Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal: 5 Talking Points as Odegaard's penalty seals tough win for 10-man Gunners | Premier League 2023-24

Arsenal needed to dig deep to secure an important 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Monday, August 21.

The Eagles went into this game on the back of a narrow 1-0 win against Sheffield United in their opening fixture. Having dominated possession, Palace were taken over the line by a second-half strike from Odsonne Edouard. Manager Roy Hodgson named a strong lineup for this game - their first at home.

The Gunners, on the other hand, defeated Nottingham Forest 2-1 on opening day with goals from Edward Nketiah and Bukayo Saka. They looked strong at the start but were given a run for their money by Steve Cooper's men. However, they held on to win. Mikel Arteta named a strong lineup for this game with one enforced change as the injured Jurrien Timber was replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The first period was a tense affair which saw Arsenal dominate possession with nearly 68% of the ball. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, did well and remained compact in defense for the most part but were unable to transition quicker than the Gunners while attacking. This prevented them from making the most of their limited possession.

A total of 14 shots were attempted by the two teams, with both sides hitting the target once apiece. The hosts attempted five shots compared to the visitors' nine but neither managed to score as the teams went into the break deadlocked at 0-0.

The second half saw the game burst into life as both teams began showing their hands and creating chances with greater regularity. Arsenal grabbed the lead just nine minutes after the resumption of play as Palace 'keeper Sam Johnstone fouled Edward Nketiah inside his 18-yard box, resulting in a penalty. Skipper Martin Odegaard stepped