Premier League: Can Former Favourite Upset Arsenal’s Top Four Tilt?

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

Ask Arsenal fans who was their finest ever captain and they will all almost certainly mention the name of England’s powerhouse defender Tony Adams who captained the club to numerous honours, including four league titles – two before the Premier League era began.

Yet if there is to be a second choice, the betting money would be on the name of Patrick Vieira cropping up regularly.

The role he played in success at Highbury during almost nine years at the club was evident in what seemed a perfect fit for both club and player, neither of whom hit the same heights again once they parted company in the summer of 2005.

On Monday night, Vieira will be in opposition as his Crystal Palace side welcome the Gunners to Selhurst Park in an eagerly anticipated London derby.

The Frenchman will be keen to make his mark against his former employers and show that perhaps he is developing the managerial wherewithal which could one day take him back to North London.

In the other dugout will be another talented former player turned young manager in Mikel Arteta who is trying to guide Arsenal into the Champions League for the first time in five seasons – a competition in which they were ever presents during Vieira’s playing career.

With so much to play for, I expect Premier League highlights.

Talking Points

Vieira will be seeking a home double over North London opposition after masterminding a comprehensive 3-0 success over Spurs earlier in the campaign, a game which showed why doubters of his appointment, myself included, may well be proved wrong.

The blow for the hosts is that they could be without four key players.

Both Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise are doubts, Nathan Ferguson is set to miss out with the versatile defender suffering another injury setback at the start of March, while there are also question marks against the fitness of James McArthur who missed their FA Cup quarter-final victory over Everton a fortnight ago.

Arsenal should be near enough at full strength for the game which should be a further examination of how many strides exactly Arteta is making. Certainly, his honest language and ‘focusing on each game as it comes’ mantra represents that transparency of what he is building brick by brick at the Emirates Stadium.

The last time I covered a meeting between these clubs from the capital was in 2019 when Palace fought back from 2-0 down to highlight Arsenal’s soft underbelly.

With goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale the only possible major absentee – young talent Bukayo Saka is expected to be available after missing England matches due to Covid – this test may show if that underbelly still exists or is being bridged.

Fourth place could well depend on it.

History

Over the years Palace have endured a miserable time against the Gunners.

In fact, the Eagles have only ever beaten them five times in their history (all between 1970 and 2019).

Their very first clash came in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Highbury in 1934 – a day when Arsenal ran out 7-0 winners and a contest in which the legendary Cliff Bastin netted twice.

That set the tone really, although the gap between the clubs meant they did not meet again for 35 years – a first ever league meeting in 1969 in which Arsenal were 5-1 victors.

Recent seasons have proved kinder with one win apiece and five draws in their last seven matches.

Arsenal’s success came in the corresponding fixture last season when they were 3-1 winners at Selhurst Park, courtesy of two goals in the final moments from Nicholas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli.

They have, of course, met once already this season when it took a 95^th minute equaliser from Alexandre Lacazette to earn a point after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener had been cancelled out by Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Premier League betting odds tip Arsenal to win and continue to keep their top four hopes firmly in their own hands.

They are priced 1X2 @ 2.05 and Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.36.

Palace, meanwhile, are adrift 1X2 @ 3.70 and Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 2.26.

A re-run of last season’s late 3-1 success for the visitors is available @ 17.00 with Correct Score, which also offers odds of @ 16.50 for another 2-2 draw as their October clash.

The goals options include total goal 0-1 @ 2.80, 2-3 @ 1.90, 4-6 @ 4.30 and over 2.50 goals @ 2.19.

I think there will be goals but I do not think the teams will be able to be separated at the end of the night, hence my *** prediction is 1X2 Draw @ 3.20.

 

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