Blood Eagle

October 26, 2025

Emirates Stadium, London

The Eagles, winless in 14 visits to the Emirates, arrived under Oliver Glasner disciplined and dangerous, their 19-game unbeaten run only just broken at Goodison Park. Community Shield winners, unbeaten in their first six league games, and now making their European debut with victories over Fredrikstad and Dynamo Kyiv. 

Knee on the floor. Whistle. The game starts.Arsenal began sharply but Palace was strong. The first half was tense, clean — duels between Mateta and Gabriel, flashes from Timber and Eze. On 33 minutes, Leandro Trossard forced the first clear save from Dean Henderson — Arsenal’s longest wait for a Premier League attempt since 2021. 

Then came the breakthrough — and fittingly, it came from Ebere Eze. Once the hero of Palace’s FA Cup triumph, now the new heir to Arsenal’s midfield artistry. A foul on Saka led to a Declan Rice free-kick, the ball hanging just long enough for Eze to read its descent and, in one motion, hook a scissor volley into the far corner. The announcer roared his name three times; the crowd replied as one.

Glasner’s men refused to retreat. Mateta’s strength and Muñoz’s surging runs kept Arsenal alert, though David Raya was rarely tested. At half-time, William Saliba departed through injury, replaced by Mosquera, who played with remarkable poise.

The second half saw Arsenal tighten their grip. Rice orchestrated midfield with unflinching authority, reclaiming possession time and again. Twice the woodwork denied them: a Gabriel header rattled the bar, and Saka’s curler drifted agonisingly wide. The game settled into a rhythm of frustration — Arsenal probing, Palace resisting.

In the 58th minute, Eddie Nketiah entered — once a Gooner, now in Palace colours — to warm applause. The closing minutes stretched endlessly. Guehi blazed over; Lacroix fired wide. Henderson launched hopeful balls, each met with Arsenal’s defiance. The whistle blew, and the Emirates exhaled. Eze’s strike had been enough — one goal, one clean sheet, one step further.

With Liverpool losing again, Arsenal’s lead atop the table grew to four points: ten clean sheets in thirteen matches, only one goal conceded from open play. This defense reminds the defense built by George Graham. Seven straight wins. Their 700th Premier League triumph. But the season remains young, and the players know it: feet on the ground, eyes forward.

Arsenal 1 – 0 Crystal Palace

(E. Eze ‘39)