Preview
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Betting Tips
Sunday, 01/01/2017
Emirates Stadium
Bet on under 2.5 goals to be scored at 7/5 odds
Arsenal eye another victory in front of their faithful when Sam Allardyce’s Crystal Palace visit the North Londoners on the first day of the year. A win against the Eagles could lift fourth placed Arsenal further up the table as their fixture follow the crunchy clash between second placed Liverpool and third placed Manchester City. Arsenal pulled off a last gasp victory against West Brom on Wednesday thanks to a sublime header from Olivier Giroud, who started his first match for the Gunners this season.
Sam Allardyce could have started his Crystal Palace journey with a win as his side produced a lively display at Vicarage Road but his side’s lead was cancelled out by a Troy Deeney penalty in the 70th minute. Allardyce failed to bag the points but most importantly, he seemed to have inspired immediate improvement in some of the players who were performing below per under Alan Perdew. Andros Townsend were moved to his preferred position on the right flank and Yohan Cabaye was paired up with Mathieu Flamini at the core of Palace’s midfield adding defensive stability and passing fluidity. The former Sunderland manager might surprise Arsenal with his tuned up Crystal Palace side and hope to get a much needed boost for Palace’s survival battle.
TEAM NEWS
- Arsenal
Theo Walcott might not recover in time from his calf injury to face the Eagles. Kieran Gibbs is out with a knee inflammation while Shokdan Mustafi might return from hamstring injury. Danny Welbeck has returned in full training but he will not be considered for Sunday.
Injuries: Mathiu Debuchy(hamstring), Per Mertesecker(knee), Santiago Cazorla(ankle), Yaya Sanogo(calf)
Doubts: Shokdan Mustafi(hamstring), Chuba Akpom(back), Alex Oxlade Chamberlaine(muscle),Theo Walcott(calf), Kieran Gibbs(knee)
- Crystal Palace
Damien Delaney has been suspended for the Arsenal match following his fifth booking of the season. James McArthur(calf), Joe Ledley(calf) and James Tomkins(knock) are the possible returnees for Palace.
Loic Remy has returned in training but he is yet to achieve match fitness.
Injuries: Steve Mandanda(knee), Pape Souare(thigh), Bakary Sako(knock), Connor Wickham(knee), Jonathan Benteke(knee), Loic Remy(lack of match fitness)
Doubts: James Tomkins(knock), James McArthur(calf), Joe Ledley(calf)
Suspension: Damien Delaney(1 match)
PREDICTION
Sam Allardyce needs a bit more time to reap the rewards of his experiments at Palace. It’s hard to imagine Palace salvaging anything from this game.
Bet on under 2.5 goals to be scored at 7/5 odds
RECENT FORM
- Arsenal(4th in the laeague, last 5 matches in all competitions)
1-0(Home, West Brom)1-2(Away, Man City)1-2(Away, Everton)3-1(Home, Stoke)4-1(UCL, Away, Basel)
- Crystal Palace(17th in the league, last 5 matches in all competitions)
1-1(Away, Watford)0-1(Away, Chelsea)1-2(Away, Manchester United)3-3(Away, Hull)3-0(Home, Southampton)
HEAD TO HEAD
Total Played | Arsenal wins | Palace wins | Draws |
39 | 25 | 3 | 11 |
LAST MEETING
17 April, 2016
Emirates Stadium
Premier League
Arsenal 1-Crystal Palace 1
INTERESTING FACTS
- Arsenal have won eight of their last 11 Premier League games against Crystal Palace, drawing the other three.
- Crystal Palace’s only Premier League win against Arsenal came in October 1994 at Highbury, as John Salako scored twice in a 2-1 victory.
- This will be the 200th Premier League game contested at the Emirates – Arsenal have won 129, drawn 47 and lost 23 of the 199 currently played there.
- The only player to have scored more Premier League goals at the Emirates Stadium than both Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott (35 each) is Robin van Persie (46 overall, 45 for Arsenal).
- Crystal Palace have won just one of their last seven league games away from home on New Year’s Day, beating Portsmouth in 1996 (D1 L5).
- By contrast, Arsenal haven’t lost a home league game on New Year’s Day since 1985 against Tottenham (W6 D2).
- Olivier Giroud has three Premier League goals against the Eagles, but all of those have been scored at Selhurst Park.
- Giroud is averaging a goal every 65 minutes in the Premier League this season (four goals in 259 minutes) and has scored five goals in his last three Premier League starts.
- Sam Allardyce has never won an away Premier League game at Arsenal, drawing three and losing nine of 12 games he has lost each of his last seven, all played at the Emirates.
- Indeed, Allardyce’s sides at Emirates have conceded 26 goals the most by an opposing manager there in the Premier League.
- Only Chelsea (24) and Spurs (23) have earned more home Premier League points than Arsenal (20 – level with Liverpool) this season.