Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: Preview and Prediction
Arsenal and Crystal Palace will lock horns in a mouth-watering London Derby in the 2022-23 Premier League season, on Sunday. The match will take place at the iconic Emirates Stadium in North London.
For Arsenal, this will be a crucial match as they are currently the favourites to win the league title. The Gunners are placed at the top of the points table, having won 21 of their 23 matches and amassed 66 points in the process.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace is placed in the 12th position. The Eagles have won only 6 of their 17 matches, but thanks to their 9 draws, they have been able to bag 27 points and maintain a distance from the relegation candidates.
Current Form
Arsenal set the momentum right from the start, as they won all of their first five matches. While Manchester United handed them their first defeat in the sixth match, Mikel Arteta’s men made a fantastic comeback with a streak of unbeaten 13 matches.
The Gunners won 11 of these 13 matches while drawing the other two games. They then had a poor run of three winless games, but Arsenal will be coming into this match on the back of five consecutive wins – against Aston Villa, Leicester City, Everton, Bournemouth and Fulham.
Crystal Palace has been struggling in this competition since the beginning. Patrick Vieira’s team won only one of their first seven matches while losing three of those games. That run was followed by a spell of improvement, as the Eagles then won five of the next nine matches.
However, the team from South London have not won a game ever since. They played a total of 11 Premier League games in 2023, where they drew five and lost six matches. Vieira’s men will come into this match on the back of three defeats – against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Head to Head Record
In terms of head-to-head records, Arsenal is miles ahead of their opponents. These two London rivals have met 30 times previously, where the Gunners have won 16 games while the Eagles have won only 6 matches. The other 8 fixtures ended in draws.
The return leg fixture, which took place in August at Selhurst Park, saw Arsenal winning the game by a 2-0 margin. A Gabriel Martinelli strike and a Marc Guehi own goal comprised the two goals scored by Arteta’s side.
Team News
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is expected to return to the starting XI
After resting many of his star players in the mid-week UEFA Europa League defeat against Sporting Clube de Portugal, Arteta is expected to start his best XI in this match. With Aaron Ramsdale in goal, the defensive line could feature Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Skipper Martin Odegaard is expected to be teamed with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka in midfield, while the onus of scoring goals will be on the front three of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Martinelli.
On the other hand, Vieira is likely to set his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The backline of Nathaniel Clyne, Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, and Tyrick Mitchell is expected to be stationed ahead of the young goalkeeper, Joe Whitworth.
With Luka Milivojevic and Cheick Doucoure providing the Eagles with a double pivot, the attacking trio could be comprised of Jordan Ayew, Michael Olise, and Jeffrey Schlupp. Most importantly, Wilfred Zaha is set to be stationed at the front of the line.
Predicted XIs
Arsenal (4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli.
Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Joe Whitworth; Nathaniel Clyne, Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell; Luka Milivojevic, Cheick Doucoure; Jordan Ayew, Michael Olise, Jeffrey Schlupp; Wilfred Zaha.
Prediction
Arsenal is ahead both in terms of head-to-head records and also current form. With the home crowd also rallying behind them at the Emirates Stadium, we have predicted the Gunners to comfortably bag three points in this fixture.