Zero chances, 20 touches of the ball – Arsenal attacker was hard done by against Crystal Palace

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Arsenal had a tough time against Crystal Palace on Thursday night, having to settle for a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners’ recent resurgence, with four consecutive wins in all competitions, was checked against a stubborn Eagles outfit at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s charges weren’t quite as dangerous in attack as they had been in recent weeks, with Kieran Tierney and Gabriel Martinelli sorely missed.

Alexandre Lacazette went into the game in great form, having registered four goals and one assist in his previous four games, but he was largely a passenger against the Eagles.

His stats from the game make for grim reading, but they don’t tell the full story – zero chances, zero key passes, just one dribble, and a mere 20 touches of the ball (Whoscored).

The £182,000-a-week ace has looked a lot sharper in the box in recent weeks and, against Palace, made a number of good runs.

However, he was very much hard done by as a combination of a stout opposition defence and a lack of creativity from his teammates meant he had very little to work with.

Indeed, one frustrating moment in the first half saw Emile Smith Rowe deliver a neat low ball from the right, destined for Lacazette in the box – only for Hector Bellerin to run on to it and completely fluff his lines.

The £46.5million man put his arms out in disbelief afterwards, a moment which pretty much summed up Arsenal’s evening as the toothless hosts laboured to a point, barely threatening the visitors in the second half.

Arsenal are currently 11th in the table with 24 points from 18 games, and are next up against Newcastle on Monday – hopefully Tierney and Martinelli will be back for the game.