Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal: EPL Previews, odds and Predictions

There will be high expectations for Saturday's Premier League London derby between Crystal Palace and Arsenal. The two teams met in the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday and scored five goals.

The two teams from the capital will meet again at Selhurst Park after Mikel Arteta's side advanced to the League Cup semi-finals with a 3-2 victory, thanks to a Brazilian who was born again.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Unlike the London bus, Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus had to wait more than a year for his next goal at the Emirates Stadium. On Wednesday, he finally scored three goals in the EFL Cup match against Palace. Before that, he hadn't created any waves in his net since December 17, 2023.

Palace had every reason to feel wronged; if video assistant referees had been in use, Jesus's second goal would have been ruled offside. However, the hitherto unsuccessful South American managed to cancel out Jean-Philippe Mateta's opener and render Eddie Nketiah's late intervention against his former team useless.

But with the EFL Cup doors locked at Stockley Park, Arteta's men not only responded admirably to disappointing draws with Fulham and Everton but also ensured their spot in the quarterfinals of a tournament they haven't won in over 30 years.

The visitors are now 90 minutes away from extending their unbeaten run in all tournaments to 10 matches. Still, Arsenal have been toothless in the Premier League, failing to capitalize on Liverpool's setbacks. The lead to the league-leading Reds, who have a game in hand, is still six points.

With seven wins and two draws from nine Premier League London derbies in 2024, Arsenal could go into double digits for games without defeat in this streak; no top-flight club has gone a whole calendar year without losing an all-capital Premier League clash since Chelsea in 2005.

Despite an almost full Palace squad keeping Arteta's bench players at arm's length in the first half of Wednesday's match, the momentum shifted in the second half as Arteta enlisted his most valuable assets, and Glasner rested several of his starters.

Despite the quarterfinal defeat to Glasner's record, the Eagles played well in North London, and Palace showed signs of life as they made up for their disappointing start to the season.

Last weekend, the hosts secured 15th position in the Premier League with a well-deserved 3-1 victory away to M23 derby rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. This capped off a five-game undefeated run that ended when they were defeated by the Gunners.

But a pair of more disappointing outcomes might put Palace squarely back in danger. They now sit four points above the relegation zone, and their lone home Premier League victory this season came against Arsenal's archrival Tottenham Hotspur.

After a 3-0 thrashing at Selhurst Park in the 2021-22 season, Crystal Palace have lost five in a row against Arteta's squad, who had swept the Eagles in the previous two Premier League seasons. Wednesday's cup loss was the fifth consecutive loss for the hosts.

Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal Team News

Declan Rice was benched for midweek's victory over Palace after requesting to be substituted in the Everton draw due to an injury. The Englishman will likely return to play on Saturday after a short recovery.

Nevertheless, Arteta has three left-back concerns—Ben White (knee), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (muscle), Riccardo Calafiori (knee), all of whom are likely to miss too much time at Selhurst Park.

Myles Lewis-Skelly ought to be promoted back to the starting lineup as Kieran Tierney was never anticipated to start two games in rapid succession after his long layoff; Tierney made his first appearance for Arsenal in over a year on Wednesday before being substituted with a suspected cramp.

While there were no new injury worries for Glasner's Palace squad after Wednesday's defeat, the Amex hosts have lost Daniel Munoz to suspension after the Colombian received his fifth yellow card of the season.

Even though 18-year-old Caleb Kporha started the EFL Cup game against Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, Glasner will almost certainly go with the more seasoned Nathaniel Clyne to face them.

Joel Ward might return from a calf injury to provide Glasner with more options on the right side. However, Adam Wharton (groin), Matheus Franca (groin), Rob Holding (disciplinary issues), and Chadi Riad (fitness) are all expected to sit this one out again.

Our Predictions

Arsenal to win @ 1.61 on Sky247.ng

After Wednesday's match, both Crystal Palace and Arsenal should have a good idea of how the other lineups. However, while the Eagles' starting lineup could be a little tired, Arsenal's usual starters won't be.

Even though the Gunners' defense has let in goals in six consecutive Premier League away games, Glasner's squad still has a chance to cause a double London derby disaster and keep Liverpool's lead from widening.

Elevate your betting experience with SKY247 Nigeria. Join now and discover a thrilling world of sports, live events, and exclusive bonuses. Bet with confidence on your favorite teams and games.