Arsenal v Crystal Palace: Match Preview

Jul 26, 2014; Harrison, NJ, USA; New York Red Bulls midfielder Eric Alexander (12) and Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini (20) fight for the ball in front of Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal (18) during the second half of a game at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls defeated Arsenal 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Premier League starts today, and we are covering Arsenal v Crystal Palace live from kick off! Join us for text updates from the match and don’t forget to get involved!

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny should be fit after an Achilles knock and midfielder Abou Diaby has recovered match fitness so could make the squad.

German World Cup-winning trio Lukas Podolski, Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker will be rested after their late return to pre-season training.

Assistant manager Keith Millen will select the Crystal Palace team after the sudden departure of Tony Pulis.

Defender Adrian Mariappa is expected to have shaken off a rib injury.

MATCH PREVIEW

While Arsenal’s expectations are higher than they’ve been for nearly a decade, the bottom has fallen out of Crystal Palace’s world.

Arsene Wenger’s unique relationship with his board of directors looks like paying off with a new trophy-laden future. For their visitors, though, the coming season suddenly looks bleak after the ill-timed departure of Tony Pulis.

Wenger looked a new man when we met at this summer’s World Cup. Far from the grey, wearied-looking veteran of two seasons ago, he was relaxed, refreshed and raring to go after May’s FA Cup glory.

Now he’s buoyed by a summer of successful transfer dealing and the Community Shield romp against lacklustre Manchester City.

Success breeds success. Wenger knows the arrival of Colombian keeper David Ospina will offer a real challenge for Wojciech Szczesny, Mathieu Debuchy is a better full-back than Bacary Sagna, Calum Chambers will make a very good centre-half, and the arrival of the energetic Chile international Alexis Sanchez proves that world-class players want to come to Arsenal again.

Arsenal could genuinely challenge for the title. But they need a good start, and that means a first opening-day home win since August 2008.

More from Arsenal FC

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• Arsenal complete record deal for Declan Rice
• Arsenal splurges on transfers as they aim to collect silverware
• Arsenal complete the signing of Kai Havertz

Their top players must stay fit. Jack Wilshere needs a big season to fulfil his potential. They must win the big title six-pointers against top-four rivals.

Aaron Ramsey has said that they will be stronger this year, and they need to be. They lost too many away games last season and that was their ultimate downfall.

They shouldn’t lose this one, given that the Eagles start the season in complete disarray after the departure of Pulis.

He did a remarkable job last season in keeping them up despite what was clearly, beneath the PR gloss, a tricky relationship with co-owner Steve Parish.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Arsenal are looking for a fourth consecutive league win over Crystal Palace.
• Palace’s only Premier League win over Arsenal in 10 attempts came a decade ago with a 2-1 win at Highbury.
• Arsenal did the double over Palace last season with a pair of 2-0 wins. The victory at the Emirates in February took them to the top of the table.

Arsenal

• After waiting nine years for a trophy, Arsenal have now won two in three months, having won the Community Shield last weekend.
• Arsenal suffered a shock home defeat by Aston Villa on the opening day of last season. It’s their only defeat in their last 13 opening Premier League games (W8, D4, L1) but they haven’t won any of their last four.
• Arsenal spent twice as many days (128) at the top of the table than any other Premier League side last season.
• The Gunners scored first in 24 league games last season, and went on to win 22 of them.
• Olivier Giroud has scored six goals in his last six Premier League appearances at the Emirates Stadium.

Crystal Palace

• Palace have won just one of their five opening weekend fixtures in the Premier League (D2, L2).
• Last season, Crystal Palace avoided being relegated for the first time in the Premier League, having gone down in each of their previous four top-flight campaigns.
• Palace began last season by losing nine of their first 10 league matches.
• But they ended the campaign in Champions League form – their record over the last eight matches was the fourth-best in the Premier League, with five wins and just one defeat.
• Only relegated Norwich and Cardiff scored fewer than Palace’s 33 goals in last season’s Premier League.