THE NOTEBOOK: Graham Potter watches on as Arsenal thrash Crystal Palace, Eagles supporters keep the banned beat going, and Bukayo Saka pleads for another Dubai trip
Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City as they took the lead again with a 5-0 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Gunners were reeling from back-to-back defeats in the English top flight ahead of their 13-day winter break and were back in good form against Roy Hodgson’s side.
Centre-back Gabriel kick-started Arsenal’s thrashing of Palace before a Dean Henderson own goal, Leandro Trossard’s strike and Gabriel Martinelli’s brace capped a dominant display.
The defeat increases the pressure on Palace manager Roy Hodgson, with the club now considering possible replacements as the Gunners continue their title chase.
Mail Sport’s Isaan Khan gives his notebook from the Emirates.
Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City as they returned to winning territory on Saturday
Palace suffered a thrashing as a dominant Arsenal side ran riot with five goals in the Emirates
Potter at the wheel?
Former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter was here – and it certainly didn’t go unnoticed by the TV cameras.
With Palace boss Roy Hodgson under pressure after one win in 12 games, could Potter, who has been unemployed since April, look for his next job?
As the goals piled up, Palace fans unfurled a banner that read: ‘Wasted potential on and off the pitch. Weak decisions take us backwards.”
Former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter was at the Emirates for the match
Starmer’s position on Arsenal’s search for a striker
Arsenal fan Sir Keir Starmer thinks we need someone new at number 10, but says the Gunners need a number 9 – not Ivan Toney.
He told talkSPORT: ‘He hasn’t played for a long time. If we want to sign a striker for Arsenal, and there are good arguments for that, it has to be someone who is completely at his game.’
But there is bad news for Gabriel Jesus. Starmer said the striker is ‘great but doesn’t score enough goals’.
Sir Keir Starmer believes Arsenal need a new number nine to replace Gabriel Jesus
And still the beat goes on
Palace fans let off smoke bombs before the match, but more than a dozen police stormed into the away corner to seize possession. . . a drum.
Musical instruments are not allowed in the Emirates, yet a drum beat could still be heard in the crowd as the game started.
Saka’s Dubai demand
Bukayo Saka said the club’s summer training camp in Dubai gave the team time to freshen up, and it appears to have been a joy.
After the match, Saka told TNT: “We asked the boss if we could go to Dubai again!” Perhaps a winter break is in order for the revived Gunners
