Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace: Jean-Philippe Mateta's brilliant lob secures share of spoils for Eagles to put Liverpool just one point away from Premier League title
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- Jakub Kiwior broke deadlock before Eberechi Eze equalised for Crystal Palace
- Leandro Trossard fired Arsenal back ahead before Jean-Philippe Mateta's lob
- LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Chris Sutton explains why Trent Alexander-Arnold might be better off staying at Liverpool
Jean-Philippe Mateta's outrageous lob to earn Crystal Palace a 2-2 draw at Arsenal means Liverpool need just a point to become Premier League champions.
The Palace striker chipped David Raya after William Saliba's mistake in possession allowed him the chance with 10 minutes to go at the Emirates.
Arsenal had led twice before that point, with Jakub Kiwior heading in early before Eberechi Eze's superb strike levelled things up.
Leandro Trossard then scored a deflected effort before Mateta earned a share of the spoils for the visitors to put Liverpool on the cusp of their 20th domestic league title.
For Arteta’s team this night was less about the title race and more about momentum and fitness. Sunday’s 4-0 dismantling of Ipswich in Suffolk had helped with the former and the Arsenal manager clearly had the latter in mind when he chose to leave Bukayo Saka on the bench. Saka had, of course, taken a fearful whack to his Achilles in the game at Portman Road.
Palace were not at full strength either. As Arsenal eye PSG, Oliver Glasner’s team are thinking of Wembley. It was an odd mix and one that perhaps contributed to an open, engaging but often rather careless first half.
Arsenal were ahead after just two and a half minutes and Palace only had themselves to blame. The home team can be clever at set pieces but this was as straight forward as it gets. Martin Odegaard crossed from the left, Eddie Nketiah neglected to challenge Kiwior and the Arsenal defender headed the ball in from 12 yards with no fuss.
Glasner had said before the game that Nketiah, once of Arsenal, could use this game to ignite his slow burning career at Palace. This was not the way to go about it.
Palace did collectively improve, though, and Nketiah was often at the sharp end of some quick breaks from deep, even if he struggled to find the appropriate touch, pass or finish. At least the young striker was visible.
Arsenal were dangerous when they moved forward and Declan Rice drove wide from 20 yards after a sharp dash infield by Raheem Sterling. Palace had the better chances, though, and after a 20 minute spell of nearly and almost, they levelled the game.
Nketiah had seen a couple of half chances come and go while on another two occasions Palace would have benefited from a kinder run of the ball.
But when Adam Wharton dropped a corner on to the right foot of Eze on the edge of the penalty area in the 27th minute, the England player volleyed the ball calmly and perfectly down in to the turf and up against David Raya’s left hand post and in. A training ground move, it will never be executed any better.
Arsenal should not have been surprised. They had been a little sloppy. And when Eze ran on to another pass from deep and fed Nketiah on his inside, Palace may have been ahead had Kiwior not blocked his shot on the turn from six yards.
Palace were to rue that close call soon after as Trossard expertly controlled a pass from the right, turned inside Maxence Lacroix and Jefferson Lerma and drove a low shot in to the corner at the near post with his left foot.
Arsenal controlled the game for a while thereafter and could have scored early in the second half as William Saliba and Trossard akmost scrambled the ball in. But then, after a quiet period in the game, Palace shook themselves to worry their opponents once again.
Raya in the Arsenal goal was having an uncertain evening both with his hands and his feet. He came for a cross and missed and then, soon after, played a crossfield pass straight out of play.
The Spaniard probably should have been beaten in the 65th minute as Palace substitute Ismaila Sarr crossed for Justin Devenny who was in space. A straight forward header was required but Devenny only made contact with his shoulder and Raya touched the looping ball over.
From the corner Marc Guehi reacted first only for Raya to palm away his effort. Then, in the 67th minute, another corner, this time a deep one, found Daniel Munoz at the back post and somehow his header across goal was nodded wide from a yard by Sarr. Guehi, standing behind him, probably would have scored.
So with twenty minutes or so remaining, Arsenal had been warned. At this stage of the game, Palace were once again the better team.
And they finally levelled the game for the second time with seven minutes of regulation time remaining. The mix up between Saliba and Martin Odegaard was extraordinary. What was Odegaard even doing back there so close to goal?
But the manner in which Mateta claimed the ball and then chipped Raya from 30 yards was quite something. All of a sudden, on this strange night of football, Palace were one more goal away from handing the title to Liverpool.
There was a watching party on Merseyside and while few of the Liverpool players would have expected a victory for Palace, their job this weekend at least became easier.
With Tottenham coming to Anfield, Arne Slot's men now just need a point to confirm what has been known for weeks, that they will lift the Premier League title.
