Arsenal News

Official teams and preview of Crystal Palace v Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has gone with a very strong Arsenal starting line-up for today´s visit to Crystal Palace in the Premier league, highlighting just how much importance the manager is putting on this game. With some really big games coming up in the Champions League and FA cup, and with the terrible run of injury problems that have beset the Gunners for well over a year, I thought he might have hedged his bets.

I must admit to a bit of surprise, though, in Wenger´s central midfield selection. He has left the fit again Jack Wilshere on the bench and Tomas Rosicky is there with the young England international. Instead the boss has gone with Santi Cazorla alongside Francis Coquelin.

That is a very attacking choice but perhaps a bit risky as well. It also leaves the Spaniard at risk of fatigue or a knock just days before the visit of Monaco. Hopefully we will get a nice first half lead and allow Wenger to bring Jack or Tomas on for the second half.

The rest of the team is pretty much as you would have guessed, with Alexis and Welbeck on either side of Giroud and with Ozil moving back inside to his favourite number 10 role. Gabriel drops to the bench as does Bellerin who has been a doubt with an ankle problem.

Ospina
Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal
Coquelin
Alexis, Cazorla, Ozil, Welbeck
Giroud

subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Bellerin, Gabriel, Wilshere, Rosicky, Walcott

I am hoping for a really good performance and a thumping win from the Gunners today. How about you?

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Tags Cazorla Chambers

146 Comments

    1. Our midfielders actually don’t stay in their respective positions. These 4 will move around even sometimes in front of Giroud depending on the situation.

  3. need a win here lads- time to kick on ,
    draw is no good. work hard, press and get the win.

    get to see the technical trio at work- love it

  4. I am very happy with that line up 🙂

    I think it’s good to save Bellerin for Monaco
    Chambers will do fine.

    We have excellent GK, defense, DM. So great chance for clean sheet

    Happy with Welbeck at LW. He is faster than Ozil and Ozil is superior in the centre.

    Sanchez and Welbeck are fast so great on the wings.

    Giroud should do well against CP.

    Very positive about today. Very excited

    COYG
    0-3 🙂

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  7. I don’t see this as a morecattacking side, I see it as more defensive, because in chambers and monreal you have two players that are more defensive than bellerin and gibbs and I think this is spot on for today. Personally i think he will play 4123 going forward dropping to 451 defending.

    Have to say how strong is the bench lookin? imagine once debuchy, arteta flamini Ramsey chamberlain are fit which for 3 of those won’t be long, we could enter the business end of the season with the biggest squad in the top 7.

    Off topic and looking ahead, we will have a squad of 31 players born 1993 or later come the summer, some decisions will be easy surely, galindo, ajayi, diaby and ryo will be the first out. But even without signings that will mean 2 more have to go, Jenkinson, flamini, arteta, podolski, rosicky, campbell, Wellington, martinez, and sanogo will all be wondering if they will be part of the squad. Will be an interesting summer.

  8. Happy with this, this team currently reflects that the days of fav players are over, happy that even walcott has to fight for a place on the squad and also wilshere can be eased into the team as slowly as possible, hopefully quickly too as santi cant play all games. Staying on wilshere i feel the one person he should be watching is santi what santi is doing now is what wilshere did in that barca game, pure brilliance, just win ball and drive it in or keep it simple and keep the play on. Wilshere needs to tailor his game to Santi’s in order to reach the potential the world knows he has. He will be a massive player for us and england if this happens, coyg.

  21. this reminds me too much of the spurs match, go up 1-0, but opponent have insane energy, its like playing a whole team of sanchez’s, hope they settle in or this could go bad,

  22. We are just getting pressed a lot but it’s understandable since we are playing away. Decent defending so far, we just gotta counter attack better that’s all.

  27. I can’t get over how abysmal this pitch is. It’s definitely hurting us more than its hurting Palace. The only way to play on a pitch like this is by going direct to goal. Try to play proper football and somebody is going to slip and let them in. Hopefully the second half is a bit better footing for us. If it is, we’re going to cruise to a win.

  29. If we win (I mean when we win lol) I won’t complain of How we won it. A win away is a great result.

    COYG
    Just win

    1. We need to train more on how to deal with terrible pitches. The Liverpool away game comes to mind. We keep slipping and sliding and loosing the ball.

  40. Does that goal work for you? That was Welbeck and Giroud… Lol. With that being said, Welbeck looked like he may have been offside, which makes up for the call to start the match. What a perfect way to go into the break.

  42. Theo for Wellbeck and Bellerin for Chambers would be a much better balance for mine. Wellbeck and Chambers far too clumsy with the ball at their feet to both be playing on the same side of the pitch

  43. Now score more in second half. Don’t give them a chance. Also increase intensity defensively. One goal and they are back in it.

