Crystal Palace hosts Arsenal in today’s lunchtime fixture in what should be a pulsating encounter. Last season on this same patch of Earth known as Selhurst Park, the Gunners shared the spoils with their hosts, no thanks to two well taken penalties from the master dead ball specialist, Luka Milovojevic.
Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, spoke about the difficulties of playing on that ground,
“Every time I played there, I suffered. It was always tough. It is a very complicated stadium. Roy Hodgson is a manager with incredible experience and what he is doing there, it is impressive and it will be tough.
The manager is in the news for all the right reasons, getting results both on and off the pitch. There was a time this season where Granit Xhaka reached an all time low with the fans and was odds on to leave the club in January. Arteta had some discussions with him and convinced Xhaka to stay, which is a major plus for all concerned. Mesut Ozil also spoke highly of the new gaffer, stating he has brought the old virtues to the club.
With the renewed sense of optimism at the club, today’s game against Crystal Palace will represent how much more progress the club has made in the short stint Arteta has had with the Emirates.
Arsenal Team News
Calum Chambers (knee) and Kieran Tierney (shoulder) are currently the major absentees in the squad, although there were some concerns with club captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (illness) but he should be back in contention.
Hector Bellerin’s hamstring still remains a cause for concern and Arsenal is still short on options in that position. Ainsley Maitland-Niles holds the fort, and Arsenal attempted an experiment with Sokratis Papastathopoulos, but the Sun reported that the Gunners are in talks to sign Brazilian teenage sensation, Yan Couto this summer.
Lucas Torreira managed to get some rest in the FA Cup clash with Leeds, so he will be fresh for today’s encounter, because he will face some dogged opposition in the forms of James McCarthy, James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup
Crystal Palace Team News
Roy Hodgson took to youth for his FA Cup encounter against Derby County and received some embarrassment from the Sky Bet Championship outfit. There was some insult added to injury when club captain, Milovojevic, received his matching orders in that game and will serve a three-match ban.
Crystal Palace secured the services of Cenk Tosun on loan from Everton, so he will be odds on to make his home debut. The Turkish forward lived his best life in Besiktas before switching to the Premier League and he struggled ever since.
Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup
Injury Updates
Arsenal: Kieran Tierney (shoulder), Hector Bellerin (hamstring), Calum Chambers (knee)
Crystal Palace: Patrick van Aanholt (hamstring), Joel Ward (knee), Scott Dann (muscle), Mamadou Sakho (hamstring), Jeffery Schlupp (muscle), Andros Townsend (knock), Christian Benteke (muscle), Luka Milovojevic (suspension)
Team Form Guide
Arsenal Form
- Last Five Games: D D L W W
- Last Result: Arsenal 1-0 Leeds United
- Leading Goalscorer: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (15)
Crystal Palace Form
- Last Five Games: L W D D L
- Last Result: Crystal Palace 0-1 Derby County
- Leading Goalscorer: Jordan Ayew (5)
Gooner Daily predicts a 3 – 1 Arsenal win.
Kick Off – 1.30pm at Selhurst Park
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