Arsenal have won 12 of their last 18 visits to Selhurst Park, losing only two, seeking a third successive victory, without conceding, in South London.
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Preview
Just three nights ago, these two clubs played out a thoroughly entertaining EFL Cup tie in North London so now, 12 miles south, on the other side of the River Thames, will they treat us to another goal-fest? On Wednesday night, Jean-Philippe Mateta gave Crystal Palace a shock lead after a mere three minutes at the Emirates, but Gabriel Jesus proved to be the unlikely hero, scoring a second half hat-trick to send the Gunners through; a late towering header from Eddie Nketiah against his former side unable to spark a comeback. As the same two teams meet again, will it produce the same outcome?
Arsenal badly need a victory if they're to remain in the Premier League title race, following back-to-back disappointing draws, first held by Fulham before, a week ago, being unable to break down Everton at home, a drab goalless draw the result. Mikel Arteta's team therefore remain third, six points adrift league-leaders Liverpool, having played one game more. The Gunners' next three fixtures are against Ipswich, Brentford and Brighton, before a North London derby in mid-January, so this really needs to be the start of a winning streak, if they're to remain in contention.
Crystal Palace though will be no push-overs, as they've already proven this week, considering they're unbeaten in five league outings, losing only once in eight since mid-October. Last Sunday, the Eagles enjoyed a momentous victory over fierce rivals Brighton, with Trevoh Chalobah breaking the deadlock before Ismaïla Sarr scored twice, securing a 3-1 victory, sparking wild scenes of celebration from the traveling supporters in Sussex. Two months ago, Oliver Glasner's side were still winless so sat in the relegation zone, but Palace have since moved up to 15th, four points clear of danger, seeking a statement Saturday night victory here.
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 56.
- Crystal Palace Wins: 6. Draws: 16. Arsenal Wins: 34.
Crystal Palace Team News
Right-wing-back Daniel Muñoz was suspended for the mid-week EFL Cup tie and is also banned here, having collected his fifth yellow card of the campaign at Brighton. 18-year-old Caleb Kporha made just his second senior appearance, starting for the very first time, on Wednesday, before being replaced by Nathaniel Clyne at half time, with the latter more likely to start this time. That aside, having named a strong side in the Carabao Cup, Oliver Glasner could name an unchanged lineup, with Jean-Philippe Mateta getting the nod over fellow mid-week scorer Eddie Nketiah who, if he's to net against his former club again, will have to do so from the bench. Chadi Riad, Adam Wharton and Matheus França are all injured, while Jefferson Lerma is one caution away from a ban.
Crystal Palace predicted lineup vs Arsenal: (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Chalobah, Guéhi, Lacroix; Clyne, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze, Nketiah.
Crystal Palace Player to Watch vs Arsenal
Eberechi Eze has never scored against Arsenal in six attempts, losing five of these encounters, but if Palace are going to prevail this time, they'll be reliant on Eze to be their creator in chief.
Arsenal Team News
Benjamin White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori all remain sidelined, leaving Mikel Arteta very short of defensive options. As a result, Kieran Tiereny appeared in an Arsenal shirt for the first time in 500 days on Wednesday, so could the Scotsman keep his place, or will teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly return, having started against both Monaco and Everton? Elsewhere, after beggining on the bench in mid-week, Gabriel, William Saliba, Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz will return, as will Declan Rice, following a well-earned night off. Lastly, despite only seeing 265 minutes of league action so far, Carabao Cup hat-trick hero Gabriel Jesus would miss Friday's clash with Ipswich if cautioned.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace: (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Merino, Saka, Ødegaard, Martinelli; Havertz.
Arsenal Player to Watch vs Crystal Palace
Gabriel Martinelli bagged a brace when Palace visited the Emirates in January, meaning he's scored five times against the Eagles, the joint-most he's netted against any single opponent, alongside Liverpool.
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Prediction
We are backing Arsenal for victory at Selhurst. If the Gunners are going to prevail, it's unlikely to be easy or straight-forward, making a repeat of Wednesday's five-goal thriller unlikely: Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal.
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal FAQs - Premier League
How to watch Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Premier League game on TV channel?
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Premier League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League & Ultra HD.
- USA: fuboTV, NBC Sports & USA Network
- Canada: Fubo Sports Network Canada
How to watch Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Premier League game on live streaming?
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Premier League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: SkyGo & NOW TV.
- USA: fuboTV, nbcsports.com & USA Network
- Canada: fuboTV Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Crystal Palace vs Arsenal in the Premier League?
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal takes place on Saturday 21 December 2024, with kick off at 17:30 (GMT), 12:30 (EDT) & 9:30 (PST).