Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
England - Premier League 2020-2021. Jan 14th.

MATCH PREVIEW

Europe for the Gunners?

Life at the Emirates has changed considerably in the past few weeks. Fears of a relegation battle are in the past and there are dreams of Champions League football next season. Arsenal look for three more points as they host struggling Crystal Palace on Thursday evening.

Their suffering fans had been anxiously looking at the league table but no more. They begin the new year a comfortable 12 points above the relegation zone, thanks to three straight league wins. Now the Gunners are only six points behind fourth spot, though from a game more. 

How has all this happened? Well a rather friendly fixture list has played a major part. They beat an out-of-form Chelsea and then won at relegation battling Brighton and West Brom. A home game against Crystal Palace isn't the hardest fixture either with Newastle the next visitors. The big questions will be asked when Arsenal play Southampton and Manchester United later this month.

At least the goals are flowing again. Arsenal have eight goals in their last three league games.  A massive improvement on the four goals scored in the ten that preceded this new run of form. Two consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League for the first time since July is another good sign. Both of those league clean sheets came on their travels. At home, Arsenal have gone 11 league games wthout one. 

Four of their last five league games have had over 2.5 goals scored in them, a stat that could well come up in this match. A bet on Alexandre Lacazette scoring may well be profitable after scoring in each of the last three league games and their Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City. Who nows, the Aubameyang goal against Newcastle at the weekend might start him on a scoring streak.

Palace Struggling Again

Crystal Palace still lack consistency as we enter 2021. They are already out of the FA Cup and have just win in their last seven matches. 14th place in the Premier League sounds a little bit worrying but Palace are 11 points above the drop zone. They are only seven points off the final Champions League spot, so if that consistency did suddenly make an appearance, who knows what Palace could achieve?

It's not looking likely at present though with only one league win in the last six played. That was in their most recent league game and was a home victory over Sheffield United. In fact, three of their last four wins were achieved against sides currently in the relegation zone. The other, being against even more inconsistent Leeds United. 

Away form for Palace has seen them lose three of their last five league matches. Their last win was a 5-1 thrashing of woeful West Brom in early December. Of the last seven away league fixtures, they have failed to score in four of them.

At last Christian Benteke has finally worked out where the goal is. He's scored three goals in their last three league matches. That equals the number of Premier League goals he's scored in the last two seasons. Perhaps he might break that record in this game.

Five of the last seven have had over 2.5 goals scored in them though, so that's another reason to bet on that market. Another loss looks likely though for Palace as Arsenal continue their fixture-friendly recovery.