Arsenal managed to win their opener despite a nervy final 10 minutes against Nottingham Forest. The Gunners looked shaken by the opposition’s pace late in the game and that’s a concern heading to Selhurst Park.
The Eagles are unbeaten at their own ground since Roy Hodgson returned to the club, but will that record end against an Arsenal side who were impressive on the road last term?
- Both teams to score
- Eberechi Eze to score or assist
- Arsenal to win 3-1
Concerns Over Arteta Experiment
There was quite a bit of surprise last weekend when central defender Gabriel was left out of the Arsenal side after a run of 73 consecutive Premier League starts.
The Brazilian was fit to play and made a late cameo off the bench, with Mikel Arteta making a tactical change which left him out of the side.
In the absence of Oleksandr Zinchenko – a central midfielder turned left-back – Arteta needed a full-back who could drift inside. The now-injured Jurrien Timber could have filled that role, but instead, he opted for holding midfielder Thomas Partey.
Partey isn’t a natural full-back and he looked a little awkward at times out on the right flank. Forest’s late strike came as a result of a sprint down Partey’s flank and Palace have the pace to expose that on Monday.
Going forward, the Gunners made a strong start and they showed little sign of missing Gabriel Jesus. They have a creative trio in midfield with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard set to start alongside Declan Rice, while up front Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah all made strong starts.
While Hodgson has improved Palace, it’s hard to see them keeping the Gunners out. Look to both teams to score at Selhurst Park.
Palace Can Hurt The Gunners
Arsenal do look vulnerable from counter attacks on the wings, which suits a Palace side that like to play wide and move the ball quickly.
The absence of Michael Olise and the departure of Wilfried Zaha was a tough blow, but the Eagles still have Jeffrey Schlupp who can give Partey a tough time.
However, the star of Palace’s 1-0 win over Sheffield United was Eberechi Eze, who has been transformed under Roy Hodgson.
Eze recorded an incredible eight shots in their win at the Blades, while also making seven key passes. He seems to have started right where he left off last term when the midfielder struck six goals in 10 games under Hodgson.
Without Zaha and Olise he’s their standout attacking player and the former QPR man is in brilliant form. Given how his strengths can exploit this Arsenal backline, back him to score or assist in this clash.
EBERECHI EZE TO SCORE OR ASSIST
Visitors To Rally
Arsenal won 12 times on the road last season and they dropped just 12 points from a possible 60 against bottom-half teams.
While Palace can hurt Arsenal in this one, they did average just 1.05 goals per game last term, so the visitors’ impressive attacking options should lead them to all three points.
The Gunners tended to win fairly comfortably, with 10 of their 26 victories in 2022/23 coming by exactly two goals. They also won by two in half of their away wins. After factoring in their defensive issues, back Arteta’s side to return with a 3-1 win in this trip across London.
