´For us, it´s on!´ – Arteta backs Arsenal in title challenge

Mikel Arteta says the title race is on for Arsenal as they returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Gabriel Jesus scored an early brace on either side of Ismaila Sarr’s equaliser, before goals from Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice made sure of all three points, as the Gunners registered their second win over Palace in a week after also knocking them out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

Jesus’ second strike was in fact Arsenal’s 50th Premier League goal from a corner since Nicolas Jover joined the club as a set-piece coach in 2021, the most of any club in the competition in his time.

It is also the sixth different away game in all competitions in 2024 in which Arteta’s side have scored five goals or more, the most ever by an English top-flight club in a single calendar year.

It was a victory which moved Arsenal up to third in the table, now just three points behind Liverpool, who have played two games fewer, but Arteta insists his team will keep pushing in the title race.

“We certainly want it [the title] but we have to show it for 10 months. The demands are incredible,” Arteta told Sky Sports.

“To play every three days for 12-13 weeks like we are demanded to play, it is absolutely crazy. We are trying our best.

“Unfortunately, we lost some players today. It is happening to every team. We certainly want to try.

“We are not even halfway. We are going to try certainly. For us, it’s on!”

One slight blemish in the game was Bukayo Saka’s first-half withdrawal, though Arteta says it is too early to know the extent of his problem.

“He felt something. It is too early to assess him. It was a precaution with him right now,” the Spaniard told Match of the Day.

Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner was left rueing his side’s missed chances as they succumbed to a second consecutive defeat against Arsenal.

The Eagles conceded five goals or more in a Premier League home match for just the third time, previously losing 6-1 and 7-0 against Liverpool in August 1994 and December 2020 respectively.

Palace had opportunities though, having 15 shots, one more than their opponents, while matching Arsenal’s six shots on target, though Glasner’s side only registered 1.72 expected goals (xG) compared to 2.88 for the visitors.

“When you concede five it is unlikely you get a point!” Glasner said to Sky Sports. “But yes, at 2-1 down we had a big chance, and before they scored a third goal.

“We had big chances in the second half, and then they scored the fourth and the game was over. We lost the belief to come back again. But we gifted them the goals, and it’s not easy to come back.

“From the first 60 minutes, we can take a lot of positives. We have to defend the box but everything else, one of our best performances.

“The pressure we gave them, the balls we were winning, in possession, how we move the ball and how many chances we created. Of course, we will learn from it. We have to learn that when you give the top teams a crumb, they take the whole cake!”