All smiles. Best home win of the season, fifth clean sheet and a brace for Aubameyang and into the top half of the table. And for those with long memories – ball over the line payback time. Partey back was…

Important match. Arsenal could have gone into the top half of the table and continued the winning run. And Palace could have gone above Arsenal with a win. But where was the spark from Arsenal? Out with a muscle strain.…

Mikel Arteta risked throwing away the recent upswing with the team selection of too many out of form players lacking confidence. Some were so shorn of confidence they looked as if they weren’t trying. The quality at times was severely…

Brighton won the last two against Arsenal 2-1, the last of which was ill tempered, which did for Matteo Guendouzi’s Gunner’s career. Brighton look good and play well – but don’t score that many and are draw specialists. They hadn’t…

Arsenal upped the speed of passing and movement and bingo, a 3-1 victory. It was a simple plan – 4-2-3-1 with wide players coming inside and the backs going on the outside creating overlaps and some spaces in the middle…

Another reminder where substantial investment combined with solid management gets you, Mr Kroenke. But the carbon kings were somewhat lucky here even though their quality was better. They can be a sly and dirty side and Fernandinho could have seen red…

Carlo Ancelloti was another manager tipped to come to Arsenal after Emery. He has  nine more points than Arteta after 34 games each, and now sits second in the table. Again, the Arsenal performance was OK – but plenty of…

Something to build on. Nevertheless, something bloodless about this – particularly in the first half. Theo Walcott may have put his finger on it when he said he could sense Arsenal’s fear – evident when they retreated to a low…

Under pressure flaws show up. The sixth red under Arteta, since he took over shows a brittle discipline – twice as many as any other Premiership club in the time. And it should have been two Arsenal players off in…

Mourinho and Arteta started their respective latest club careers within a month of each other. There was speculation the Portuguese would come to Arsenal – a post-modern George Graham for the 2020s. Experience v promise. But like the iceberg effect,…