Arsenal vs Crystal Palace - Preview, prediction, team news and lineups

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·22 avril 2025

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace - Preview, prediction, team news and lineups

Arsenal have won six successive meetings with Crystal Palace, most-recently enjoying a longer winning streak against the Eagles in 1993.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Preview

These two sides both have huge, season-defining semi-finals coming up in the next week, so it'll be interesting to see what shape both are in. Defeat for Arsenal would crown Liverpool champions, although the title race has been over for quite a while. The Gunners had won just two of seven Premier League matches, prior to Sunday's demolition of Ipswich, leaving Suffolk 4-0 winners; Leandro Trossard bagging a brace, while Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri were also on target. This leaves Mikel Arteta's team second, looking to pull nine points clear of Nottingham Forest with victory here.

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Nevertheless, Arsenal's primary focus is on the Champions League, after emphatically dumping out Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate, claiming a famous 2-1 victory at the Bernabéu a week ago. So, coming up on Tuesday, it's the Gunners' semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, hence why Arteta is likely to rest, rotate and potentially experiment for this far less consequential league fixture.

Crystal Palace supporters meantime are looking forward to a trip to Wembley on Saturday, set to take on Aston Villa as they seek to reach just a third FA Cup Final. However, Oliver Glasner's team will go into that tie following a pretty miserable sequence of results. The Eagles were smashed by both Manchester City and Newcastle on the road, thereby conceding 5+ goals in successive matches for the first time since February 1935. Then, at the weekend, Palace battled to a goalless draw with Bournemouth at Selhurst, holding on for a draw despite seeing Chris Richards controversially sent off in first half injury time.

So, having collected 13 points from a possible 15, Palace's last three fixtures have yielded just a solitary point, meaning they remain entrenched in 12th place, with very little left to play for in the league. Thus, given that neither team are particularly focussed on this clash, and with Palace's semi-final coming up significantly sooner, we're forecasting an Arsenal win in North London.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Head-to-Head Record

Matches Played: 57.

Arsenal Wins: 35. Draws: 16. Crystal Palace Wins: 6.

Arsenal Team News

Mikel Arteta is likely to rotate, with PSG in mind, although the first leg isn't until next Tuesday, so he can go somewhat strong. With Thomas Partey set to be suspended, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Ødegaard could get another tune-up as a midfield trio.

Benjamin White and Oleksandr Zinchenko got the nod at full-back on Sunday, affording Jurriën Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly a breather. Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus remain sidelined, limiting Arteta's options.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace: (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Merino, Ødegaard; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.

Arsenal Player to Watch vs Crystal Palace

The enforced midfield reshuffle means Leandro Trossard is set to start up front against PSG so, after scoring twice on Sunday, can the Belgian add to his nine goals so far this season?

Crystal Palace Team News

Oliver Glasner announced in his press conference on Tuesday that he will not heavily rotate, even with a much more important FA Cup semi-final to come on Saturday. Chris Richards's red card on Saturday means he is suspended so, with Chadi Riad injured, either Nathaniel Clyne or Jefferson Lerma will deputise out of position as part of the back three.

Eddie Nketiah scored during his first return to Arsenal in the EFL Cup just before Christmas but, as he did that night, if he's to repeat that feat, it'll likely be from the bench.

Crystal Palace Player to Watch vs Arsenal

Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring during that aforementioned League Cup defeat at Arsenal in December, so can the Frenchman add to his 16 goals so far this season?

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Prediction

As alluded to, even if Crystal Palace put out a strong side, their focus is surely elsewhere, as is Arsenal's in fairness, but we're backing the Gunners to be too strong: Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace.