Gunners Must Be Wary Of The Eagles’ Counter

Match Preview – Crystal Palace v Arsenal – Premier League – 21.02.15

Arsenal seem back in form and confident once more after two wins on the trot since losing to Sp*rs. Order has temporarily been restored and Arsenal are above their local rivals in the table. It’s been a bit of a topsy-turvy season for Arsenal – and indeed today’s opponents – but The Gunners look on track to finish the season strongly.

Our individual targets for the season probably rank from top to bottom as:

1. Win the league
2. Win the Champions League
3. Finish in the top four
4. Win a cup
5. Finish above Tottnum

Four of those targets are still achievable and three of them are entirely realistic. Our neighbours have their own designs on the top four in what is turning out to be one of the tightest races for 3rd and 4th I can remember so finishing above them for the 20th season in a row will all but guarantee we finish in the top four.

Crucial to our aims to climb as high up the table as possible is getting through our next five league matches with maximum points. On paper it seems relatively straightforward but Crystal Palace are no mugs under new manager Alan Pardew who has lost just one of his first five league games.

Palace have had a relatively up and down season themselves but they seem to be stabilising under Pardew and after a strong January transfer window they have options and cover in every position.

Out wide is where Palace work best and where the danger lies for Arsenal. Crystal Palace have speedy wingers and a lot of natural width to use on the counter-attack. In contrast, Arsenal has little natural width and a tendency from our wide players to drift inside.

Wenger may look to starve Palace of possession by playing Cazorla and Özil as the two central midfielders again and bank on some clinical finishing to put the result to bed before the game opens up.

Jack Wilshere is in the matchday squad and could make his first appearance since November but give our lack of natural options in the centre he could be called upon much sooner than anticipated.

If Arsenal control the game the way they should and restrict Palace’s potency in the wide areas on the counter then they could find themselves as high as 3rd by 5pm with Southampton facing another top four challenger in Liverpool tomorrow.

As such I think Wenger will prefer Welbeck over Walcott today for his work-rate and other than a few defensive rotations and welcoming back Alexis we could see the same side that beat Middlesbrough at the weekend.

Arsenal from; Szczesny, Ospina, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gabriel, Chambers, Monreal, Bellerin. Flamini, Coquelin, Rosicky, Wilshere, Özil, Giroud, Walcott, Welbeck, Cazorla, Alexis, Akpom.

Predicted Line-up

Ospina, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Özil, Cazorla, Welbeck, Alexis, Giroud

I expect to see substitute appearances from the English trio of Akpom, Walcott and Wilshere

Match Quote

“It’s a bit like Highbury as an old-fashioned stadium with a soul and it has a crowd that is always behind their team. We expect a passionate afternoon.”  – Arsène Wenger

Last 3 Meetings

• Arsenal 2-1 Palace (16.08.2014)
• Arsenal 2-0 Palace (02.02.2014)
• Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal (26.10.2013)

Form Guide

Arsenal Last 5
WWLWW

Crystal Palace Last 5
LDWLW

Opposition watch

Since the return of Alan Pardew The Eagles have pulled clear of the relegation zone – they’re not safe yet though but you suspect they will be if they continue as they have been playing in recent weeks.

A weak area for Palace is crosses into the box, they have conceded a fair few goals from crosses this season due to how far up the pitch they commit their wingers. This weakness is one Arsenal are least likely to attempt to exploit though.

One of Palace’s biggest weapons is the atmosphere generated at Selhurst Park. It’s one of the noisiest grounds in the league and sometimes that can be intimidating for a visiting team but probably not for a club like Arsenal.

Palace’s main threat will be their width and pace on the counter and they will look to take advantage of Arsenal’s lack of natural width in front of their full-backs so there could be some doubling up. Like others they may consider our right side of defence our weakest with inexperienced full-backs and a lead-legged Mertesacker as inside protection. Thankfully for Arsenal we have the industrious Coquelin happy to put himself about and what Mertesacker lacks in pace he more than makes up in intelligence and positioning.

Crystal Palace will be without Arsenal loanee Yaya Sanogo but captain Mile Jedinak could be fit. Two ex-Gunners could start the game for Palace today, former youth player Dwight Gayle and ex-target man turned attacking midfielder Marouane Chamakh.

Factfile

• Arsenal haven’t lost at Selhurst Park since 1979
• Crystal Palace last beat Arsenal in 1994
• Arsenal have only conceded 5 first-half goals in their last 17 league games – 3 of those were against Stoke
• These teams have met 11 times in the EPL – Arsenal have lost just once and conceded only 6 goals
• Arsenal have lost just 3 games in their last 18 in all competitions
• Arsenal have the second worst record for dropping points from winning positions away from home (10)
• Arsenal have only won once from losing positions in the league this season – against Palace on the opening day

Prediction

3-0 to Arsenal with Giroud and Alexis on the scoresheet.

Thanks for reading! Please comment on this post, subscribe by email, share with friends and follow me on twitter (@thedanielcowan). Please check out the official NLIR Facebook page http://facebook.com/northlondonisredblog for news, views, freebies and more. 

Don’t forget to tune into the funniest Arsenal podcast around “Goonersphere Podcast“