December 21st 2024.
Football fans were buzzing with excitement this week as Arsenal faced off against Crystal Palace not once, but twice in quick succession. After booking their spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a thrilling 3-2 win over the Eagles on Wednesday, the Gunners now had to prepare for a Premier League clash with their rivals just a few days later.
Both teams were riding high on impressive league form, with Palace boasting an unbeaten run of five games and Arsenal unbeaten in their last nine matches in all competitions. However, injuries continued to plague the Gunners as they faced a race against time to get key players fit for Saturday's game.
Luckily, Declan Rice had recovered from the injury that forced him off in their last match against Everton, and Riccardo Calafiori was also back in the mix after a knee injury. Meanwhile, Calafiori's teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko was also working his way back to full fitness after sustaining a muscle injury.
In terms of the starting lineup, Calafiori could make his return against Palace, but Myles Lewis-Skelly may keep his spot after impressing in his first league start last weekend. However, long-term absentees Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu were unlikely to return anytime soon to bolster Arsenal's defense.
Manager Mikel Arteta may also consider some tactical tweaks for the game, especially after his side's lackluster performance against Everton. While Gabriel Jesus' hat-trick in the midweek game was a much-needed boost, he would have to prove himself as a reliable goalscorer before dethroning Kai Havertz as the first-choice striker. And with Leandro Trossard putting in a strong second half against Palace, he could retain his spot in the starting eleven over Gabriel Martinelli. Additionally, Thomas Partey could make a return to the central midfield role, replacing Mikel Merino.
The predicted Arsenal lineup for Saturday's game was Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Rice, Partey, Saka, Havertz, and Trossard. Fans were eagerly anticipating the match, which would be broadcast on Sky Sports and also available for streaming on Sky Go and NowTV.
The game was set to kick off at 5:30pm on Saturday, December 21, and it promised to be an exciting clash between two in-form teams. The question on everyone's mind was, who would come out on top in this battle between the Gunners and the Eagles? Only time would tell.
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