Arsenal have spent the best part of the last month waiting to exhale. After slipping and sliding down the table from their lofty position at the summit, after being accused of choking again, this comfortable, cantering victory over Crystal Palace felt like a long sigh of relief.

For all their recent travails, a 5-0 trouncing of a distinctly ordinary Palace side, for whom Eberechi Eze shone like a beacon in the gloom, reassured their fretful supporters and lifted Mikel Arteta’s team to third in the Premier League, level with Manchester City and just two points behind leaders Liverpool

Arteta had said that his players had ‘recharged and re-energised’ on their winter break to Dubai and it showed. They were not at their fluent, flowing best but they didn’t need to be, and they showed more than enough elan and determination and cohesion to suggest they are ready to reignite their title challenge.

Two late goals from substitute Gabriel Martinelli gilded a straight-forward triumph and set Arsenal up to attack the second half of the season. 

Many still feel that they will be the closest challengers to City as they try to become the first team ever to win four English league titles in a row.

Arsenal claimed a 5-0 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, ending a three-match winless streak across all competitions

Arsenal claimed a 5-0 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, ending a three-match winless streak across all competitions

Arsenal claimed a 5-0 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, ending a three-match winless streak across all competitions

The victory puts Arsenal two points behind Liverpool, who sit top of the Premier League

The victory puts Arsenal two points behind Liverpool, who sit top of the Premier League

The victory puts Arsenal two points behind Liverpool, who sit top of the Premier League 

Gabriel rose high above Crystal Palace's defence to score Arsenal's first goal after 11 minutes

Gabriel rose high above Crystal Palace's defence to score Arsenal's first goal after 11 minutes

Gabriel rose high above Crystal Palace’s defence to score Arsenal’s first goal after 11 minutes

The size of the win may quieten calls for Arsenal to sign a top-line striker like Brentford’s Ivan Toney before end of the January transfer window but until Martinelli’s late flourish, Arsenal’s advantage had been built on set-piece dominance and Gabriel’s mastery in the air.

MATCH FACTS

Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel (Kiwior 81′), Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice (Jorginho 73′), Havertz (Smith Rowe 69′); Saka, Gabriel Jesus (Nketiah 81′), Trossard (Martinelli 69′).

Unused Subs: Ramsdale, Cedric, Jorginho, Nelson, Walters.

Goals: Gabriel 11′, Henderson (OG) 37′, Trossard 59′, Martinelli 90+4′, 90+5′

Bookings: None 

Manager: Mikel Arteta 

Crystal Palace (3-4-3): Henderson; Clyne (Ahamada 76′), Andersen, Guehi (Tomkins 87′); Mitchell,Lerma, Richards, Hughes (Ozoh 68′); Eze, Mateta, Schlupp (Matheus Franca 76′).

Unused Subs: Johnstone, Edouard, Ebiowei, Riedewald, Adaramola.

Goals: None

Bookings: None

Manager: Roy Hodgson 

Referee: Paul Tierney 

Attendance: 60,704 

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The result left clouds gathering around Palace and their manager Roy Hodgson. Just before the final whistle, the television cameras cut to club chairman Steve Parish and his friend and advisor, Mark Bright, sitting in the directors’ box, looking distinctly worried. There may be difficult days ahead.

Arsenal had started with verve and brio, chasing, harrying, probing, zipping the ball around in midfield. 

Palace sat deep and tried to soak up the pressure. For the first ten minutes, they could barely get out of their own half. In the 11th minute, Arsenal scored.

Arsenal won a corner when a superb ball from Oleksandr Zinchenko put the Palace defender under pressure. 

Declan Rice swung in it from the right and it was met by a prodigious leap from Gabriel, who rose high above Chris Richards and powered his header down and beyond Dean Henderson into the net.

Arsenal nearly went further ahead from another corner a minute later. 

This time, the ball was flicked on at the near post and bounced off the head of Jefferson Lerma, who inadvertently directed it towards goal. Henderson scrambled to his right and the ball bounced off the bar and fell into arms.

Arsenal’s energy dipped a little midway through the half and Palace finally began to find a foothold in the game. 

David Raya nearly presented them with an equaliser after half an hour when he shanked a clearance straight to Jefferson Lerma. Lerma smashed it back at goal and Raya redeemed himself, hurling himself to his right and pushing the ball round the post.

Arsenal took their cue from that escape and refreshed their dominance.