    Very happy atm
    COYG

  44. how we are 2 up is beyond belief…. but next goal will determine this tie…and if swansea game stays as is its 3rd place!!!! not sure if coquelin should stay on though… an accident away from a red…

    1. Not really. It’s simple, we are away which is always tough and being pressured hard. All we can do is counter and wait for them to make mistakes and capitalize on them, which we did. Good game so far in my opinion

  46. I don’t know why we struggle with high intensity teams. When we are pressed and not given any time on the ball we look clueless, but when we are not in possession we can’t press or hurry the opposition..

    I think that’s why w struggle in big games, no intensity, all we do it sit off and hope the other team loses the ball instead of us trying to win it back. There has got to be a balance..

    1. If you were a manager playing Arsenal would you give our midfielders time on the ball?

      They know that but, they try that, but we have three of the best technicians in midfield !

      1. It’s not only Arsenal midfielders that are technical, other big clubs too have the same, but most of them intensify their game when needed. That’s why we have a terrible record against any Top club in England and Europe. If the other clubs can press and hustle, why can’t we??

    2. Goonster,

      When you look @ the lineup Sanchez and Welbeck are really the only offensive players that have the appetite to press on a consistent basis. Ozil, Giroud, and Walcott(when playing) stroll around the pitch, although OG is great @ defending set pieces.

      Why I dont believe will ever be worth Sanchez money, one way player

  47. THE COQ has been tentative, his over indulging sometimes and also doing stupid tackles ( Flamini type). Please calm down and keep it simple THE COQ..

    1. Palace are pressing up and Coquelin is out numbered in that position, only cazorla is helping him in the middle.

  48. our build up play is non existent because out of every three passes building to an attack one is always poor and makes us lose possesion. Palace have 0 on target which is the only thing helping us in this game.

  49. ton of credit to Palace, for pressing the crap out of us this match. You have to give them credit, and they are really giving us a game. Unfortunate to be 2-0 down, but Giroud proves clinical again when given only one chance so far. a lot of credit to him, and Welbeck who was involved in both goals. no game is over at 2-0, so if we stay focused we can get these points.

    1. Just my thoughts. Cazorla used to be a weak defender but is now quite good. Ozil and Walcott may be able to follow the trend.

    1. Agree. Giroud’s play other than the goal has often been poor. But you can say that about many strikers. He got the goal but with the poor quality in the rest of his play today makes you wonder if it is worth it.

  66. TV announcers are searching for any reason to discount the Arsenal lead. They also believe, as usual, that the team that satisfies their football sensibilities should be declared the winner.

    I have checked the rules repeatedly and they still don’t award points for possession, passing stats, thuggish play, louder fans, commentator opinions, etc.

    They award points for scoring goals. In the end quality reigns.

    1. what game r u watching this is a deeply uncomfortable performance…3 points would be amazing achievement… if it was 2 to palace you couldnt complain…

  68. no way anyone can tell me the coq solves the dm position…hes better than flamini but way short of top class

  70. keeping the 2-0 is also important, we will go to 21 GD over Utd at 19, this season could come down to Goal Diff,

  71. Our players keep tumbling everytime we are on the ball. The pitch must be very bad. I hope no one gets injured!

    1. YES. I saw a couple of good close-ups of the pitch and it is terrible. In some areas the players slip or trip every time.

      But this is a time-honored tactic used by teams with lesser quality to negate their opponents’ superior quality. Just have to deal with it.

  77. Our team is such a long way off. Sorry.. Every teams that is half decent over plays us. Leicester, Brighton, Crystal palace, Spuds, Liverpool etc…

    We are getting away with it in this match…

    1. Love your comments and insight to the board mate but any game away in the Premier League is a dufficult fuxture, especially for Arsenal. There style of conceding possession, not pressing the opposition when leading is a maddening blueprint from the boss but it is what it is.

      I do agree that Arsenal have many miles to travel($$$$$) to consistently compete on all fronts.

    2. In past seasons Arsenal have been criticized for not being able to win scrappy games like this???

      It is not genius to see that Arsenal did not “dominate play.” But they dominated in football terms by scoring goals. No points in the rule book for possession.

    1. After years of heartache, it’s special days like this that bring tears of joy to my eyes. I love being a gooner

  91. Seems like anytime an Arsenal player is on the ball with back to goal they are fouled. Ref is calling about half of them.

    1. FULL TIME:
      Swansea 2-1 United hehehe
      Chelski 1-1 Burnley hehehe

      Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal
      Win is a win

  98. It’s okay. Don’t worry about last minute goal. We weren’t playing our best anyway

    Listen we won away

    I’m happy.

    1. Well Fred we didn’t dominate possession, score 5 goals and keep a clean sheet. Next thing you know MANURE will lose @ Swansea and Chelsea will draw to lowely Burney @ home?

      Some fans just need to embrace the reality that Arsenal is a quality side but has a a number of average players currently in the starting 11.

      A win is a win in my book

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