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Having plundered a hat-trick against Palace in a 3-2 victory for the Gunners in the Carabao Cup in midweek, Jesus was on top form again in the Premier League with a first-half double.

Jesus opened the scoring in the sixth minute and put Arsenal back ahead after Ismaila Sarr had restored parity, before the striker's header off the post set up Kai Havertz to make it 3-1 to the Gunners.

Arsenal had to rely on some sharp goalkeeping from David Raya, who saved well from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Sarr, before Gabriel Martinelli made matters even more comfortable.

Martinelli turned home from Declan Rice's shot on the hour, just after Jesus had squandered a golden chance for another hat-trick.

Rice capped an excellent cameo with a stunning strike late on, as Arsenal cruised into third, three points behind leader Liverpool, albeit having played two matches more than the Reds.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was buoyant enough to suggest the title race is on for Arsenal after the game.

"We certainly want it [the title] but we have to show it for 10 months. The demands are incredible," Arteta said.

"To play every three days for 12 to 13 weeks like we are demanded to play, it is absolutely crazy. We are trying our best.

"Unfortunately, we lost some players today. It is happening to every team. We certainly want to try.

"We are not even halfway. We are going to try certainly. For us, it's on."

One slight blemish in the game was Bukayo Saka's first-half withdrawal, and Arteta could not hide his concern at Saka's latest setback.

"He felt something in his hamstring, he couldn't continue," the Gunners head coach said. "He will have to be assessed, so [I am] really worried about that one.

"It's very difficult to [comment of the extent of the injury] now. It's in the same leg. I don't know how big this is going to be."

The Spaniard is also waiting to learn the extent of the training ground injury suffered by Raheem Sterling.

"We don't know how long that is as well," Arteta added. "To lose two players within 24 hours, it's not good.

"With the amount of games being played every three days, it doesn't surprise me. But the team will react to that."

Meanwhile, Palace's manager Oliver Glasner was left rueing his side's missed chances as it succumbed to a second consecutive defeat against Arsenal in a week.

Palace had 15 shots, one more than Arsenal, while matching its opponent's six shots on target, but only registered 1.72 expected goals (xG) compared to 2.88 for the visitors.

"When you concede five it is unlikely you get a point," Glasner said. "But yes, at 2-1 down we had a big chance, and before they scored a third goal.

"We had big chances in the second half, and then they scored the fourth and the game was over. We lost the belief to come back again. But we gifted them the goals, and it's not easy to come back.

"From the first 60 minutes, we can take a lot of positives. We have to defend the box but everything else, one of our best performances.

"The pressure we gave them, the balls we were winning, in possession, how we move the ball and how many chances we created. Of course, we will learn from it. We have to learn that when you give the top teams a crumb, they take the whole cake."