Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Gunners Suffer Top Four Blow After Huge 3:0 Defeat at Selhurst Park

• Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Premier League clash ended in a 3-0 loss for the Gunners on Monday night, April 4
• Goals from Mateta, Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha were enough to condemn Mikel Arteta's charges to a comprehensive defeat
• The defeat saw Arsenal miss out on a glorious chance to regain their fourth spot on the Premier League standings

Arsenal's hopes of sealing a top-four finish at the end of the season have been dealt a massive blow following their 3-0 humiliation by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Having been displaced from fourth place by Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend, the Gunners needed a favourable result during their trip to Palace to regain the spot.

However, Mikel Arteta's men were unable to deal with a clinical Crystal Palace side who took their chances to down their London rivals.

How Crystal Palace sunk Arsenal

Both teams continue to ping the ball around at top speed in the early exchanges of the Monday night, April 4, clash, with neither sniffing the goal.

Ranking the best Spurs players of all time and more fun facts

Football

However, the hosts finally broke the deadlock 16 minutes later through Jean-Philippe Mateta who steered a header home from close range to make it 1-0.

Jordan Ayew doubled Palace's lead in the 24th minute as he whistles a low shot into the bottom left to beat Aaron Ramsdale who was in goal for Arsenal.

The second half of the match saw Patrick Viera's men put the game to bed as Wilfried Zaha scored his side's third goal from the penalty spot in the 74th minute.

Efforts by the visitors to score at least a consolation proved futile as the home side roared to a comfortable win.

How the top four race looks after Arsenal's defeat

Arsenal's defeat at Selhurst Park leaves them in fifth with 54 points, on level with fourth-placed Tottenham who demolished Newcastle 5-1 over the weekend.

West Ham United are placed sixth with 51 points but boast of a superior goal difference over Man United who dropped to seventh.

How many Invincibles players are among the top ten Arsenal legends of all time?

Football

The Gunners, meanwhile, will be keen to bounce back to winning ways when they host Brighton at the Emirates on Saturday, April 9.

Tottenham, West Ham secure wins to complicate the top-four race

Earlier, Sports Brief reported the top-four race is slowly taking shape after Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham recorded victories on Sunday, April 3.

Tottenham demolished Newcastle United 5-1 at home to climb to fourth on the standings, with West Ham seeing off Everton.

The two results saw Man United drop to seventh on the standings, with Arsenal now sitting fifth with two games in hand.