Gunners take aim at the Eagles
Champions league chasing Arsenal host Crystal Palace on matchday 35. Will Arsenal's near-flawless home record continue or will the underperforming Palace dent the Gunners CL hopes?
Arsenal
I've finally decided on what i think about Unai Emery and the verdict is positive. The reason for my previous doubt largely rests on what i thought were strange starting XI's where Emery opted for central midfield pairings that i didn't really agree on where he left one of Ramsey, Torreira and Özil on the bench and played with Xhaka and Guendouzi or even Elneny. At times my scepticism was confirmed when, especially during away games (a great example being the loss to Everton), the central midfield was often overrun or just simply kept making unforced errors. There could definitely be underlying reasons such as performance during practise or such but it still seemed strange. However, taking a step back and looking at Arsenal's situation as a whole things are looking very positive, they currently it 4th but have a great opportunity of finishing 3rd and have a fantastic shot at winning a major European trophy through the Europa League. The Gunners have the 3rd best home record in the Prem with 14 wins, 2 draws, a solitary loss and are going into the seasons homestretch with 9 wins out of their last 12 games. Arsenal should be able to brush this Palace outfit aside with relative ease given that the north Londoners have an extremely strong home record.
Notable absentees
Xhaka (doubtful), Bellerin, Sokratis, Holding and Welbz.
Crystal Palace
The frustration from Palace fans is definitely understandable, the London club have a reputation for being ridiculously uneven and possess a squad that should not be competing at the low end of the table. CP are one of the very few teams that have a much better away record then a home one and had it not been for their rotten start to this season the Eagles could have been looking to fight for a Europa league spot. Palace are not technically safe yet as they sit 8 points above the relegation zone with 16 points to play for but it would take something extreme for them to drop so radically.
Notable absentees
Schlupp, Sakho and Tomkins.
Betting tip
All in all, Arsenal should brush Crystal Palace away and i fully expect them to do so which is why i am backing an Arsenal win at 27/50 with Bethard.
An alternative bet that gives the same odds is over 2.5 goals or for those looking for better value an Arsenal (-1) handicap win at 27/20 looks enticing.
