Prediction: Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 17/20

Bookmaker: William Hill

Crystal Palace will play host to Arsenal at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon, in a game that’s set to follow the clash between Sheffield United and West Ham on Friday as the second match of the 22nd round of this season’s Premier League roller coaster.

Crystal Palace

Palace are, at the moment, the pure definition of what people generally refer to as a ‘mid-table team’ in England’s top flight. They sit in ninth place with 28 points on the board, which come from achieving a perfect balance in results – seven wins, seven draws and seven defeats. Their last five games consist of a 2-1 triumph over West Ham, a 1-0 loss to Newcaslte, and three draws, against Brighton and Hove Albion, Southampton and Norwich City, all 1-1. They have been known to give a top-six side a proper battle this season, as well as to lose at the hands of a team closer to the bottom.

But that appears the way a manager like Roy Hodgson likes it. They are relatively far away from the relegation zone, yet their team is never considered among the favorites for anything. As long as it stays that way, there won’t be any pressure on Hodgson’s shoulders. They can afford to lose this game (with a reasonable score-line, of course), and nobody would look for anybody to blame.

As for the team, they lost the services of fullback Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer but they managed to ward off all interest in winger Wilfried Zaha, and they acquired centre-back Gary Cahill from Chelsea on a free transfer.

Team News

The squad is pretty much riddled with injuries at the moment. Several players have been ruled out – wingers Andros Townsend and Jeffrey Schlupp, fullbacks Joel Ward and Patrick van Aanholt, as well as centre-backs Mamadou Sakho and Scott Dann.  Team captain, midfielder Luka Milivojevic is out through suspension, having been sent off in the FA Cup against Derby County. Zaha is a doubt, as is striker Christian Benteke and midfielder May Meyer.

Arsenal

It’s been a real roller coaster ride for the Gunners this season, but things appear to have started looking up lately. They looked lacklustre, to put it mildly, in most games under the command of Unai Emery, which eventually led to the Spaniard’s dismissal and the appointment of former captain Mikel Arteta in his place. It seems to have done the trick; perhaps not so much in terms of results – a draw away to Bournemouth, a home defeat at the hands of Chelsea and a home win over Manchester United, but their performances have certainly improved. The level of motivation seems different with many players.

Naturally, there is still a lot to be done to stay on the right track, Arteta’s work has just begun.

Arsenal are actually placed below Palace in the table, in 10th with a point less than the Eagles, and it’s now up to the players and the new coach to show what they have up their sleeves for the second half of the season.

Team News

Arteta has only three players missing from his squad, but as all of them are defenders – right-back Hector Bellerin, left-back Kieran Tierney and centre-back (also capable of playing as a fullback) Calum Chambers, he finds himself a bit short on options at the back. He has used young winger Bukayo Saka on defensive flanks before, but it’s more likely that we’ll see Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the right, with Sead Kolasinac on the left.

Mesut Ozil seems like a new player since the managerial change, and it remains to be seen if the German’s renaissance will last.

Conclusion

Looking at the league table and the way these two teams performed against each other at the Emirates earlier this season, it would be very hard to call this one. That game ended in a 2-2 draw as Arsenal won an early two-goal lead only to throw it away in the rest of the 90 minutes. That was the game which led to the controversies and the loss of the captain’s armband for Granit Xhaka.

However, this Arsenal, under Arteta’s leadership, truly does seem like a team that has turned a new page. They might just take this opportunity to move above the Eagles in the table.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 17/20

Bookmaker: William Hill