It was concerning. Palace were defensively organised, but in almost all other areas of their game, there was a distinct lack of inventiveness or intent. Alan Pardew suggested that the game plan was to subdue Arsenal - to take some of that sting away - and arguably Palace did that. But he also conceded that the side weren't good enough in possession. The second half saw more of the same defensive play, but with a greater attacking aptitude. Despite Arsenal's dominance, Palace took advantage of their profligacy and made that single goal difference count with Bolasie's goal. It wasn't a brilliant performance, but it was a brilliant point. And given the frustration we've experienced since December, it's about time we had a few of those. 

The dark cloud that hung over Palace prior to the West Ham game has been lifted somewhat with a run of four games and a point haul that few would have actually thought capable. The draw at West Ham, thanks to goals Damien Delaney and Dwight Gayle, gave the Palace team the impetus to push on. Let's be honest - we didn't expect to collect points against West Ham or Arsenal, so these are essentially bonus ones - and the fear of defeat to Norwich was a gripping one. Palace haven't been remarkable in any of these games - but they've dug deep when needed - helping the club look much safer than it did just a couple of weeks ago. 

It was an unlikely run down the Arsenal left wing. The last time Arsenal fans saw him sprint with such commitment was when he scored for Manchester City and celebrated in front of them back in 2009. It was an excellent run that initially looked like it might just take some of the pressure off the defence. But with a bit of awareness and a deft touch, he set Bolasie free to score. The Togolese striker has played a slightly withdrawn role for Palace in the last two games, and the quality he has shows with his calmness in possession. He came on against Everton and very nearly scored, too. Perhaps we (read I...) were too quick to write his contribution to Palace off. He still has a role to play in the side. 

 

 

For any keen observer, it's clear something hasn't been quite right with Yannick Bolasie in recent weeks. Shoulders slumped, unwilling to chase or hustle, frustrated at misplaced passes and generally not contributing like we know he can, to many Palace fans it would have been a sensible decision to drop him. That belief continued throughout the first half of the game against Arsenal - we know he's not a centre forward, that he's better when facing up against a full-back - but even when playing in the middle, more was needed from him. It turns out that Pardew had a chat with him at half-time, asking him to put a bit more effort in - and it showed. The goal seemed to lift the gloom from him - the smile, trickery and attitude returned - and the goal that tied the game up was a beautifully-executed ripsnorter into the bottom corner. More goals, more smiles, more effort - that's all we ask of Yannick. Let's see more of that as the season draws to a close. 

 

Palace haven't won a point against Arsenal in six previous meetings. The last time the Eagles got a result at Arsenal was back in 1998, when they were still at Highbury. It's not easy going to the Emirates stadium (despite the morgue-like atmosphere) and Palace were under consistent pressure. One of the areas we bemoaned over the course of the bad run was our defence. Once again, Wayne Hennessey, Scott Dann, Damien Delaney, Joel Ward and Pape Souare all played their part in keeping Arsenal's attacking force at bay. It wasn't pretty, but it was mightily effective and kept Palace in touching distance of a point or a win. Credit where it's due.