Mikel Arteta's Arsenal Seek Revenge Against Crystal Palace
Arsenal host Crystal Palace in a crucial Premier League match, seeking revenge after a 2-2 draw in April. Eberechi Eze faces his former club after a £68 million move to Arsenal.
“Our defensive record is very good but we need to be consistent. It's only the start of the season and our aim is to keep improving things...”
Arsenal's defense has been rock-solid this season, conceding just three Premier League goals. Manager Mikel Arteta believes their fortress-like foundation can finally bring silverware to the North London club. With David Raya between the posts and the commanding center-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, Arsenal have become known for keeping clean sheets.
Their defensive solidity extends to Europe, where the backline remains unbreached after three Champions League games. Arsenal's set-piece specialists have also been rewriting the record books, with 10 goals from set plays in just eight games - the earliest any team has reached double figures in Premier League history. Mikel Arteta credits the team's training ground obsession with turning dead-ball situations into a secret weapon.
Sunday's match against Crystal Palace carries extra significance after the Eagles held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw in April, a result that effectively handed Liverpool the title initiative. Arteta's team will be looking to exact revenge, with the added challenge of facing former Palace player Eberechi Eze, who joins Arsenal in a £68 million deal this summer. Arteta emphasized that the focus is on the team, despite Eze's history with Palace.
“We hope that these records that we are getting a lot bring silverware at the end and the trophies that we want. But the more we can produce, the closer we are going to be able to achieve what we want to do,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.
“Our defensive record is very good but we need to be consistent. It's only the start of the season and our aim is to keep improving things, which we can do to keep getting better.
"The teams with the best defensive records, most of the time, apart from the last three seasons in the Premier League, you normally win the title. The stronger we are with the foundations, the more probability we have of winning.”
Set-Piece Supremacy
Arsenal's defensive wall has been rock-solid, but it's their set-piece prowess that's been rewriting the record books. With 10 goals from set plays in just eight games, they've reached a milestone faster than any team in Premier League history. Mikel Arteta credits the team's training ground obsession with turning dead-ball situations into a secret weapon, giving them a significant edge in crucial matches.
“First of all, creating the culture, giving to that part of the game the importance it has,” he said.
“Also, understanding that football is evolving and the way opponents are acting against us, we have to maximise certain things that happen very frequently.
“Something that happens very frequently has a lot of value to us, so we try to maximise that and be effective.”
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Arsenal Seek Revenge Against Palace
Sunday's encounter carries extra significance after Palace held Arsenal to a damaging 2-2 draw in April, a result that effectively handed Liverpool the title initiative.
“It's the fourth game in a row that we have played against an opponent that we dropped points against last year,” Arteta said.
“This season we've been able to beat them, so our focus is on continuing that.”
Eze Faces Former Club
The match also gives attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze a chance to face his former club after his £68 million move to Arsenal in August. Eze, who scored the winner for Palace in last season's FA Cup final against Manchester City, will likely draw attention as he steps onto the pitch against his former team.
“For Ebs (Eze) we know it is going to be a very special match with the history and what he did for Palace, but the focus is on the team,” Arteta added.
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