Arsenal beats Palace 3-1 in EPL, keeps European hopes alive

Posted May 19, 2021 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Arsenal's Nicolas Pepe, center, scores his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal, at Selhurst Park in London, England, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. (Frank Augstein, Pool) The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Gabriel Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe scored in second-half stoppage time to give Arsenal a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday, keeping alive the team's outside chances of qualifying for European competition next season.

Martinelli, a substitute, bundled in from close range in the first minute of added-on time before Pepe scored his second of the match to clinch a victory that moved Arsenal into ninth place.

Mikel Arteta's team is in the fight to finish in the qualifying spots for the lower-tier European competitions -- the Europa League and the Europa Conference League -- heading into the final round on Sunday.

Christian Benteke's diving header at a free kick in the 62nd minute canceled out a well-worked team goal finished by Pepe in the 35th at Selhurst Park, where up to 10,000 fans returned for the first time after an easing of pandemic restrictions.

It was Roy Hodgson's final home in charge of Palace. The former England coach said this week he'd be leaving at the end of the season having been in charge since September 2017.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Arsenal's Nicolas Pepe celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal, at Selhurst Park in London, England, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. (Justin Setterfield/Pool Photo via AP) The Associated Press

Crystal Palace's Christian Benteke celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal, at Selhurst Park in London, England, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. (Justin Setterfield/Pool Photo via AP) The Associated Press

Crystal Palace's manager Roy Hodgson applauds fans before the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal, at Selhurst Park in London, England, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. (Facundo Arrizabalaga/Pool Photo via AP) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.