The Gunners return home for the next challenge as Crystal Palace visit the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League.
With the games coming thick and fast, and the demand for results in these games being greater as time goes on, Unai Emery's men face another tough task as the Eagles often pose a dogged and energetic opponent. With the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend as constant threats down one end, much like Arsenal, Palace's defence is where the issues usually lie. With the reverse fixture earlier this season summing up the Gunners as an away team - conceding two both by needless penalties - is something the red army will be looking to bury nice and early. A fast start and plenty of attacking football should be enough to dispatch Palace, who are not so spirited away from Selhurst Park.
Unai Emery may again rotate his players. Laurent Koscielny's aging body surely needs a rest after a hectic week or so whilst Monreal has also stacked the minutes up of late. And although a win is needed once again, we could see a return to a back four with Mavropanos and Mustafi coming into the starting XI. Sokratis remains out through domestic suspension. Kolasinac was rested completely against Watford earlier this week so he could get the start down the left side. The in form Bernd Leno will return to the XI between the sticks whilst Matteo Guendouzi will add some fresh legs in central midfield. Another man unavailable though is Aaron Ramsey, who sadly may have played his last game for the club due to another hamstring injury. Although Emery has cooled these concerns recently saying it should only be two or three weeks but with Ramsey's suspect hamstrings, you just never know. Mesut Ozil therefore becomes the likely candidate to start in attacking midfield whilst Alex Iwobi played well last time out in the league against Watford so he too will be pushing to start. Lacazette and Aubameyang got through oodles of work on Thursday night so I wouldn't be surprised to see only one start tomorrow. Denis Suarez remains an injury doubt with a muscle complaint whilst Granit Xhaka's hip problem is being assessed ahead of tomorrow.
The Gunners have lost just two of twenty-two home meetings with Crystal Palace so certainly have history on their side. With Palace pretty much safe from relegation, you just feel that Arsenal have far more to play for and far more reward as added motivation. Although a London derby, it's not quite the rivalry of other capital city dwellers but positively, Arsenal have all of the last six home derbies and are riding a ten home Premier League win streak that they'll be keen to extend. All omens suggest Arsenal will emerge with all three points but what's so exciting about the best league in the world is that anything can happen.
The visitors will be without Jeff Schlupp due to an ankle problem whilst mid-term absentees Mamadou Sakho and James Tompkins remain injured, severely weakening Palace's back line. With two teams already relegated, the threat to Palace has eased somewhat and with more winnable games to come between now and the end of the season, they may fall slightly short against a dominant Arsenal side. Fantastic home form that's seen them lose only one home game in the Premier League this season, is the likely difference maker here and Palace, especially away from home, often flatter to deceive. But with attacking threats including Zaha, Batshuayi and Townsend, whoever plays in Arsenal's defence will need to be on it from the start.
Expected lineup:
GK: Bernd Leno
RB: Ainsley Maitland-Niles
CB: Shkodran Mustafi
CB: Dinos Mavropanos
LB: Sead Kolasinac
CM: Lucas Torreira
CM: Matteo Guendouzi
RW: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
CAM: Mesut Ozil
LW: Alex Iwobi
ST: Alex Lacazette
Prediction: A two nil win for the Gunners with another welcome clean sheet.
@craigbennett10]
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