Arsenal-Crystal Palace is a match valid for the twenty-first day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 1:30pm: TV, probable formations, predictions.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach, has had two weeks to prepare for this match but mostly to reflect on the particular moment his team is experiencing. The Gunners last took the field last time last Jan. 7, in the FA Cup match with Liverpool: against the Reds, at the Emirates Stadium, the Londoners cashed in their third consecutive defeat after those suffered in the derbies with West Ham and Fulham in the league.
A staggering drop that can be well explained by recent offensive numbers: it has been since the match with Brighton, played now a month ago, that Arsenal has failed to score more than one goal in the same game. There is talk in England of a possible arrival of Karim Benzema – another one apparently already fed up with the experience in Saudi Arabia – to wake up an attack that is slacking right at the crucial moment of the season. The Gunners are fourth in the standings, but the summit is not so far away: Liverpool is only five points up, a gap that is still closeable provided Arteta’s men do not commit any more missteps, otherwise the chase would become more complicated. To turn the page comes yet another derby, this time with Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace, a match that absolutely must not be missed.
Another derby for the Gunners
The Eagles in the week were engaged in the FA Cup, in the replay of the challenge with Everton, which ended 1-0 for the Toffees. The last league match, on the other hand, dates back to last December and thus to the derby victory (for a change) with Brentford.
The Palace, in any case, cannot sleep soundly, as it still risks being sucked into the fight not to be relegated. The third-last, Luton Town, is still too close (5 points) to relax. Hodgson meanwhile has to deal with several absentees for the African Cup of Nations: Doucouré and Ayew will not be at Emirates Stadium, while Olise, Holding and Ward are out injured. Arsenal, on the other hand, should have Gabriel Jesus: the knee problem now seems a distant memory.
The prediction
The challenge with Crystal Palace seems to be the right opportunity, for Arsenal, to find the three points and goals again. Gunners favored in a match of less than four goals overall.
The likely lineups for Arsenal-Crystal Palace
ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli.
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Henderson; Clyne, Andersen, Guéhi, Mitchell; Eze, Richards, Lerma, Schlupp; Edouard, Mateta.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-0
