Crystal Palace 1-1 Arsenal: Aubameyang scores but also sees red card

Arsenal might consider itself fortunate to leave Selhurst Park with a point after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's dismissal.

Referee Paul Tierney deemed Aubameyang's ugly lunge on Meyer worth only a yellow card, but a lengthy VAR review saw the offence upgraded to a straight red.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored and was sent off as Arsenal played out a 1-1 Premier League draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Gabon international put Mikel Arteta's side ahead with a typically clinical finish early on before Jordan Ayew secured a point for Roy Hodgson's men nine minutes after the interval.

Palace might feel it should have gone on to seal all three points after a VAR review deemed Aubameyang's challenge on Max Meyer in the 67th minute worthy of a straight red card.

The result leaves Arsenal in 10th position, one point behind the Eagles and eight adrift of fourth-place Chelsea.

Arsenal started with a spring in its step and opened the scoring in the 12th minute, courtesy of a fine team goal.

READ | Ozil surprised by Arteta appointment at Arsenal

Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette combined to find Aubameyang on the edge of the penalty area, with the former Borussia Dortmund man taking a touch away from Martin Kelly before clinically slotting into Vicente Guaita's bottom-left corner.

That lead rarely looked in danger throughout the first half, although Bernd Leno had to be alert to keep out Cheikhou Kouyate's deflected effort shortly before the interval.

The host started the second period with renewed verve and pulled level in the 54th minute when Ayew's effort took a wicked deflection off David Luiz and looped over Leno.

Luiz then flashed a header narrowly over the crossbar before Aubameyang received his marching orders.

Referee Paul Tierney deemed the forward's ugly lunge on Meyer worth only a yellow card, but a lengthy VAR review saw the offence upgraded to a straight red.

Both sides came agonisingly close to snatching a win in the closing stages.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos cleared James Tomkins' header off the line, while at the other end Guaita superbly tipped Nicolas Pepe's low drive onto the post before smothering Lacazette's follow-up.

 

Aubameyang emulates unwanted Arteta feat

Aubameyang emulated an unwanted feat last achieved by his current head coach, Mikel Arteta, when he was sent off, becoming only the third Arsenal player to score and be dismissed in the same Premier League match and the first since Arteta also saw red at Selhurst Park in October 2013.

What does it mean? No quick fixes for Arteta

Arsenal looked destined for a third consecutive win across all competitions after Aubameyang's early opener. The Gunners failed to take advantage of their first-half dominance, though, and allowed Palace back into the game with some sloppy defending.

Arteta has certainly overseen an improvement during his short spell in charge but the second-half display at Selhurst Park proves he has a long way to go to return Arsenal to the upper echelons of English football.

Guaita's heroics preserve a point

The Eagles goalkeeper was a spectator for much of the game but made his mark with a stunning double stop late on. He got the faintest of touches to divert Pepe's low strike onto the upright and showed superb reactions to deny Lacazette from close range.

Aubameyang blots his copybook

Aubameyang went from hero to zero for Arteta's side. He scored his 14th Premier League goal of the campaign with a fine finish before receiving a deserved red card for what was an horrendous challenge.

What's next?

Palace faces a daunting trip to Manchester City next Saturday, while the Gunners host Chris Wilder's impressive Sheffield United on the same day.