20 January 2024 , 13:36
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Gary Neville has dismissed Crystal Palace’s protests after Gabriel Magalhaes forced Arsenal’s second goal from a corner.
Palace found themselves 2-0 down at half-time in Saturday’s early kick-off in the Premier League following two straight forward set pieces. Gabriel opened the scoring with a towering header at the back post from Declan Rice ’s delivery in the 11th minute and he was at it again soon after.
The Brazilian centre-back was instrumental to their second in the 37th minute when Bukayo Saka ’s inswinging corner was allowed to travel all the way to the back post for Gabriel to head in via a touch from Dean Henderson. Palace were furious that the goal was allowed to stand, believing that goalkeeper Henderson had been illegally blocked by Ben White.
But Neville rubbished those protests by tweeting: “Never a foul the keeper has to be stronger!” Replying to a fan, he then added: “He just needs to get White out of the way he’s entitled to stand there! Got to be stronger.”
Referee Paul Tierney waved away the protests from Henderson and his Palace team-mates Jeffrey Schlupp and Will Hughes, while Rice had an angry argument with the Palace keeper. VAR backed up Tierney’s on-field call to give Arsenal a commanding lead at the Emirates Stadium.
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Neville also tweeted out his thoughts on the opening goal, which saw Gabriel get up above Chris Richards to nod in at the back post. Sharing a screen-grab of Gabriel getting above Richards, he wrote: “Arsenal fans think this is a foul then” with some laughing emojis.
It was a clear reference to the goal Newcastle controversially scored through Anthony Gordon in their win over Arsenal back in November. Asked about that, Neville added: “I don’t think it’s a foul like i didn’t at Newcastle.”
Gabriel Magalhaes headed in Arsenal's second goal at the back post (TNT Sports)Neville wasn’t the only pundit less than impressed by Palace’s defending of set pieces. Speaking about the second goal, former Brentford manager Mark Warburton said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Really poor marking again from Palace. A standard delivery into the box and they should defend their box much better than that.
“You've got [Leandro] Trossard, one of the smallest players in Arsenal's lineup taking out [Joachim] Andersen and [Jeffrey] Schlupp, they must defend better. Roy Hodgson will be fuming with that.
He added: “Palace are being run ragged right now, every time they get the ball they are turning it over so easily. So sloppy in possession. Every set piece they look vulnerable, it is not even like the set piece play from Arsenal is particularly intricate, just your average ball into the box and movement, but Palace can't deal with it at the moment.”