A day out for the flat-track bullies or glimpses of an exciting new beginning without Alexis Sanchez? Fans of Arsenal have seen enough false dawns to instinctively suspect the former but, even allowing for Crystal Palace’s very obvious limitations, there was still enough here to suggest that life after Sanchez might actually be an improvement on the past year.
Arsenal really should have begun this process with Sanchez’s sale last summer and, after having a £45 million bid rejected on Saturday, are also now preparing to return with a second bid for Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
With Henrikh Mkhitaryan also due imminently to arrive from Manchester United and Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi, Alexandre Lacazette and Jack Wilshere all influential here in a match that was effectively over at 4-0 after just 22 minutes, Arsenal’s main problem has never really related to their offensive options.
It is the defensive shape of the team and, in switching to a third different system of the season, manager Arsene Wenger might finally have found the optimum balance.
The addition of Mohamed Elneny just behind two more liberated central midfielders in Jack Wilshere and Granit Xhaka meant a return to four at the back and provided the platform for an immediate dominance of possession.
