Palace 1-1 Arsenal: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Aubameyang Scores & Sees Red in Gunners Draw

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored and was sent off as ​Arsenal were forced to hold on to a draw against Crystal Palace, where Jordan Ayew's deflected strike cancelled out an early opener.

It was like a training exercise throughout the opening stages of the match and the visitors were able to take a deserved lead when Aubameyang finished off a brilliant passing move.

Arsenal couldn't create another goalscoring chance for the rest of the first half, but Mikel Arteta's side showed very few signs of frailties at the other end of the pitch - in part something that was down to Crystal Palace playing with very little intensity.

It was much of the same after half-time, but Crystal Palace found themselves back on level terms after Ayew's shot deflected off David Luiz and into the back of Bernd Leno's net.

Things then went from bad to worse for Arsenal when goalscorer Aubameyang was sent off after a nasty tackle on Max Meyer, which went through a lengthy review from the Video Assistant Referee before the final decision was made.

Crystal Palace weren't quite able to build on their momentum, while Arsenal hit the post in the latter stages of the game, and both sides were forced to share the points at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace

Key Talking Point

It's so often a criticism of Saturday's opponents, but this time it was Crystal Palace who struggled to get out of first gear and the hosts almost gift-wrapped the opening goal of the match just through their timidity.

Aubameyang's goal forced Palace out of their shells slightly and they appeared to wake up after half an hour, but through a combination of quality and confidence, one of the Premier League's most error-prone defences weren't put under any sustained pressure.

The game completely turned after half-time, however, as a deflected goal from Jordan Ayew and Aubameyang's red card put Crystal Palace in control of the match and looking the more likely to snatch all three points.

Player Ratings

Guaita (7); Kelly (6), Tomkins (6), Cahill (6), Riedewald (8*); McCarthy (5), Kouyate (7), McArthur (6); Meyer (6), Ayew (7), Zaha (6).

Substitutes: Tosun (6).

Star Man

He's was given next to no help in trying to deal with Nicolas Pépé, but Jaïro Riedewald didn't look out of place up against Arsenal's club-record signing.

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Both in defence and helping to build attacks, Riedewald didn't put a foot wrong and the Dutchman even caused problems with set-pieces for Roy Hodgson's side.

Arsenal

Key Talking Point

It was clear from the word go that Arsenal weren't taking three points for granted at Selhurst Park - something that was a crippling weakness under Unai Emery - and while Crystal Palace did everything they could to help the Gunners, their opening goal came thanks to a clear and well-executed game plan.

It was a picture-perfect start for Arsenal, but an injury to Lucas Torreira, Crystal Palace's lucky equaliser and Aubameyang's red card turned the game on its head from nowhere.

Arteta's side had their backs against the wall for the remainder of the match and needed to rely on scraps on the counter-attack, but Arsenal were only able to find Crystal Palace's woodwork in their search for a winner against the run of play.

Player Ratings

Leno (6); Maitland-Niles (7), Sokratis (6), Luiz (7), Kolasinac (8); Torreira (9*), Xhaka (6), Ozil (6); Pepe (7), Lacazette (8), Aubameyang (6).

Substitutes: Guendouzi (6), Martinelli (7), Nelson (N/A).

Star Man

It's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pépé who can still interchange as Arsenal's match-winner on any given day, but Lucas Torreira showed exactly what the club's biggest improvement has been since Mikel Arteta's arrival.

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The Uruguay international has clearly had very little guidance since moving to Emirates Stadium, but Torreira is starting to look like the player that Arsenal fans thought they'd signed from Sampdoria in 2018.

Torreira's aggression stifled a handful of promising attacks that Crystal Palace were able to carve open throughout the first half, with the 23-year-old able to keep a lot of the defensive pressure off Sokratis and David Luiz's shoulders.

Injury saw Torreira forced off at half time, and the Uruguayan's absence from Arteta's team proved the be the catalyst for their downfall at Selhurst Park.

Looking Ahead

After hosting Arsenal, things actually get harder for Crystal Palace next week when they travel to face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, Sheffield United are up next at Emirates Stadium before they look to right some wrongs against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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