Arsenal get five past Palace
Arsenal 5 Crystal Palace 1
With an apparent commitment problem and a lifelong love affair with Real Madrid, Jose Antonio Reyes may not seem the ideal Valentine for Arsenal fans.
However, just days after admitting his homesickness to a radio hoaxer, the Spaniard provided the inspiration for what will be rather inevitably described as a Valentine’s Day massacre at Highbury.
Having set up Dennis Bergkamp for Arsenal’s first strike after an uncertain start, Reyes scored his own first league goal since October 2.
No wonder that Arsene Wenger, who spent what may be a club record fee on the Spanish international, is so keen to keep him at Highbury despite his obvious homesickness.
With Reyes continuing to trouble the Palace defence as he rediscovered his zest, Arsenal surged into a commanding lead even before half-time, with Thierry Henry also on target.
Henry struck again after the break, along with Patrick Vieira, and while Andy Johnson scored a consolation effort from the penalty spot, Arsenal had secured their biggest win of the season.
It even seemed as if Wenger had done everything he could to make Reyes at home, picking the club’s first entirely overseas squad in the enforced absence of Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell.
That provided a glimpse of life without Cole, who was struck by illness the day before, and it was a worrying sight in the opening half hour as Palace dominated.
Jens Lehmann was especially relieved the visitors, who drew at home to Arsenal last November, did not seize an early lead.
The German international, who produced a superb double-save from Dougie Freedman and Johnson in the second minute, was just inches from intense embarrassment a few moments later.
Having allowed Clichy’s routine back-pass to slide underneath his foot, he recovered just in time to save his blushes by clearing the ball off the goal-line.
This time, linesman Rob Lewis, who did not spot Spurs midfielder Pedro Mendes’ shot crossing the line by some distance at Old Trafford earlier this season, at least managed to get the decision right.
Arsenal’s defence were under considerable pressure, with Johnson testing Lehmann with a header, but the visitors were forced into a change on 31 minutes as holding midfielder Aki Riihilahti went off.
His replacement, Mikele Leigertwood, had been on the pitch just a minute when Arsenal seized the lead, with Reyes picking out Bergkamp at the near post with an inch-perfect pass.
There was no way back for the visitors, who soon face Manchester United and Chelsea as well, and must look anxiously over their shoulders at the relegation zone.
For while Freedman was then left unmarked at the far post to lift a first-time shot over the bar, Palace simply could not cope with the Gunners’ range of attacking options.
When Henry’s shot was blocked, the ball fizzed to Reyes and his control was instantaneous before he let fly with a half-volley into the far corner.
Arsenal were flying and although Gabor Kiraly tipped Gonzalo Sorondo’s header over his own bar, while Leigertwood blocked Henry’s close-range effort, they were 3-0 up before the break.
Kiraly could do nothing as Henry let fly from the edge of the penalty area with a thunderbolt that fizzed past the Palace ‘keeper.
Arsenal’s defensive problems continued after the break, with Freedman racing onto Michael Hughes’ through-ball, but Palace lacked the home side’s clinical finishing.
While Freedman shot narrowly wide, Vieira increased Arsenal’s lead as ‘keeper Kiraly was distracted by Fitz Hall’s attempted interception and the Frenchman side-footed the ball into an empty net.
The visitors did pull a goal back when Vieira tripped Johnson and the recent England debutant became his club’s highest Premiership scorer in a season by converting the ensuing penalty.
However, Arsenal were now picking the Palace defence apart almost at will, with Bergkamp coming close again and Robert Pires striking the post.
With 13 minutes left, Henry toyed with the Palace defence as he jinked from one side to the other before unleashing a powerful shot past Kiraly.
Following their declaration of intent at Villa Park, it was yet another reminder that while the title seems beyond them, Arsenal remain the most potent attacking force in the Premiership.
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