Eberechi Eze scored against his former club to hand Arsenal a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, extending the Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League.

The decisive moment came six minutes before half-time when Eze latched onto a loose ball from a set piece and rifled home a superb half-volley past the Palace goalkeeper.

Arsenal came close to doubling their advantage after the break when Gabriel Magalhães rattled the crossbar, but Mikel Arteta’s men ultimately had to settle for a narrow win — their seventh consecutive victory in all competitions.

Crystal Palace failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match, as Arsenal’s defensive solidity once again shone through. The North London side have now conceded just three goals in 13 matches this season and kept five consecutive clean sheets across all competitions.

Though the performance was far from vintage, the result moves Arsenal four points clear of second-placed Bournemouth and six ahead of Manchester City, who suffered a 1–0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. Liverpool sit a further point behind the leaders.

Arteta’s side had delivered an attacking masterclass in midweek, scoring four times in 14 blistering second-half minutes against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, but found Palace’s compact defence more difficult to break down.

Arsenal waited 33 minutes to record their first effort on goal — a chance created when Viktor Gyökeres, fresh from his double against Atletico, held off Maxence Lacroix and fed Declan Rice, whose pass found Leandro Trossard. However, the Belgian’s heavy touch allowed the ball to get stuck under his feet and his shot was easily saved.

In the end, Eze’s strike proved enough to secure all three points, keeping Arsenal’s title charge firmly on track.