Eberechi Eze scoring against his former club as Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1–0 at the Emirates almost felt like a story written in the stars.

Once Eze was named in the starting eleven, the script seemed destined for a fairytale moment — and that’s exactly what happened.

However, beyond that decisive goal, Eze’s overall performance wasn’t his most dominant display in an Arsenal shirt.

Eberechi Eze’s Goal Was Decisive — but Not His Best All-Round Game

Before his £67.5 million move to Arsenal — a deal that saw the Gunners hijack Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of the midfielder — Eberechi Eze was already viewed as one of English football’s brightest creative talents.

Handed Arsenal’s iconic number 10 jersey ahead of the 2025–26 season, expectations were massive. Now, he has scored has first goal for Arsenal in the English Premier League, and it cam against his former club, Crystal Palace.

When Arsenal hosted Crystal Palace on Sunday, 26 October 2025, all eyes were on Eze and how he would perform against the club that made him a Premier League star.

In truth, it was a fairly calm afternoon for him apart from the winning goal — but that one moment was enough to earn him the Man of the Match award. His strike sealed all three points and pushed Arsenal four points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Yet while Eze delivered the match-winning moment, another player quietly produced an equally outstanding performance — Jurrien Timber.

Jurrien Timber’s Underrated Brilliance Against Crystal Palace

The Dutch full-back once again showcased his consistency and tactical intelligence down the right flank. Timber’s ability to combine defensive security with attacking purpose has become such a norm for Arsenal that it almost feels taken for granted.

In this article, we break down Timber’s display minute by minute and statistically compare his contribution to other Arsenal players — to show why the right-back who kept a clean sheet, constantly drove the ball forward, won the most fouls, and opened spaces in Palace’s deep-lying low block also deserves major credit.

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What the Stats Reveal About Timber’s Performance

Touches on the Ball

Jurrien Timber (49) had more touches than David Raya (45), Eberechi Eze (37), Bukayo Saka (31), and Leandro Trossard (42) — a clear sign of how involved he was in Arsenal’s build-up play.

Fouls Drawn

No Arsenal player was fouled more times than Timber, who drew 3 fouls.
Saka had 2, while Trossard, Eze, Magalhães, Hincapié, and Saliba each had 1.

Tackles and Defensive Duels

Only Declan Rice (4) made more tackles than Timber (2). Zubimendi and Eze also registered 2 each.

Blocks

Timber topped Arsenal’s blocking chart with 3, matched only by Gabriel Magalhães.
Eze (2), Rice, Hincapié, and Gyökeres (1 each) followed behind.

Shot-Creating Actions

A key measure of attacking involvement — Timber recorded 2 shot-creating actions, bettered only by Declan Rice (4) and Martin Zubimendi (3).

Passing Accuracy (%)

Among Arsenal players who featured for more than 50 minutes, only Magalhães (89.1%) and Zubimendi (85.3%) surpassed Timber’s 82.9%. It shows how precise he was even under pressure.

Successful Take-Ons

Only five Arsenal players completed at least one take-on — Timber, Trossard, Saka, Eze, and Calafiori — each completing one.

Key Passes

Timber created 1 key pass, second only to Declan Rice (3).

Passes into the Final Third

Only Zubimendi (8) and Rice (6) completed more passes into the final third than Timber (5).

Through Balls

Timber, Magalhães, and Saliba each registered 1 through ball.

Tackles Won

Only Declan Rice (3) won more tackles than Timber (1).

Ball Recoveries

Timber recovered the ball 4 times — behind Trossard (6), Saka (5), and Calafiori (5).

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Minute-by-Minute Breakdown: How Timber Bossed the Right Flank

1. Calm Under Pressure: Timber Finds Saka (6’)

In the sixth minute, despite being surrounded by two Crystal Palace players, Jurrien Timber kept his composure, rolled the ball under his feet, wriggled out of the press, and calmly found Bukayo Saka in space — the kind of composed buildup Arsenal’s system thrives on.

Surrounded by two Palace players, Timber rolls the ball under his feet and releases it calmly to Saka.

2. Winning It Back After Eze’s Miss-Hit Pass (7’)

A minute later, William Saliba found Eze near the right touchline. As Eze drifted inside toward the box, he attempted a risky pass to Saka — intercepted by Tyrick Mitchell. But the Palace full-back couldn’t control it, and the loose ball fell perfectly to Timber, who immediately fed Saka again to restart Arsenal’s attack.

3. Covering for Saliba (9’)

When Palace launched a long ball toward Jean-Philippe Mateta, Saliba briefly lost his balance, allowing Mateta a half-chance to flick the ball toward Yeremy Pino. But Timber read the danger superbly — recovering position and intercepting the pass before Palace could counter. Excellent anticipation and awareness.

4. Cleaning Up After Zubimendi (14’)

Another crucial intervention came in the 14th minute when Zubimendi’s forward pass was cut out by Ismaïla Sarr. As Palace tried to spring a counter, Timber again read the situation, intercepted Sarr’s intended pass to Pino, and regained control for Arsenal. His positional discipline was immaculate.

5. Confident Dribbling and Control (15’)

By the 15th minute, Timber was visibly in rhythm. After receiving from Rice, he confidently cut inside past Pino — who could only tug at his shirt — before spinning 270° to shield the ball and burst forward again. The Emirates crowd roared its approval as Timber played it back to Rice.
This was peak Timber — composed, technical, and fearless in possession.

6. Taking On Three Palace Players (29’)

In the 29th minute, Timber produced one of the game’s standout moments. After intercepting a long clearance from Chris Richards, he surged forward, flicking the ball past Pino and holding off three Palace players.

As Saka moved into space, Timber waited for the perfect moment to pass. Palace closed in — Kamada lunged and fell over, Guehi tried to body him off the ball, and Pino charged again — yet Timber stayed upright and in control.

Eventually, Kamada resorted to sweeping Timber’s legs, conceding a foul in a dangerous position. The Emirates applauded — Palace could only stop Timber by fouling him. And against Arsenal, conceding set-pieces that close to goal is always a costly mistake.

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Final Thoughts: Timber Quietly Shines in Arsenal’s Title Push

Eberechi Eze may have scored the winner and deservedly taken home the Man of the Match award, but Jurrien Timber’s performance was the foundation of Arsenal’s dominance.

From interceptions and recoveries to calm distribution and brave forward runs, Timber played like a seasoned leader — showing why Mikel Arteta values him so highly.

This was another reminder that while goals win headlines, Arsenal’s balance, structure, and title charge are built on unsung heroes like Jurrien Timber — the player who quietly stole the show against Crystal Palace.