Arsenal had a huge week of football, which included a solid victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and then building momentum with a dominating 4-0 win over Ipswich Town ahead of the game against Crystal Palace. Mikel Arteta’s focus is on the upcoming UEFA Champions League semi-finals against PSG, and the game on Sunday seemed like a dress rehearsal before they welcome the Parisians.
Wednesday’s encounter would then be seen as another game to prepare for the PSG clash, as after that Arsenal will have the weekend off. Hence, Arteta could have the chance to prepare his team well and get his team to their peak sharpness with a stellar performance against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
Arteta’s team selection for Sunday probably showed what might be in store for the PSG clash, especially with Thomas Partey suspended for the first leg. Leandro Trossard proved a point by leading the line and scoring a brace, while Gabriel Martinelli continued his superb form of late and Bukayo Saka was unfortunate not to score or assist in that clash, as overall the Gunners had a good run on the pitch against Ipswich Town.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace ended a run of two dreadful results with a hard-fought draw against Bournemouth on Saturday. Ahead of Oliver Glasner’s side hosting the Cherries, the Eagles had suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Manchester City and Newcastle United, with both those teams able to score five goals in each of those encounters.
The midweek encounter with Newcastle United did catch Glasner by surprise, as the Magpies were dominant in every aspect including the ones that matter most, goals. The clash with Bournemouth did come with its challenges as a controversial refereeing decision to send Chris Richards off did cause a stir right at the stroke of half-time.
The Eagles held their own against an attack-minded Bournemouth side, as Glasner prepares his team for another stern test against Arsenal. They have already lost twice this season to the Gunners in quick succession, once in the EFL Cup and then in the Premier League. Ahead of this visit to the Emirates, Glasner is expected to make changes as he will have the weekend’s FA Cup semi-final on his mind as a priority.
Mikel Arteta did not rotate heavily and went against the expectations with his team selection. The match against Ipswich Town was considered a practice of sorts with a different midfield setup, where Mikel Merino dropped in the left-eight role, with Declan Rice taking the defensive midfield spot.
Similarly, Leandro Trossard was deployed in the No.9 role and did provide two goals for his efforts. The only major concern was with Saka following that red-card challenge by Leif Davis, as the winger was seen with an ice-pack once he was substituted in the first half.
Arteta has confirmed there is nothing wrong with Saka, which was an indication that he could be fit for the Palace clash. Once again, the Arsenal boss will field a strong lineup against Crystal Palace to keep the rhythm ahead of the PSG clash, as they will not play any game at the weekend.
Hence, there is an expectation for Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly to retake their full-back positions, while the midfield and attacking positions will remain the same from the last game.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
There are not many injury-related issues, with Chieck Doucoure and Chadi Riad the only players missing from action as things stand for Crystal Palace ahead of the game against Arsenal. Chris Richards will miss out with a suspension following his red card against Bournemouth, with Nathaniel Clyne likely coming in as his replacement.
Oliver Glasner has suggested he could ring in the changes keeping the FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa in mind. Ben Chilwell is not expected to feature due to an illness. As far as the alterations are concerned, there is a valid shout to take care of the fitness of key midfielder Adam Wharton, with Glasner recently managing his minutes carefully.
It could be a case of Will Hughes coming into the midfield alongside Jefferson Lerma, with Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell occupying the wing-back roles. There is a genuine shout for Glasner to start with Eddie Nketiah against his former side, which could allow the Crystal Palace manager to keep Jean-Philippe Mateta fresh for the weekend, although Glasner might start with Mateta against Arsenal.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Clyne, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Sarr; Mateta
The Arsenal man has been in scintillating form ever since he returned from a serious injury. Those two displays against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals have elevated his game to a new level, and Mikel Arteta will hope he keeps improving, especially with the semi-finals on the horizon.
Last weekend, he was unfortunate to have been at the end of a disgusting challenge from Leif Davis but still had a big impact on the game before and after that incident. He also missed three glaring chances and was unfortunate to have missed out on at least two clear assists. Either way, all eyes will be on Saka ahead of this midweek encounter with Crystal Palace, with the Arsenal winger eager to get to his best form ahead of a key phase.
These are two teams with their minds elsewhere and far away from the discourse of the Premier League. For Crystal Palace, the Arsenal game will be more about protecting player fitness and sharpness ahead of a rather important FA Cup semi-final at the weekend as Glasner will not want to complicate anything in terms of injuries or suspensions.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are in the right form to take on Crystal Palace as Arteta will be focused on getting his players fit and ready for the UEFA Champions League semi-final next week. Given the absence of football for the Gunners at the weekend, they are better placed than the Eagles to play with the handbrake off and get a win in the bag to stay second in the standings.
