Three players stood out in the first game against Crystal Palace.
Three players stood out in the first game : When the schedule for the first day of the season came out, Arsenal fans would have been worried. Selhurst Park is a tough place to play, and Mikel Arteta’s team won’t be able to beat Crystal Palace because they have enough talent on both ends of the field. Last season, Arsenal lost this game by a score of 3-0, and their season quickly went downhill after that. So the game on Friday was nerve-wracking but fun, and people promptly forgot about their embarrassing losses in the past.
Even though the tour in the United States was incredible, Crystal Palace was a different kind of test with higher stakes. Luckily, it was a test that the Gunners did very well on.
Three players stood out in the first game against Crystal Palace.
All of the players on the field worked hard against Patrick Vieira’s team, but a few deserve extra credit. Here are three players who stood out in the first game of the season.
1. William Saliba
Arsenal has the world’s best young defender. This is because of the work he has done for years. William Saliba is only 21 years old, which is hard to keep in mind. However, when he was on the ball, the Frenchman was calm and collected. He had no trouble getting through the Palace press. On defense, he had to deal with an attack that was hard on his body. He also had to cover White if Zaha beat him. Saliba was the best defender on the field by a large margin.
The way Saliba thinks is also powerful. Selhurst Park is not a place where it is easy to make your first Premier League game. The defender, on the other hand, was just as calm as ever. Young players don’t always do well under a lot of pressure, but this is a good sign about his game.
2. Gabriel Jesus
He was in charge of the press from the front and chased the Palace players all the time. As he turned and drove towards the goal with all his heart, his close control, dribbling, and agility were also impressive. He has also given Arsenal’s new attack a lot of fluidity and unpredictability by often switching with Martinelli and Bukayo Saka in wide areas.
The center strengths forward will become even more apparent as he keeps building on the strong relationships he already has with the rest of the front line. His skills are like those of the whole Arsenal team – remarkable. Jesus is fast, active, and dedicated off the ball, and has excellent technique on the field. He is leading Arsenal into a new and exciting era.
3. Ben White
This season, the addition of William Saliba to the center of defense has given the team more options. This has allowed Ben White to play on the right side and pushed Cedric down the list of options. During preseason, the English defender did well on the wing but not so well against Palace. White did what he had to do to keep him quiet, which was not easy.
White was in the right place and closed off passing lanes early. Because he was tall and athletic, he was able to cut down on long changes of play. White also showed how smart he was when he stopped Zaha from turning around and running at him. Since he can play in midfield when the team is on offense, Arteta can keep the structure he wants even when Tomiyasu is out.