Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
Arsenal welcome Crystal Palace to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with Unai Emery’s Gunners going in search of their fourth win in five Premier League matches. Palace head into the game on the back of a 3-1 home defeat to Manchester City, and Roy Hodgson will be hoping that his team’s form will fit the recent pattern where they have won the next game after losing a league match. That pattern of alternately winning and losing has continued for eight games now.
If the Gunners win, it will be the first time that they have won 11 consecutive home top-flight league matches in a season. They will be without Welsh international midfielder Aaron Ramsey on Sunday, though, as he has a hamstring injury. Palace will be missing Jeffrey Schlupp as he is out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Prediction: Gunners 2-1 Eagles
Our prediction for this game is that Arsenal will win 2-1, and keep up the momentum of their push for a top-four Premier League finish. The Gunners won 1-0 away at Napoli in the Europa League in midweek, a result which gave them their third consecutive win in all competitions. The confidence of that recent run, plus home advantage, should give Unai Emery’s team the edge in this game. Palace will not be easy opponents, though, and should score a goal of their own. Luka Milivojevic might well get that goal from a penalty too. That has happened a lot this season.
Our recommended tip: Gunners 2-1
Our featured tip for this game comes from Betway, who are offering odds of 7/1 on our prediction of a 2-1 Gunners victory turning out to be accurate. We have backed this option as it offers more value, in terms of the odds on offer, than backing the Gunners to win and both teams to score. The odds on that market are just 19/10, which does not offer you much value in our view. We strongly suspect that Palace will manage to score first, but also that Arsenal will just have too much quality in the end.
Previous matches
There have been 19 previous Premier League meetings between these teams. Arsenal have won 13 of those games and Palace just two. There have been four draws. Palace have won once in the Premier League away at Arsenal.
The league meeting earlier this season at Selhurst Park ended in a 2-2 draw. Luka Milivojevic scored twice from the penalty spot for Palace that day. That result means that Roy Hodgson’s team have the chance to stay unbeaten in both league matches against the Gunners in a season for the first time since 1979/80.
Top 3 Premier League Bookies
Players to watch: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang & Luka Milivojevic
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is Arsenal’s top Premier League goal scorer this season, with the Gabonese striker having netted 18 goals from 32 league games. He has also provided his team-mates with five assists. Of his 18 goals, 16 have been scored with his right foot, a stat which should give defenders a bit of guidance when it comes to stopping him scoring. Three of his goals have come from the penalty spot.
Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic has enjoyed an amazing season when it comes to converting penalties. The Serbian international scored twice from the spot in this season’s earlier meeting with the Gunners, and has scored 10 goals from penalties in total in 2018/19. He has scored 12 goals in total. He has also scored one goal from free kick, highlighting his deadliness in deadball situations. A tackle success rate of 75% shows his defensive value to the team.
