Arsenal look to make it two home wins in three days as they meet Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in a huge London derby.
Arsenal need a win here if they’re to keep touch with the top four whilst Palace will leapfrog the Gunners into fifth if they take victory.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal have no fresh injury concerns as Reiss Nelson remains their only absentee with a knee injury.
Crystal Palace could have Vicente Guaita available in goal after he missed last weekend’s home defeat to Manchester City with a groin injury.
Defender, Martin Kelly is also expected to be available after missing that match with a similar injury.
Mamadou Sakho and Connor Wickham are ruled out with undisclosed injuries.
Form
Arsenal saw a five league match unbeaten run ended last time out with defeat at Sheffield United, although the Gunners are unbeaten in their seven home games across all competitions this season.
Crystal Palace saw a three match unbeaten run ended last weekend with a home defeat by Man City, but have two wins and defeats apiece from four away trips.
Stat Attack
- Arsenal have lost two of their last five meetings with Crystal Palace (W2, D1, L2).
- Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored in both meetings with Palace last season, with both goals coming after half-time.
- Palace have never won two consecutive away games at Arsenal, let alone in the same calendar year.
- Only four of Bernd Leno’s league high 35 saves for Arsenal this season have come from punches.
- Both teams have scored once on counter-attacks this season.
Prediction
If there’s one consistent thing about Arsenal this season, it is that they can’t defend for entire matches as evidenced by just three clean sheets at home this season never mind on the road.
Palace therefore should fancy their chances if they can produce one of their typical attacking away displays that tests Arsenal’s defensive fragilities, but only if Kieran Tierney doesn’t start because he could provide Wilfried Zaha a tough afternoon on the left flank.
I therefore can see another tough London derby for Palace but if they can summon the spirit of their win over West Ham earlier this month, they might well take a point here.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace
Result: Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace