Following a thriller midweek in the EFL Cup quarterfinals, Arsenal and Crystal Palace meet again just days later as the Gunners travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Arsenal secured an exciting 3-2 victory on Wednesday at the Emirates behind a hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus to see themselves into the final four of the knockout competition.
Now on the road for a weekend Premier League meeting, the Gunners hope to keep themselves on the fringes of the title race with very little room for error. They sit third in the standings, four points back of Chelsea and six behind leaders Liverpool who hold a game in hand.
The Eagles, meanwhile, sit 15th in the standings but have not suffered a defeat across any of their last five league games and put up a strong fight midweek.
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Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Arsenal (-165 on BetMGM)
- Score prediction: Crystal Palace 0-3 Arsenal
While we backed Crystal Palace to spring an upset in the midweek Cup match which nearly paid off, this league game on the weekend won’t be nearly as close, for one reason alone.
There was plenty of motivation for Mikel Arteta to rotate his exhausted squad on Wednesday, which he did, and it cost the Gunners their talent advantage, especially in the Arsenal defense. Arteta gave Jakob Kiwior the start and put Jurrien Timber as his center-back partner, a combination which flopped disastrously, largely thanks to a poor showing from Kiwior.
All the Arsenal regulars, including their defensive stars as well as creative force Martin Odegaard, will be back for this league game of greater importance, and they should come away with three comfortable points in the end.
| BetMGM (USA) |
|
| Crystal Palace win | +450 |
| Draw | +300 |
| Arsenal win | -165 |
| Both teams to score |
Y: -120 N: -120 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals |
O: -130 U: -110 |
| Arsenal -0.5 goals |
-185 |
| Crystal Palace +0.5 goals |
+125 |
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal match facts
- Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 5:30 p.m. local (12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT)
- Location: Selhurst Park (London, England)
- Referee: Simon Hooper, VAR: Michael Salisbury
- Last meeting: Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace (Dec. 18, 2024 | EFL Cup)
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal best bet
- Pick: Crystal Palace under 0.5 total goals
- Odds: +125 (BetMGM)
When you only look at the times Arsenal have had all 11 players on the pitch, they have been not only the best defensive team in the Premier League this season, but also one of the best in recent memory. Across the whole of the season, including games with red cards, they have conceded 15 goals on 16.69 xGA, which is less than 1.0 xGA more than Liverpool, the league leader in both categories.
Gabriel and William Saliba will no doubt return to the lineup after a midweek rest, and the two have fostered one of the best defensive partnerships in recent Premier League lore.
Meanwhile, outside of Ismaila Sarr who is carrying the Palace attack, there are very few Eagles attackers who have been of high quality this season. Jean-Philippe Mateta has followed up his big international summer with a four-goal showing through 16 appearances, and Eberechi Eze has regressed in glaring fashion.
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal prop bet
Bukayo Saka has gone three Premier League games without a goal contribution, a stretch he’s not experienced since one year ago during the mid-December period which lost Arsenal the title.
The numbers suggest it’s a complete fluke, and there’s no better time than here for Saka to get going again. His three game skid has seen him generate six shots worth 0.54 xG plus another six chances created worth 1.13 xA. He assisted one of Gabriel Jesus’s midweek goals during his 20-minute cameo off the bench, and will be primed to play another big role up front on Saturday.
Saka has four goal contributions in his last three league games against Crystal Palace, and he will likely terrorize the Eagles again here.
