GRITTY Arsenal showed they will no longer be soft by launching the new Premier League season with a hard-won victory.
Gabriel Martinelli's 20th-minute header and a late Marc Guehi own goal were enough to ensure there was no repeat of last year's opening day embarrassment at Brentford.
And while this back-to-the-wall triumph won't make title contenders shudder in their boots, it did at least show that Mikel Arteta's youngsters have developed some backbone.
April's 3–0 capitulation at Selhurst Park was the spark for the dramatic late-season collapse that ultimately cost Arsenal Champions League qualification.
But last night they showed their mettle as they rose to challenge them at 'em Palace.
Arteta has been widely ridiculed for the motivational tactics revealed by the documentary All or Nothing that has earned him comparisons to Ted Lasso and David Brent.
But he clearly got his team talking at this point as his young fighters rolled up their sleeves for the win that leaves them top of the table for at least a few hours.
And no one epitomized that effort better than Gabriel Jesus, the Brazilian street fighter who crashed to the ground to ensure his Arsenal career got off to the best possible start.
With seven goals in five pre-season games, Jesus has been in brilliant form since completing his £45m move from Manchester City.
And it didn't take him long to find his place in his first competitive game for his new club as he danced through three tackles to set up a glorious fourth-minute opportunity for Martinelli.
