The winning run had to end somewhere for Arsenal and Unai Emery, a team and a manager who found themselves swept up in a Selhurst Park storm on a frenzied afternoon of high drama in south London.
This was one of those rip-roaring, undulating occasions that Crystal Palace try to produce whenever one of the Premier League big boys come to visit. There were great goals, terrible tackles and controversial refereeing decisions. There were battles all over the pitch, and a moment of madness to match every moment of quality.
To watch Emery in the second half, when his side stole the lead then threw it away, was to see a head coach caught up in the emotion of it all. He sprinted around his technical area in a state of hysteria, bellowing and cajoling and roaring at his players. Roy Hodgson, a more calming presence next to him, would have been forgiven for thinking he might have been caught in the crossfire.
Emery’s emotion was indicative of Arsenal’s lack of control on the pitch, where two Luka Milivojevic penalties had cost them a 12th win in succession. Arsenal had fallen behind at the end of the first half but taken the lead in five second-half minutes, when Granit Xhaka launched a spectacular free-kick into the top corner and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had prodded in a controversial second.
Before all this, though, it was yet another game in which Arsenal started slowly. It has been a constant feature of this winning run, when the goals and the excitement have been confined to the second halves of matches, and it allowed Palace to grow in belief as the first 45 minutes unfolded.
The home side had the first chance, when Andros Townsend terrorised makeshift left-back Xhaka before crossing to Wilfried Zaha at the back post. Zaha’s whipped shot was too good for Bernd Leno, the Arsenal goalkeeper, who watched motionless as it slid off the foot of his post. Townsend then had a chance of his own, firing wide from close range after an electric passing move involving Zaha and Patrick van Aanholt.
Palace were predictably combative and quick to get in Arsenal faces. The strategy was effective in reducing Arsenal to few attacking opportunities, but it was undermined by needless errors. Milivojevic dithered on the edge of his own box, allowing Alexandre Lacazette a sight of goal, before Hector Bellerin was left totally free inside the penalty area. Palace were lucky the full-back hesitated before shooting.