Arsene Wenger’s men are going through a particularly turbulent period at present, with poor form on the pitch combining with an unusually busy January transfer window off it. At the time of writing Alexis Sanchez has not yet departed the Emirates Stadium, but his move to Manchester United appears to be a matter of when rather than if; according to most reports, meanwhile, the Gunners will receive Henrikh Mkhitaryan in return. There has also been talk of Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joining the north London outfit, and Mesut Ozil’s future is still unresolved as we edge towards the final week and a half of the mid-season market. Equally significant is Arsenal’s current position in the table, with eight points now separating the sixth-placed Gunners from the top four after last weekend’s 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth.
Palace’s only loss in their last 12 Premier League encounters came against Arsenal in late December, with Wenger’s side running out 3-2 winners at Selhurst Park. That reverse was an aberration, though, and a 1-0 victory over Burnley last time out means Roy Hodgson’s charges are now closer to Everton in ninth place than Stoke City in 18th. There is still a long way to go, of course, and the former Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and England head coach will not be getting carried away, but there is no denying that the 70-year-old has done a magnificent job in south London during his time at the helm so far.
Arsenal will have to make do without Laurent Koscielny (Achilles), Olivier Giroud (hamstring) and long-term absentee Santi Cazorla, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been suffering with illness and could also miss out. Ozil faces a late fitness test as he attempts to shake off a knee problem in time to feature, and Nacho Monreal could return to the starting XI following a lay-off with an ankle issue. Wenger has reverted to three at the back in recent outings after previously moving back to 4-2-3-1, but it is surely time for the Frenchman to ditch the 3-4-2-1 in an attempt to bring the best out of the players at his disposal.
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Hodgson will be unable to call upon the services of Jeff Schlupp (ankle), Andros Townsend (ankle), Scott Dann (knee), Jason Puncheon (knee), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (ankle), Mamadou Sakho (calf) and Connor Wickham (knee), but Joel Ward (groin) and Yohan Cabaye (muscle fatigue) are available for selection once more. Bakary Sako is likely to start alongside Christian Benteke up front after scoring the winner against Burnley last time out, with Hodgson set to stick with the narrow 4-4-2 formation which has helped the Eagles pull clear of the drop zone in recent months.
The Gunners desperately need a positive result as they seek their first victory of 2018, but Palace will make life difficult for their fellow Londoners on Saturday afternoon. A narrow home win looks like the most probable outcome, although it could also be worth backing both teams to find the back of the net at the Emirates Stadium.
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