In a pulsating Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium on April 23, 2025, Crystal Palace twice came from behind to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw with Arsenal, delaying Liverpool’s title party until at least Sunday. The result leaves Arsenal on 67 points from 34 games and hands Liverpool the chance to clinch their first championship since 2020 with just a point from their upcoming trip to Tottenham Hotspur. Palace, with an FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa looming in under three days, can take enormous confidence from this resilient display .
Arsenal struck lightning-quick in the third minute when Jakub Kiwior met a precise cross with a thumping header, sending the home faithful into raptures and setting the tone for an apparently straightforward afternoon . Yet Palace gradually asserted themselves, and in the 27th minute Eberechi Eze produced a moment of pure class, rocking the Emirates roof with a sumptuous volley that arrowed in off the inside of the post .
Moments before the interval, Arsenal responded when Leandro Trossard capitalised on a loose touch, steering a deflected strike past Dean Henderson to restore Arsenal’s lead on the stroke of half-time . The hosts looked comfortable in the early stages of the second half, fashioning several chances as Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard pulled the strings, but Palace’s swift counter-attacks continually threatened to undo the Gunners .
Arsenal believed they had taken control once more when Gabriel Martinelli met Jurrien Timber’s teasing cross with a composed finish, only for VAR to rule the strike out after determining the ball had gone out of play—an offside decision that left supporters debating its fairness . From then on, both keepers were kept busy: Dean Henderson produced a brilliant reaction save to tip over Saka’s instinctive volley in stoppage time, while David Raya, despite an unearthed moment of shakiness, flung himself heroically to smother a deep cross from Palace’s Ismaïla Sarr .
The game’s defining moment came in the 83rd minute when substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta pounced on a wayward square pass by William Saliba, held off the returning Ødegaard with strength and deftly chipped Raya, completing Palace’s second remarkable comeback of the evening . Manager Oliver Glasner’s tactical shifts—introducing Mateta alongside Romain Esse—paid instant dividends, while Mikel Arteta’s decision to bring on Saka added urgency but ultimately fell just short .
The draw marked Arsenal’s 13th stalemate of the campaign—the joint-highest tally in the division—and Palace’s 12th, figures that underline the inconsistency that has punctuated both sides’ seasons . Both teams now turn their attention to looming cup ties: Arsenal head into a Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain next week unscathed, while Palace travel to Wembley brimming with belief for their FA Cup semi-final showdown with Aston Villa .
