Arsenal finishes a three-game losing skid with a 5-0 victory against Crystal Palace

Arsenal’s struggles in scoring were resolved by central defender Gabriel Magalhaes as the Gunners broke their three-game losing skid with a sensational 5-0 triumph over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.

During the first half at Emirates Stadium, Gabriel took control of the situation by scoring two crucial goals from set pieces. His first goal came from a powerful header off a corner in the 11th minute, while the second was an own goal forced by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson from another set piece delivery in the 37th.

The third goal was added by Leandro Trossard after a swift counterattack in the 59th minute, and substitute Gabriel Martinelli completed the rout with two identical goals in stoppage time, lifting Arsenal above Aston Villa into third place in the Premier League standings. Mikel Arteta’s team narrowed the gap to leaders Liverpool to two points ahead of their upcoming game at Bournemouth on Sunday.

Arsenal’s inability to convert dominance into goals had proven costly in recent defeats to West Ham and Fulham in the league, as well as against Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Hence, it was a relief for the home crowd when Gabriel rose above Chris Richards to score a well-taken header from a perfectly delivered corner by Declan Rice in the 11th minute.

The center back believed that his team’s hard work on set pieces paid off, as he stated, “We work a lot on set pieces because we know the quality we have. Today I scored two so we keep that going.”

Martinelli added some sheen to the scoreline with two goals, effectively putting an end to Arsenal’s scoring troubles, at least for the time being.

“We knew we needed a game like that where we had a clean sheet and scored five goals,” Martinelli said.

Palace remained in 14th place, five points clear of the relegation zone, and speculation about manager Roy Hodgson’s future may intensify following this heavy defeat, especially with former Chelsea and Brighton coach Graham Potter in attendance.

This article is reported by The Associated Press.