So much for being championship contenders. Arsenal had a horrendous start to their Premier League season as they fell 2-0 at home to West Ham United. Marquee signing Petr Cech had a disastrous debut between the sticks by conceding two very soft goals. The Gunners must now get back on track quickly as they go against another London club, Crystal Palace.
The Eagles, who finished last season with a flourish, soared to a 3-1 win in their season opener. Can they continue their inspired play by shooting down the Gunners at Selhurst Park? Let’s find out by previewing this all-London affair.
Line: Arsenal -160 at Crystal Palace +370, tie +255; total: 2.5 – view all EPL lines
Betting on Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace carried over their great form from last season’s campaign with a cracking 3-1 away win over Norwich in their opening match of the new season. Despite getting a little lucky after a Norwich equalizer was dubiously disallowed, Palace were well-worth their win.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Palace played with much of the positive style that saw them win 10 of their last 18 games last season under manager Alan Pardew en route to their highest ever Premier League finish of 10th. The Eagles’ terrific wing play was once again on full display against Norwich, as wingers Jason Puncheon and Zaha combined beautifully for their opening goal.
Expect more of the same positive play for Palace at home against Arsenal. Wingers Puncheon, Zaha and/or Yannick Bolasie will be tremendous weapons against the Gunners, whose full backs aren’t the most convincing defenders. Meanwhile, the midfield of Yohan Cabaye (a player who was constantly linked with Arsenal in the past) and Mile Jedinak (one of last season’s top performers), should hold their own in the middle of the park.
Set pieces could also come into play, especially after Petr Cech’s very shaky Arsenal debut. Thanks in large part to Puncheon’s excellent delivery, Palace were tied for the most set piece goals in the entire Premier League last season with 19. They’re already off the mark this year after captain Damien Delaney scored off a well-worked corner kick against Norwich.
Betting on Arsenal
After all the preseason hype, Arsenal laid a gigantic egg in their Premier League opener with a 2-0 home loss to West Ham. To make matters worse, their highly-praised summer signing, goalkeeper Petr Cech, had a nightmare debut. He badly whiffed on an on-coming free kick for the first goal, and allowed a very saveable shot to squeeze through in the second.
Cech was hardly the only disappointing Gunner, though. The defense in front of him was shaky, while the trademark Arsenal attack fired blanks. The midfield partnership of Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey didn’t quite click, and the team as a whole failed to establish much rhythm as a result. They were shut down by a 16-year-old, which is just about the most damning indictment of their total ineffectiveness.
Manager Arsene Wenger has the talent up and down his squad to bounce back, but he will have to make some timely adjustments to get that talent playing back up to their potential for their visit to Selhurst Park. One of those moves could be to reinstate Alexis Sanchez to the starting lineup. Sanchez, who was the club’s leading scorer last season with 16 league goals, only played the last 23 minutes against West Ham.
Arsenal did the double against Palace last season with two 2-1 wins. The Gunners have won all four matches against their fellow London club since Palace returned to the Premier League in 2013.
Writer’s Prediction
Both teams go for it, as their high-powered offenses (and suspect defenses) produce a goal-filled affair. The match ends in a wildly entertaining 2-2 draw. Create a betting account now and don’t miss out on another weekend of wildly entertaining Premier League action.
