Crystal Palace v Arsenal: Premier League betting preview, free tip & TV details

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Crystal Palace v Arsenal in the Premier League.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 12.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
1pt 11-10 bet365
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Nicolas Pepe to score first
0.5pt each-way 13-2 Sky Bet
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Team news

Crystal Palace
Max Meyer and Jairo Riedewald join a long list of absentees for the Eagles including Jeffrey Schlupp (groin), Joel Ward (knee), Scott Dann (calf), Patrick van Aanholt (thigh), Mamadou Sakho (thigh) and Jairo Riedewald (knock). Luka Milivojevic is suspended.

Arsenal
Lucas Torreira and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should return to the side. Hector Bellerin (hamstring) is still recovering and Kieran Tierney and Calum Chambers are sidelined.

Match preview

A Crystal Palace defence ravaged by injuries and a history of goals in this fixture points to a crackerjack clash when Arsenal travel to Selhurst Park.

Defenders Jeffrey Schlupp (groin), Joel Ward (knee), Scott Dann (calf), Patrick van Aanholt (thigh), Mamadou Sakho (thigh) and Jairo Riedewald (knock) all face spells on the sidelines, making Palace vulnerable against a top-heavy Gunners side.

Rarely has that label been more appropriate than in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Leeds in the FA Cup third round last time out.

The north London side were shambolic at the back in the first half, encouraging wave after wave of attacks from Leeds, who managed 15 shots in the opening period.

Arsenal came out in the second half with more bite after an alleged dressing-down from Mikel Arteta, mustering 13 efforts after the break with Reiss Nelson scoring the decisive goal.

Arsenal fans can draw optimism from their manager's ability to turn the performance around but such an abject first-half display suggests there is plenty of work to do in defence.

That should discourage punters from backing an away win, so backing over 2.5 goals and both teams to score - which clicked in the 2-2 draws in the reverse fixture this term and corresponding fixture last season - could be the best punting strategy.

Palace have been far from prolific this season, scoring only nine times in the league at Selhurst Park, but this is an Arsenal defence which gifts opponents goals.

The likes of Brighton, Watford, Palace and West Ham all better Arsenal's tally of four league clean sheets and they look particularly weak at full-back with Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney still sidelined.

They have won their last two games to nil under Arteta but it is worth noting they were both played at the Emirates and Arsenal have only won twice away from home in the Premier League this term.

Palace have appealed against the decision by Michael Oliver to use VAR and change Luka Milivojevic's yellow card to red in the FA Cup but could be without the man who marshals their midfield for the contest with Arsenal, further increasing the likelihood of an open game featuring goals.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has quashed rumours of a January exit, is the obvious candidate to open the scoring but Nicolas Pepe may represent better value.

The winger has managed four shots, made seven key passes and scored once in his two full games under Arteta and could prove to be a nuisance for a Palace rearguard particularly weakened on their left side.