This was a scrap and, having squeaked through it, Arsenal will not mind at all. They did so thanks to a penalty from Martin Ødegaard eight minutes into the second half and may reflect that, while a refashioned side looks short of last season’s brilliance at this early stage in the term, they merited the points on the balance of chances. Nonetheless Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace offered a typically challenging workout and were encouraged during the final quarter when Takehiro Tomiyasu was dismissed after picking up two needless bookings. That will have infuriated Mikel Arteta but a side that, by the end, was packed with defenders held out with relative confidence against hosts bereft of cutting edge. In May 2021 Hodgson had bidden an emotional farewell to a Covid-restricted crowd here after a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, his retirement seemingly a certainty. If the size and volume of the crowd had swelled, red and blue flares billowing from the Holmesdale Road end at kick-off, the sight of the 76-year-old patrolling his technical area offered a constant few could have expected back then. Palace have always been compact and fast-breaking under Hodgson. His attacking options are severely limited at present, not least by the hamstring injury to Michael Olise. Last week Olise signed a new contract despite an offer to join Chelsea; he may only have been watching from the stands but, early on, Palace’s support loudly advertised their glee at staving off the interest from west London. They also roared their team forward and could reflect, midway through the first half, that they had come closest. Arteta again chose only three specialist defenders, Tomiyasu replacing the unlucky Jurrien Timber, and saw his fluorescent-clad carousel of attackers dictate possession as expected. But Palace posed a threat down the right, William Saliba and Aaron Ramsdale cutting out crosses from Jordan Ayew, and almost wrought a clear sight of goal when Odsonne Édouard slalomed into the box before failing to outwit Ben White. Palace’s most obvious creative danger, Eberechi Eze, then forced Ramsdale to save a well-struck drive from 22 yards. When Cheick Doucouré took aim shortly afterwards Ramsdale dived at full stretch, although the ball flew at least a metre wide. Bar an early opening for Gabriel Martinelli that was blocked, Arsenal had found little encouragement. That changed just before the half-hour when Palace built uncertainly from the back and Jeffrey Schlupp was robbed, Bukayo Saka swiftly prodding through for Eddie Nketiah. Alone and to the right of goal, Nketiah slid his finish past Sam Johnstone neatly enough but saw it rebound off the far post. Six minutes later, played in similarly by Declan Rice, he found himself inside the six-yard box but lifted over; if he had been unfortunate previously, this was a glaring miss. In between those chances, Saliba made a last-ditch tackle to thwart Édouard after his error had sent the striker away. It had become the kind of tussle, intense and engaging, that has characterised this fixture and Martin Ødegaard almost illuminated it before half-time with a shot that Johnstone smartly tipped over. Arsenal reemerged at speed and it was no huge surprise when, via a third encounter between Nketiah and Johnstone, they broke through. This time it was the keeper who erred, mistiming his dive at Nketiah’s feet and sending him flying after Martinelli had taken a quick free-kick. Palace had been caught out, their opponents simply more alert; the penalty survived a VAR check and Ødegaard sent Johnstone the wrong way. A response seemed a tall order for Palace. Ayew drove into the side netting and Eze wasted a promising free-kick but Arsenal, with Saka more prominent since the interval, were in control. Johnstone was put to work again by Thomas Partey, punching a piledriver over the bar. Kai Havertz, otherwise quiet, volleyed across goal before Tomiyasu gave the home side a lifeline. While Arsenal’s players protested there could be few complaints as Tomiyasu, already booked for wasting time at a throw-in, received his second yellow card for tugging Ayew back. Selhurst Park, which had been becalmed, ramped up the volume again. There were screams for a Palace spot kick after Eze tumbled, but he had run straight into Partey’s leg. Arteta introduced Gabriel Magalhães and Jorginho to staunch any bleeding and braced for whatever form of late onslaught Palace could muster. Édouard failed to get decent purchase on a presentable headed chance and, as balls bounced in and around their box, Arsenal scuffled everything else clear. It was not the night for anything more extravagant.