Crystal Palace will host Arsenal in gameweek 2 of the 2023/24 Premier League season. Both teams opened the campaign with a win by a one-goal margin but when it comes to London derbies, form becomes redundant.
Roy Hodgson wants to get the better of Mikel Arteta, but the Spanish boss eyes only three points in his road to challenge for the title again. Both teams are likely to field strong lineups, but I anticipate Arsenal to win this one.
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: 3 CRUCIAL players for Arteta’s plan
With that in mind, here are 3 players who are crucial to Arsenal.
1. Thomas Partey
Firstly, it’s perhaps the most important player in Arsenal’s setup, Thomas Partey. The Ghanaian international midfielder was close to being sold in the summer, but his performance in gameweek 1 proved why it was the right call to keep him.
Partey is a traditional defensive midfielder, in that he breaks up play with his reading of the game and has an excellent range of passing to make the right call. With Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard bringing the ball forward, it is usually down to Partey to be in the right place at the right time to intercept and win back possession. Monday’s game will be no different.