They won yet another corner and when Bukayo Saka curled it deep to the back post, Henderson was hemmed in on the line by Ben White. 

The ball sailed over his head, Gabriel met it and it bounced off Henderson’s prone form and into the net.

It was a frustrating afternoon for Dean Henderson who conceded an own goal to give Arsenal a 2-0 lead

It was a frustrating afternoon for Dean Henderson who conceded an own goal to give Arsenal a 2-0 lead

It was a frustrating afternoon for Dean Henderson who conceded an own goal to give Arsenal a 2-0 lead

Leandro Trossard also got on the scoresheet, slotting the ball past Henderson to put the hosts 3-0 up

Leandro Trossard also got on the scoresheet, slotting the ball past Henderson to put the hosts 3-0 up

Leandro Trossard also got on the scoresheet, slotting the ball past Henderson to put the hosts 3-0 up 

The victory comes after Mikel Arteta's side have just returned from a warm-weather training camp

The victory comes after Mikel Arteta's side have just returned from a warm-weather training camp

The victory comes after Mikel Arteta’s side have just returned from a warm-weather training camp

The result was also Palace's 10th defeat of the season, with the Eagles having won just once in their last five matches in all competitions

The result was also Palace's 10th defeat of the season, with the Eagles having won just once in their last five matches in all competitions

The result was also Palace’s 10th defeat of the season, with the Eagles having won just once in their last five matches in all competitions

The goal came at just the right time for Arsenal, who had started to fade. Henderson claimed he was fouled by White but the reality was that he simply didn’t do enough to get the defender out of his way. VAR checked the goal and there was no reason for it to be disallowed.

Eberechi Eze existed as an island of guile and invention and wondrous technique amid his team’s struggles and he brought a diving save out of Raya early in the second half with a shot from 25 yards.

Arsenal should have put the game out of the reach when Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus combined to set up Leandro Trossard, who had been preferred to Gabriel Martinelli, but Trossard miskicked ten yards out with the goal at his mercy.

Arsenal kept pressing forward. They claimed a penalty when Gabriel Jesus hurled himself to the floor in the middle of a goalmouth scramble. 

A VAR check suggested it was an outrageous dive. 

If VAR can be used to award penalties in situations like that, maybe it should also be employed to award red cards for cheating.

Pressure is mounting on Eagles boss Roy Hodgson, with Graham Potter having been linked as a potential successor

Pressure is mounting on Eagles boss Roy Hodgson, with Graham Potter having been linked as a potential successor

Pressure is mounting on Eagles boss Roy Hodgson, with Graham Potter having been linked as a potential successor

Joachim Andersen was pictured holding his hands up to the travelling fans after the match

Joachim Andersen was pictured holding his hands up to the travelling fans after the match

Joachim Andersen was pictured holding his hands up to the travelling fans after the match 

Substitute Gabriel Martinelli came on in the 69th minute to score an brace of goals in injury time

Substitute Gabriel Martinelli came on in the 69th minute to score an brace of goals in injury time

Substitute Gabriel Martinelli came on in the 69th minuteto score an brace of goals in injury time

Collecting a pass from Eddie Nketiah, Martinelli (L) darted forward, before sliding the ball past Dean Henderson from a tight angle

Collecting a pass from Eddie Nketiah, Martinelli (L) darted forward, before sliding the ball past Dean Henderson from a tight angle

Collecting a pass from Eddie Nketiah, Martinelli (L) darted forward, before sliding the ball past Dean Henderson from a tight angle

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify

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Jesus got his reward by fair means after an hour. Arsenal broke swiftly from a corner and Jesus sprinted clear on the right. He bent a fine pass into the box for Trossard to run on to, Trossard cut inside and sat Nathaniel Clyne down on his backside before smashing the ball past Henderson.

Arsenal maintained their domination for the rest of the half. The only surprise was that they did not add to their total until deep into added time when Eddie Nketiah played a clever through ball to fellow substitute Gabriel Martinelli, who slid his shot past Henderson and inside the far post.

A minute later, Martinelli repeated the trick. Same position, same finish. This time, it was Jorginho’s through ball but the result was the same. Henderson did not have a chance and the ball found its favourite spot, just inside the far post.

When the final whistle went, the applause signalled that outpouring of relief. On the touchline, Hodgson hung his head in disappointment and dismay. Palace look like a team that is sinking.

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