Saturday’s Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park promises a thrilling sequel to their midweek EFL Cup encounter. Just days after Arsenal edged out Palace 3-2 to secure a place in the semifinals, the two London rivals face off once again, with both teams aiming for crucial points.
Gabriel Jesus stole the show during the cup tie, ending a year-long goal drought at the Emirates Stadium with a spectacular hat trick. However, controversy lingered, as his second goal might have been ruled offside if VAR had been in operation. The victory marked a much-needed response from Mikel Arteta’s side following frustrating draws with Everton and Fulham in the league.
Arsenal remains six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who hold a game in hand. The Gunners are unbeaten in their last nine matches across all competitions, including seven wins and two draws in London derbies this calendar year. No Premier League team has gone an entire year without losing a capital clash since Chelsea in 2005, a feat Arsenal is on the brink of matching.
For Crystal Palace, Wednesday’s loss extended their struggles against Arsenal, who have won their last five meetings, including back-to-back doubles in the previous two seasons. However, the Eagles showed promise in the cup match, keeping Arsenal at bay in the first half before succumbing to the pressure.
The defeat ended a five-match unbeaten run for Palace, which included a convincing 3-1 victory over Brighton last weekend. While Palace sits 15th in the Premier League table, they remain just four points above the relegation zone. Manager Oliver Glasner will hope to inspire another spirited display at Selhurst Park, where the Eagles have managed only one league win this season, a triumph over Arsenal’s North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
Declan Rice, who missed the midweek clash with a minor knock, is expected to return for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta also indicated that Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko could feature, though Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sidelined with knee injuries. Kieran Tierney, who made his first appearance in over a year on Wednesday, is unlikely to start again so soon.
For Palace, the injury woes continue, with Eberechi Eze ruled out after aggravating a foot problem. Daniel Munoz is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, leaving Nathaniel Clyne as the likely replacement. Caleb Kporha started in the EFL Cup but is expected to make way for the more experienced Clyne. Joel Ward might also return from a calf injury to bolster the Eagles’ defense.
Predicted Lineups
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi; Clyne, Hughes, Doucoure, Mitchell; Sarr, Kamada; Mateta
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal
Both teams will have fresh memories of each other’s strategies after Wednesday’s match. While Crystal Palace can pose a threat, especially to an Arsenal defense that has conceded in six straight away league games, the Gunners’ superior quality and rested key players should tip the balance. Expect Arsenal to claim another hard-fought victory and keep the gap to Liverpool in check.
