Manchester United were lucky to win a draw at Old Trafford, and against the backdrop of wins by rivals Tottenham and West Ham, Manchester United have been squeezed to seventh in the table, and the hope of fighting for four has become increasingly slim.
Before Arsenal's match against Crystal Palace began, the situation in the third to seventh places in the table after the 31st round of the Premier League was like this: Chelsea had 59 points in 29 games, Tottenham Hotspur had 54 points in 30 games, Arsenal had 54 points in 28 games, West Ham United had 51 points in 31 games and Manchester United had 51 points in 30 games.
If Arsenal can successfully beat Crystal Palace, it will score 57 points in 29 games, which will not only widen the point gap with the scramble group, but also hope to catch up with Chelsea. Sitting around and looking three, this has become a beautiful expectation for Gunners fans, from the wail of the three consecutive defeats in the opening game, to the peace of the 5 consecutive away wins, the Gunners fans seem to have seen the possibility of the club returning to the right path.
Of course, the coach Arteta, who has the DNA of the Gunners, is indispensable to himself, can correct mistakes in a short period of time, adjust in time, and lead a group of young and energetic players to play quite efficient football, this credit can not be erased by anyone, so that many Gunners fans even issued a soul torture in the depths of their hearts that "it feels that the Gunners are almost unworthy of coach Arteta".
As long as Arsenal can win the London derby with Crystal Palace, it can also directly end Manchester United's last fantasy of competing for four this season.
However, although the record has rebounded significantly, Arsenal's record in the BIG6 matchup this season is bleak 1 win and 6 losses, quite crotch, relying on the steady harvest of the middle and lower teams, there is now this prospect, Arteta if you want to go further, you must also improve the results against the strong teams.
However, Arteta was planted again. Facing the iron barrel formation posed by the former captain, Crystal Palace coach Vieira, who was once the ceiling of the back, Arteta's 4-2-3-1 formation was quickly poked out by Vieira's defensive counterattack tactics.
Just over the halfway through the first half, Crystal Palace relied on two counter-attacks by Matta and Jordan Ayo to take a two-goal lead. With 3 shots on goal and 2 goals, Vieira's tactics firmly held Arteta's life, and the Gunners, while in control of the situation, were hit twice with two sticks before they could play a decent offense.
As Arteta admitted after the game, the Gunners' performance in the half was disastrous, and although the Gunners adjusted their tactics and stepped up their attack in the second half, Zaha's strong personal ability extinguished the Gunners' hopes of counterattacking. 0 to 3! Arsenal have lost at least three goals in the Premier League London derby for the fifth time, and coincidentally, the last time was also a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace.
The original idea of sitting four and looking at three has become letting four sit five. The Gunners' chain drop has made this season's Premier League race for four more glued. However, the Gunners still have the initiative, as long as they win 1 game of the junior round, the Gunners will surpass Tottenham and return to the top four.
Arsenal dropped the chain again, but it gave Hope to Manchester United, who was already pessimistic about the competition for the fourth place, Manchester United was only 3 points away from the top four, and as long as they could win in the direct dialogue with Arsenal, Manchester United could take the initiative in the final stages. However, Arsenal and Manchester United have a difficult final schedule, in addition to direct dialogue between each other, Arsenal also have to play against Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, manchester United against Liverpool and Chelsea, it is not easy.
Tottenham, apart from the North London derby with Arsenal, is only a conversation with Liverpool, which is slightly lighter in comparison.
The Premier League's race for the fourth place has become a civil war for London teams, mixed with the hopes of Manchester United, and now it seems that the results of the Gunners' game are too important.