Five things to look out for when Arsenal face Palace

Five things to look out for when Arsenal face Palace 

Arsenal v Crystal Palace is a historic fixture, and one that fans of both clubs should be looking forward to. 
We’ll learn a lot of things about both sides in this match. 
So here is what you should look out for at The Emirates this evening

Takehiro Tomiyasu’s biggest test yet

There are few wingers who inject fear into the blood of their opposition more than Crystal Palace club legend Wilfried Zaha.
The former Arsenal transfer target will be Takehiro Tomiyasu’s most significant challenge since joining the Gunners.
Still, if the Japanese international can rise to the challenge, it’ll be a massive step towards securing victory.
However, Zaha can cause problems for the very best defenders in the league, and it’ll be a team effort to keep him quiet.

The Eagles have a lot of exciting young talent

In Tyrick Mitchell, Conor Gallagher, Marc Guéhi, and Michael Olise, Crystal Palace have some of the best young talents in the country.
It’ll be a challenge to contain all of them for 90 minutes, but it should be interesting to see Arsenal’s young Gunners come up against the Eagles in a clash of two squads with plenty of potential.
Gallagher, in particular, has impressed, but Mitchell has been one of the Premier League’s most underrated defenders for a while now.
It’s bound to be a great game if both teams try and stick to their game plans, and Patrick Vieira’s attacking style of play certainly seems to be getting the best out of his young squad.

Arsenal’s defence continuing to improve

Aaron Ramsdale has proved a lot of people wrong since replacing Bernd Leno as Arsenal’s number one.
Despite not watching football, Ben White has improved with every performance, while Gabriel has been one of the players of the season so far, in my opinion.
Both full-backs have been outstanding, and after three clean sheets in four games, the defence is starting to look like one of the shining lights of this Gunners side.
It’ll be a tough test against Palace on Monday, but if the team can get past the Palace press and get some possession in the final third, then there is every chance that Arsenal could win this game comfortably.

Patrick Vieira’s reception

No-one deserves a great reception at The Emirates more than Patrick Vieira.
After 307 Premier League games for the Gunners, the French icon is undoubtedly a club legend, and it’ll be quite the moment when he once again takes to the field in North London on Monday evening.
On this occasion, he’ll be stepping out as Crystal Palace manager, but it would take a lot for him to be seen as anything other than the midfield titan that ran roughshod in the Premier League for much of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Even if Palace were to take Arsenal apart in a convincing victory, he would still be applauded back to South London by almost every fan at the Emirates.

Decisions to be made in midfield

The midfield battle will be pivotal on Monday evening, and it’s vital Arsenal's defence is not exposed when Palace break.

With Granit Xhaka out injured, there are big decisions to be made on who will start in midfield, assuming Arsenal stick with Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Emile Smith Rowe behind the striker.

If they do, Mikel Arteta would be wise to put Thomas Partey alongside Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Regardless of who starts for Arsenal, it’s guaranteed to be a fascinating contest.


Photo Credit: Getty Images

Popular posts from this blog

What have we learned from Arsenal's pre-season so far?

Image
  Arsenal – what have we learned from pre-season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton It only feels five minutes since Euro 2020, but incredibly we are just one week away from the new Premier League season starting. Arsenal will travel to newly promoted Brentford for a London derby in front of a noisy crowd next Friday night, not the easiest of starts to the new campaign. But what sort of shape are Mikel Arteta’s side in, going into what could be a defining season for the manager? We took a close look at what we have learnt from the pre-season period and what kind of shape the squad are in.   The new signings are ready to go It has been a mixed transfer window so far. Some fans would have expected more both leaving and arriving at the Emirates stadium over the summer. But positives can be taken - Ben White has arrived from Brighton for £50million, and highly-rated full back Nuno Tavares has come in from Benfica. Albert Sambi Lokonga completes the 2021 summer singings so far. Cruc...
Read more

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves

Image
Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...
Read more

Where will Arsenal finish this season?

Image
Where will Arsenal finish this season? By Alec McQuarrie Arsenal have made steady improvement over the last few seasons under Mikel Arteta. After finishing 8th in his debut season, the Spaniard oversaw a five-point improvement in his first full campaign.  And last year an eight-point leap followed, which was unfortunately not enough to pip Tottenham to fourth place.  Cruelly, the 69 points accumulated would have been enough to seal Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.  Looking at the trajectory over the Arteta era, it would be fair to assume a continued improvement this coming season.  After all, with five signings already secured this summer and Alexandre Lacazette the sole first-team player to depart, surely fourth place should be a bare minimum expectation.  Oleksandr Zinchenko offers much-needed cover at left-back and competition for central midfield.  Gabriel Jesus is a proven goalscorer and brings a tireless work-ethic to fulfil...
Read more