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Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 2-0 thanks to a late own goal by Marc Guehi and a header by Gabriel Martinelli to start our Premier League campaign off well.
We grabbed control of the game right from the start, which gave our traveling supporters enough to cheer about for the first 45 minutes.Gabriel Jesus led the high press that had been a staple of pre-season, and the passing was slick and the tempo was high. After a spectacular jinking move by Jesus that concluded with a shot diverted into the path of his teammate, Martinelli missed the goal with the opportunity to give us an early goal.
Oleksandr Zinchenko also came close to scoring on his debut when Jesus and Granit Xhaka switched the ball from right to left, giving the full-back a shooting opportunity, but Vicente Guaita did well to save his deflected effort. Despite seeing that glorious early chance go begging, we continued to press.
However, the Ukrainian would significantly contribute to the first goal on minute 19, as we were rewarded for our pressure. Unnoticed Zinchenko received a corner from Saka at the back post, and he headed the ball back across the area for Martinelli to tip past Guaita from close range and score.
Palace continued to play at a frantic pace as they searched for an equalizer. When Zaha broke us down and Eze just had to beat Ramsdale, they ought to have got a goal on minute 52. The goalkeeper kept his ground and produced a great stop. The Ivorian then continued to cause issues, as Saliba intervened to save Ben White with a crushing challenge on Zaha.
Midway through the second half, with our backs to the wall and the Selhurst fans being their usual raucous selves, Palace fancied their prospects of at least securing a draw. However, in 84 minutes, we scored the crucial second goal.
Three points on the road and a perfect record. There isn't much more you can ask for at the beginning of a fresh campaign.
Image credits: Arsenal Twitter