"Worked on what we were going to do all week" - Wilfried Zaha says Crystal Palace knew about Arsenal's gameplan after 3-0 win over the Gunners
Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha claimed his side 'knew' how Arsenal were going to play on Monday evening.
The Eagles recorded a stunning 3-0 win over the Gunners, and Zaha claimed that his side tried to 'block' them from cutting inside and 'imposed themselves' on the game.
The victory over their London rivals was Palace's first Premier League win at Selhurst Park since December, as Patrick Vieira's men moved up to ninth, while Arsenal missed the chance to move above Tottenham into the top four.
@SkySportsPL Crystal Palace have three goals and surely three points 3️⃣
Wilfried Zaha wins and scores a penalty to send #CPFC fans into raptures - an evening to forget for #Arsenal...
#CRYARS
🎬 @SkySportsPL
https://t.co/TOTTqlYptZ
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Zaha said:
“We worked on what we were going to do all week."
He added:
“We knew they like to play inside, so we just tried to block the inside balls.
“When we had the chances, then we just countered. And then got the goals that we needed.
Zaha was extremely impressive in the match, giving full-back Cedric Soares a torrid time while playing on the left-wing, and capped off his performance by scoring a penalty for Palace's third goal and sealing their first win over Arsenal in seven games.
Vieira's side were praised for how well they pressed their opponents, and the 29-year-old Zaha was asked about the apparent lack of respect shown to their opponents.
The Ivorian said:
“I think with the quality that we have, we just have to impose ourselves on the games that we play.
“It’s not about looking at the badges. We have got quality in our team. I think, if we can play the way we want to play, then we can beat anyone.”
Wilfried Zaha:
"I've always said that this club has the best fans around. I literally feel like we have a 12th man."
"We're done looking over our shoulder. Now, we look up the table to push further on. We don't score a goal and crumble. We attack together and defend together." https://t.co/rpdCTnmQJL
Arsenal humbled by Palace and find themselves out of top four
It was an incredibly disappointing evening for the Gunners, who simply had no answer to counter the brilliant home side on Monday evening.
It was a terrible weekend for Mikel Arteta's young side, who were clear favorites to claim fourth spot and play Champions League football again for the first time in five years.
However, following this heavy defeat, coupled with Tottenham's 5-1 win over Newcastle United on Sunday, the Gunners find themselves outside the top four, with their fierce north London rivals now having a much better goal difference.
Arsenal do still have a game in hand on Spurs, but with nine matches left to play this season, their visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 12 looks as though it could prove to be the decider for both teams' campaigns.
A disappointing result but we won't let our heads drop 👊
Thanks for all your support tonight, Gooners 🙏 https://t.co/C1Zdh92KEe