Arsenal will need to pick themselves up after suffering penalty heartbreak in midweek as their Europa League run came to an end.
The Gunners were eliminated from the competition after Gabriel Martinelli’s spot kick was saved as Sporting Lisbon progressed instead, following a 1-1 draw on the night and a 3-3 draw on aggregate. Mikel Arteta’s men will now shift focus back solely to the Premier League which is now their only chance of silverware this season – and they have a chance to open up an eight-point gap.
With Manchester City in FA Cup action, a win over Crystal Palace for Arsenal would give them a healthy lead over the rivals, albeit having payed a game more. But that could prove to be a trickier task than previously imagined, given Palace have just sacked their manager, ex-Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, after a dismal run of 12 games without a win.
The Eagles will be hoping that sparks a reaction from their players as they battle desperately for points at the bottom of the table. Here is all you need to know about the match.
When is Arsenal vs Crystal Palace?
The two sides meet in an all-London clash at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday March 19 with kick-off slated for 2pm.
Arsenal beat Palace 2-0 on the first day of the season back in August thanks to a goal from Martinelli and a late own goal by Palace’s Marc Guehi. The Gunners have won all of their last five league games coming into this clash.
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Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
HAVE YOUR SAY: Who will win between Arsenal and Crystal Palace? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Meanwhile Palace remain 12th but are just three points above the drop zone. Club chairman Steve Parish admitted it was with “enormous regret” that Vieira had been let go, but added: “Ultimately, results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position and we felt a change is necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status.”
What channel is it on?
The game will not be shown live on TV in the UK. Highlights will be available on Match of the Day 2 which airs on BBC One at 10:30pm, while extended highlights will be broadcast on Sky Sports Premier League from 10pm.
Live commentary will be available on BBC’s Radio 5 Live.
Match odds from Betfred
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Arsenal – 2/7
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Draw – 4/1
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Crystal Palace – 10/1
*odds subject to change
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Team news
Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba, both of whom were substituted with injuries during Thursday’s Europa League defeat.
“Tomiyasu looks pretty serious from his reaction straight and what he said to me, but obviously, it’s very early,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference. “Willy, I don’t know, he had some discomfort and could not continue so we had to take him out.”
The Gunners boss might also consider rotating his squad after being taken to extra-time by Sporting. That could mean the likes of Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe – who were both unused subs – may be handed starts.
Palace caretaker boss Paddy McCarthy has three players battling to recover in time for the game. Both Will Hughes and James McArthur should be available after illness, while the match might come too early for Nathan Ferguson.
