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Arsenal produced one of their worst performances of the season at Selhurst Park as they suffered a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Monday.
Jean-Phillipe Mateta opened the scoring for the Eagles in the 16th minute as he headed from close range after a training ground set-piece drill was executed to perfection. The hosts doubled their lead in the next 10 minutes, this time through Jordan Ayew.
The Gunners found themselves 2-0 down in less than 25 minutes, and they never seemed to get their foot back in the game.
To add insult to injury, they also lost Kieran Tierney to a knee injury pre-kickoff and Thomas Partey to a muscle injury post-game.
Arsenal's landslide defeat could very much turn things around in the race for the Premier League top four.
The Gunners now occupy fifth place in the table, level on points with Tottenham Hostpur, who have played a game more. They still have to play Chelsea (A), Manchester United (H), West Ham United (A), and Spurs (A) in the final nine games of the season.
Let's take a look at the five talking points from Monday's game.
#5 Five-game away winning streak in the league comes to an end for the Gunners
Patrick Vieira's men dealt a devastating blow to Arsenal's hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League. A 3-0 defeat would require some serious willpower to bounce back from. It couldn't have gotten any worse for the Gunners, to say the least.
After beating Aston Villa by a goal to nil before the international break, Mikel Arteta's side came into this fixture as favorites. Their win over the Villans was their fifth away league victory in a row. However, the visitors saw their unbeaten run end with a discouraging defeat on Monday.
During the game, Arsenal had lesser attempts on target (three as opposed to Aston Villa's five attempts) and were bullied in the middle of the park. Their fullbacks also had no answer to Wilfried Zaha's and Jordan Ayew's skillset.
#4 Joachim Andersen showcases his quality against one of the best teams in the league
Joachim Andersen will be delighted with his decision to join Crystal Palace after a chaotic season on loan at Fulham. The center-back, who joined the Eagles last summer for €22 million (with €5m in add-ons), produced another impressive performance on Monday.
The 25-year-old defender is not only adept aerially but can also effectively play out from the back on a consistent basis. He was heavily involved in the build-up to Jean-Phillipe Mateta's goal as he won the first header. He also played the pass for Jordan Ayew to score the second goal.
Andersen was heavily linked with Arsenal before the current season began, but the Gunners opted to sign Ben White instead. While White has been in fine form for the side, Andersen displayed what the men in yellow were missing during Monday's game: a skillful passer with great aerial prowess.
#3 A Patrick Vieira masterclass
It's fair to say that Crystal Palace's league position does not reflect their quality. The Eagles have been unlucky to concede late goals in multiple games. When we put that aside, they have produced some amazing performances against the top dogs in the competition.
The hierarchy couldn't have picked a better manager to transform Crystal Palace after years of witnessing a successful but underwhelming style of football under Roy Hodgson.
Patrick Vieira has been absolutely unreal in his first season at Crystal Palace. Both players and staff can sense the change in atmosphere at the club, while the results he has delivered speak for themselves. The Eagles have begun to impose themselves in games, eke out valuable points, and score for fun.
Mikel Arteta was completely outclassed by the former Invincible, and the Spaniard will need to go back to the drawing board to find a solution at the earliest.
#2 A bland performance from Arsenal
Arsenal's 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace is similar to their 2-0 loss to Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League. The two games had many factors in common, including early goals, injuries, one-sided domination, and hard luck for the Gunners.
Arsenal have come a long way with the youngest squad in the league since that loss to Brentford. However, they cannot afford another performance like Monday's as the race for the top four is fierce.
When Martin Odegaard performs well, his team performs well. However, the 23-year-old had nothing going his way against the Eagles. The Norwegian was unable to complete simple passes, was hurried into decisions, and appeared to be panicking for the majority of the game.
Odegaard played two full games for his national team during the international break, and his fatigue showed on Monday.
However, the Gunners' season arguably rests on his shoulders. Even with Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka's qualities, the team would not function well without Odegaard. Yesterday was a prime example of this.
#1 Arsenal fail to close gap on Chelsea, Spurs receive massive boost before north London derby
Arsenal could've reclaimed fourth place in the Premier League table if they had beaten Crystal Palace on Monday. However, after their defeat, they occupy fifth place, level on points with Tottenham Hotspur, albeit with a game in hand.
It appears that the Eagles have given the Gunners' next opponents a blueprint on how to beat them.
Patrick Vieira's side completely blocked their opponents' midfield passage on Monday, pressing the fullbacks. They man-marked Alexandre Lacazette throughout the game and did not give any breathing space to Martin Odegaard or Bukayo Saka.
Tottenham Hotspur, under Antonio Conte, are a team that could replicate the above performance. The game in hand that Arsenal have over their top-four rivals is a fixture against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The original fixture was postponed after a COVID-19 crisis in the Gunners' camp. It will now take place on May 12.
Next month's north London derby will likely determine who qualifies for next season's Champions League.
