They started like a train this time and deservedly led through Gabriel Martinelli’s header; then they had to defend, particularly during a sometimes uncomfortable second half, and Crystal Palace will feel they asked enough questions to force a draw. Any hope of that was scotched by Marc Guéhi’s late own goal, but as season openers go it was engaging fun and on this evidence Patrick Vieira’s side are equipped compete admirably again over the coming months.
Shooting towards a shaft of golden mid-evening light, Arsenal began with a crispness that suggested a resolve to show things were different now. Gabriel Jesus’ searing pre-season form since arriving has been touted as a reason to believe in their resurrection as a top-four power; friendlies are nothing like the real thing but four minutes into the serious business he seized on a loose defensive touch, cut into the box and was only denied by a lunging block from Guéhi. Although Martinelli missed glaringly from the loose ball, his blushes were spared by an offside flag.
Jesus has been signed as Arsenal’s No 9 but rotated with the nominally left-sided Martinelli in the early stages. Palace were pegged back and the next to have a go was Oleksandr Zinchenko, who was winning the league alongside Jesus with Manchester City two and a half months ago. Zinchenko’s deflected shot was beaten away by Vicente Guaita after the ball had been worked across the 18-yard line. Arteta has set plenty of stock in his two proven winners from the Etihad and both had begun with a noticeable edge.
Palace finally showed some when Cheick Doucouré, their own flagship signing, crunched through Martin Ødegaard in what seemed a calculated attempt to ignite his team. Jordan Ayew did the same, less legally, on Martinelli and Granit Xhaka had to clear a Wilfried Zaha cutback. The tide seemed to have reversed slightly but then Martinell got the season up and running.
It was certainly an improvement on his start to 2021-22, when he did not score for three months. Bukayo Saka initially appeared to have overhit a corner from the right but in fact it was a set-piece routine of the highest artistry: Zinchenko had made an untracked run into the far side of the box and there was no mistaking the intent as he flexed his neck at the ball, heading meaningfully across for Martinelli to time his own leap perfectly and nod across Guaita.
The Palace keeper could perhaps have got a stronger hand to the ball. His opposite number, Aaron Ramsdale, looked their best hope of quick parity: he dallied over a clearance and saw Odsonne Édouard charge down, the ball rebounding away, moments before hurriedly extricating himself from another self-imposed tight spot.
But Arsenal were relatively untroubled for much of the half despite Zaha’s hunger to get at the stand-in right-back Ben White. When the winger, a long standing nemesis of these opponents, appeared to come out on top he found Saka tracking back to rescue matters, much to Arteta’s approval.
