Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0: Glasner praises Rice

Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0, and in the press room at the Emirates, manager Oliver Glasner admitted that Declan Rice was the difference-maker. Although the only goal came from Eberechi Eze – who left Palace in the summer – the Austrian strategist still refused to comment in depth on his performance.

Dramatic match and key moments

The game was decided by a moment from Eberechi Eze, who had just left Crystal Palace and scored against his former club. With the advantage of the goal, Arsenal controlled the tempo and secured a narrow victory. After the match, Glasner admitted that his team did not create enough clear-cut chances to turn the game around.

Development and turning point: when Rice locked down the counter-attack

Glasner pointed to the transitional play in the second half, where Crystal Palace tried to exploit the pace and space available to Ismaila Sarr. “In the second half, we found Ismaila Sarr two or three times when he had space, but then Declan Rice came back and won the ball. He put pressure on,” he said.

Those situations were the turning points. Every time Palace seemed to open up a counter-attack, Rice promptly blocked it, significantly reducing the lethality of the sprints and wides. According to Glasner, that was why Palace were unable to create more chances.

Tactical analysis: Declan Rice's central influence

The biggest highlight is Rice. More than just a holding midfielder, Rice shapes Arsenal’s transitional defensive structure: reading the situation early, dropping deep and proactively approaching to recover the ball when the opponent has just released the press. These moves reduce pressure on the defense, while helping Arsenal quickly regain control of the midfield.

Rice’s ability to open and close spaces also helps Arsenal maintain balance: when the team is high up the pitch, he creates a protective layer behind him to limit the space for Sarr. When it comes to slowing down, Rice holds the ball firmly enough for Arsenal to escape the press and maintain their rhythm. Glasner sees this as a systematic step forward, coming from a long-term scout: “Declan Rice has taken Arsenal to a new level,” he stressed, seeing it as a testament to the Gunners’ methodical team-building strategy.

Glasner avoids commenting on Eze, emphasizes rival structure

Despite Eberechi Eze scoring the winner, Glasner did not dwell on individual performances: “I am not talking about players from other teams. Yes, Eze scored the winner.” The Austrian was disappointed that Palace failed to capitalise on rare transitions, but took a respectful stance, focusing on how Arsenal played rather than commenting on their opponents.

Notable numbers and details

• Score: Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace.
• Goal scorer: Eberechi Eze.
• Glasner pointed out “two or three times” Palace found Sarr in space, but were either promptly recovered or pressured by Declan Rice.
• This was Crystal Palace's second defeat of the season.
• Arsenal continue to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League table.

Impact and prospects

The result kept Arsenal on a winning streak and confident as they maintained their lead at the top of the table. For Crystal Palace, their second defeat of the season exposed the transition problem: when opponents have a central “interrupter” like Rice, counter-attacks directed into open spaces are easily shut down without the speed of build-up and early decision-making on the second pass.

In the long term, Glasner's assessment highlights a message: the difference at the top comes down to structure – where the quality of pieces like Declan Rice, coupled with the right recruitment strategy, creates a marginal difference in these intense, controlled games.