This was a tough decision, but it is time to pursue another challenge,” Venkatesham said. “Now is not the time for goodbyes as I remain focused until my last day and supporting a seamless transition.”

Palace: Whitworth (GK), Ward, Guéhi, Tomkins, Mitchell, Milivojevic (Ayew 64), Doucouré, Schlupp (Ahamada 82), Olise (Eze 82), Zaha, Edouard (Hughes 64) Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke toasted his Denver Nuggets side's maiden Western Conference championship win this week. However, like Arsenal, their defence is their weakness. Nelson's strike was the 35th goal they have conceded in away Premier League matches this season - a division high. The Arsenal co-chair added: "That’s true, but if you knew the team was going to win it sure would relieve some of the anxiety." The Nuggets will be the primary focus of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment's focus over the next month or so but there is plenty of work to be done across the sports empire, not least at Arsenal where Mikel Arteta wants to upgrade his midfield.Venkatesham has been one of the key figures in the reconstruction of Arsenal as a serious force under Arteta. A former oil trader and Deloitte consultant, Venkatesham has been the leader of the business side of the club since the departure of Gazidis. If we all knew the team was always going to go out and win, it wouldn’t be any fun." Kroenke's son, Josh, agreed with his father.

For a long time, Bournemouth defended their very early lead with stubbornness and co-ordination, marshalled well by goalkeeper-captain Neto, who made a terrific double save from Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka just minutes after Billing's opener.The goal gave Arsenal confidence and they went on to dominate the remainder of the half, adding a second when Saka exchanged passes with White inside the box and – jinking inside a challenge – slid a low shot past Whitworth into the net. A clipped cross from Saka bounced all the way across the edge of the penalty area and was collected by Gabriel Martinelli, who took one touch on the outside of Ward before hammering a rasping left-footed finish across goal and into the bottom corner. Stan Kroenke said: “This is a simple evolution as part of us all driving Arsenal forward and further reaffirms our family’s long-standing commitment to this great club. Stability in football has never been more important as we move past the pandemic, and we believe this is the perfect time to formalise these roles. Nelson had played just 64 minutes of Premier League football this season - having struggled with thigh problems - before being thrown on as a second-half substitute by Mikel Arteta here.