and link play showed clear signs of development and progress.
Leandro Trossard (Rating: 7)
He registered Arsenal’s initial attempt on target, a low shot that was capably saved by the keeper, Henderson. His attempted delivery for Gyokeres was cut out, but the Belgian international demonstrated excellent technical precision over the course of the match.
Substitutes
Cristhian Mosquera (Rating: 5)
Coming on for William Saliba at the start of the second half, he was exposed by the pace of Eddie Nketiah, who subsequently managed to get a shot away.
Gabriel Martinelli (Rating: 6)
Introduced in place of Bukayo Saka, he took up a position on the right wing. Almost instantly, he attempted a cross which was quickly intercepted by the defense.
Piero Hincapie, Mikel Merino, Myles Lewis-Skelly
These players were introduced too late to receive a rating.