Crystal Palace can boost their hopes of top-flight survival with a win over table toppers Arsenal at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Palace, currently second bottom in the Premier League table, have lost five consecutive league matches since defeating Sunderland on 31 August.
Meanwhile, Arsenal — fresh off a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of German giants Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League — are unbeaten in their last seven league games.
Team News
DR Congo international winger Yannick Bolasie is expected to keep his place in the Eagles’ starting XI after making his first Premier League start against Fulham on Monday evening.
Jack Wilshere (ankle) and Mathieu Flamini (concussion), who missed the UCL clash against Dortmund in midweek, are both available for the visitors.
Possible Starting Lineups
Crystal Palace: Speroni; Ward, Delaney, Mariappa, Moxey; Campaña, Dikgacoi, Jedinak; Bolasie, Chamakh, Gayle.
Arsenal: Szczesny; Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Flamini; Cazorla, Özil, Ramsey; Giroud.
Manager Quotes
Keith Millen: “I want a reaction, of course I do, and the club need a reaction and I think the fans do. I think you’ll see that on Saturday.
“The players, they’re hurting. Everyone at the club’s hurting because everyone enjoys working with him [Holloway].
“Him and the chairman have made the decision for the right of the club and the players. It’s amazing how quickly the players switch over and the transition.
“Hopefully tomorrow they come in and I need to get them lively and enjoy playing football and be ready for Saturday.”
Match Facts
Crystal Palace have tallied just five points in their last eight top-flight meetings with Arsenal. A loss on Saturday would see the Eagles lose six successive league fixtures for the first time since March 2001.
On the other side of the touchline, the Gunners are unbeaten, 11-2-0, in their last 13 away games in all competitions.
Palace have won a grand total of 40 points from 44 London derbies in the English Premier League era.
Only Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge has bagged more goals and assists (9) than Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (8) in the Premier League this season.
Giroud, who has failed to score in his last four league games, is 5/4 to score at anytime against Palace on Saturday, while Denmark talisman Nicklas Bendtner is 11/2 to score last.
Arsenal have had eight different goal scorers — Ramsey (5), Giroud (4), Özil (2), Podolski (2), Wilshere (2), Gnabry (1), Mertesacker (1) and Sagna (1) — in the Premier League in 2013/14.
Betting Odds
Crystal Palace (17/2); Arsenal (1/3); Draw (4/1)
Match Prediction
Palace 1 – Arsenal 3 (11/1)
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
