Premier League football returns this weekend as Arsenal welcomes Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in a fierce London Derby.
Arsenal prepare for the fixture after the brink of 2 straight defeats in the Premier League and also getting knocked out of the FA Cup. The Gunners also spent a couple of weeks in Dubai in need of rejuvenating their squad for the fixtures that come at them. On the other hand, Crystal Palace ended the year with a spirited 3-1 win against Brentford which was also their 1st win in 9 games. But just like Arsenal, Crystal Palace also were knocked out of the FA Cup 3rd round.
Both teams are in Premier League action for the first time this year and aim to start it with a win.
WHEN AND WHERE?
Date: 20th December 2023, Saturday
Time: 18:00 HRS IST
Venue: Emirates Stadium
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistants: Scott Ledger, Dan Robathan
Fourth Official: Andy Madley
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Steve Meredith
TEAM NEWS
Gabriel Jesus had a minor issue with his knee for the fixture against Liverpool in the FA Cup but is expected to start after being pictured training.
Jurien Timber is still recovering from his long term knee injury. Zinchenko (calf), Fabio Viera (Groin) and Thomas Partey (thigh) are all still unavailable due to injuries.
Tomiyasu and Elneny are on international duty with their respective countries.
For Crystal Palace, Jordan Ayew is away at the AFCON for Ghana. A decision is yet to be made about Olise’s match fitness and whether he’ll be available for the fixture after picking up a thigh injury.
Cheick Doucoure is out for the season, while Holding and Ward are struggling for match fitness.
PRE-GAME TACTICAL ANALYSIS
Having suffered back-to-back defeats Arsenal are desperate to get into winning ways and build momentum going forward.
Crystal Palace have struggled coming away to the Emirates with only winning one in their last 12 fixtures in the Premier League (D4 L7). Palace have looked a bit woeful going forward in the FA Cup fixtures against Everton and do not look like the side that could turn things around against their rivals. With that being said, its important to know that they can create threats in transition and also be stubborn defensively.
The Gunners haven’t lost 4 consecutive matches continuously in the Premier League since April 2018 whereas, the Eagles haven’t won 2 games in a row since April 2023.
Arsenal’s forward line has been poor this season. Although they’ve got goal scorer’s spread across, none of them has been capable of scoring on a constant basis. The lack of finishing in front of goal has been a key issue for them. Regrouping and starting after an important break and also the heat in Dubai could truly make a difference to the character and commitment of the players.
Mikel Arteta is expected to make only 1 notable change that is bringing in Jesus in place of Nketiah. He’ll expect the side to be much more clinical in front of goal and also defend their set pieces better as these were the key reasons for Arsenal crumbling in the last two matches.
Arsenal are 4th on the table, 5 points behind Klopp’s Red’s and 3 points behind Aston Villa. The latter have already played their fixture for Matchday 21 which does mean Arsenal do have a chance to leapfrog them to 3rd spot.
It was Martin Ødegaard’s penalty that was the difference maker although they were a man down in the reverse fixture in August. Can they put in a similar shift to defeat the physical profiles of the Eagles to start the campaign afresh?
KEY PLAYERS
Bukayo Saka
It hasn’t been the most ideal start for any of Arsenal’s attacking outlets but Saka has provided the light when the rest haven’t. Saka has been involved in 15 goals in his last 18 Premier League London derby matches, scoring 6 and assisting 9 of those. With 6 goals and 6 assists in the Premier League so far, Saka makes a nuisance for the opposition with his dribbling, passing, and shooting. He has the ability to create chances for himself and his teammates very often. Would Tyrell Mitchell be able to contain Saka’s tricky feet?
Eberechi Eze
With Olise expected to miss the match against the Gunners, Eze stands out as one of their best creative outlets. His ability to dribble past and get into important areas of the pitch allows him to interpret play easier and be the difference maker. Crystal Palace aren’t expected to have much of the ball, going further they could rely on his set-piece ability as he’s a dead ball technician. He could be seen capitalising on Arsenal’s high line by utilizing his pace and counter-attacking effectively.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Arsenal XI vs Crystal Palace: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Crystal Palace XI vs Arsenal: Henderson; Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Eze, Hughes, Lerma, Schlupp; Edouard, Mateta.
