Even though Arsenal returned to European action by finishing fifth, their fans would have been left disappointed by missing out on Champions League football.
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Arsenal visiting fellow London club Crystal Palace on Friday night will kick-start the new Premier League season at Selhurst Park. The Gunners did not have the best of starts last season in the league, losing the opener to Brentford, which is something they would like to rectify this time around and start on a positive note. Besides, Mikel Arteta and his side will be eager to bounce back from their disappointing end to the last campaign. After being in the driver’s seat to seal a Champions League berth, the Gunners suffered a mighty collapse at the business end of the season, allowing their rivals Tottenham Hotspur to grab fourth place in the table.
Even though Arsenal returned to European action by finishing fifth, their fans would have been left disappointed by missing out on Champions League football. They would love to build on last season’s positives and secure a top-four berth and to do that the Gunners will be keen to start well. Standing in their way is a resurgent Crystal Palace. Coached by former Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, Palace received a lot of plaudits for the way they played last season. They not only finished a respectable 12th in the table, but also secured four points against the Gunners. Having drawn at Emirates, they pulled off a stunning 3-0 victory at Selhurst Park.
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Arsenal have been impressive in the summer. They have made a few smart buys and have also produced eye-catching results, including a 4-0 thumping of Chelsea. They will be riding high on confidence ahead of this clash. However, they have some injury concerns to deal with. Emile Smith Rowe could very well miss the clash, while Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu and new signing Fabio Vieira have been struggling with injuries during pre-season. It is not clear how many of those will be fit to play the opener.
On the positive front, a couple of their new signings – Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus – are in line to make their official debuts for the club that will be led by new captain Martin Odegaard. On the other hand, Crystal Palace will miss Conor Gallagher, who left for Chelsea after his loan spell ended last campaign. However, they made a couple of good buys in the form of Cheick Doucoure and Malcolm Ebiowei. The duo might be involved on Friday night. But they have to make do without the services of Jack Butland, while question marks hang over the participation of new signing Sam Johnstone, James McArthur and Michael Olise.
Crystal Palace possible line-up: Johnstone, Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Schlupp, Doucoure, Eze, Ebiowei, Zaha, Edouard
Arsenal possible line-up: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Xhaka, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus
The Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal will take place at Selhurst Park on Saturday at 12:30 am IST.
The Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal will be shown LIVE on the Star Sports network. Fans will also be able to watch the live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and JioTV.
