Arsenal face another London derby this weekend as they travel a short distance to take on Crystal Palace, after beating them in the Carabao Cup. Who are the players that could miss out on this game?
The Gunners had to dig deep but they eventually found enough to win 3-2 on Wednesday and advance to the semifinals of the competition. But given how tough it was to do that, they will be wary of expecting an easy game on Saturday.
As for the team news, there is encouragement for Mikel Arteta with the potential return of a few players. Riccardo Calafiori and Declan Rice are available to play today and that is great news for the club.
Alex Zinchenko is getting closer to a return and that will be a boost for the defence which looked depleted in the last few weeks. Both Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are out with injuries and apart from that, everyone will be available or at least in contention to play.
Arsenal Fever View:
For the north Londoners, Palace are yet another roadblock they have to overcome in their quest to keep up with Liverpool. The Reds are far ahead in the league table and catching them is not going to be easy at all.
This is why the Gunners have to ensure that they collect as many points as possible. Results like the one against Everton last week are what will hurt a team at the end of the season. Arteta would be well aware of the fine margins that exist at the highest level.
Some good news from the cup game during the week was the performance of Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian forward looked to be back to his old self in the second half. That is great news as it allows the manager some options and alternatives.
Arsenal are hanging onto the title race and there is a long way to go but, putting up points on the board is what matters most. A win over Palace will show the rest of the league that this team is here to stay and will not go anywhere.
Read More: Who is Mikel Merino? Arsenal’s potential new midfield star
