By Abiola Olawale
Arsenal cemented their position as Premier League leaders on Sunday, grinding out a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.
The decisive moment came courtesy of a former Crystal Palace player, as summer signing Eberechi Eze haunted his old club, scoring his crucial first league goal for the Gunners to move Mikel Arteta’s side four points clear at the Premier League summit.
Just six minutes before half-time, a Declan Rice free-kick was whipped into the box, causing chaos in the Palace defence.
After a knock-down, Eze showed superb technique to meet the bouncing ball with an unorthodox, agile volley, firing it past Dean Henderson.
​Out of respect for the club he represented for five years, Eze’s celebration was notably muted. However, the significance of the strike was immense, marking the 11th set-piece goal scored by the Gunners this season.
​The victory was magnified by the simultaneous stumbles of Arsenal’s main title rivals. Manchester City suffered a 1-0 loss away to Aston Villa, while Liverpool’s title challenge continued its downward trend following a shock defeat to Brentford on Saturday.
​These results mean the Premier League table now sees Arsenal holding a commanding lead: they are four points clear of second-placed Bournemouth, six points ahead of fourth-placed Manchester City, and seven points clear of sixth-placed Liverpool.
