Crystal Palace vs Arsenal 11/01/20

11 January 2020

Crystal Palace welcome Arsenal to Selhurst Park for a mid-table clash, hoping to stretch a three-game unbeaten run in the Premier League (PL) H2Hs (W1, D2).

The hosts are not enjoying the best of times, having failed to pick up a win in their last three competitive meetings (D2, L1), with all of those matches featuring under 2.5 goals. What’s more, the Eagles have secured just two wins in their previous six PL home outings (W2, D1, L3), scoring one goal or less in five of those fixtures. In fact, Palace’s biggest problem this season has been a disappointing performance in the attacking half. Only relegation-threatened Watford have netted fewer top-flight goals than Palace (19), with 47% of those goals coming on home turf. But, Roy Hodgson’s men can improve that record here, considering they’ve scored over 1.5 goals in each of their last three PL H2Hs with Arsenal. However, the Glaziers have won only once in seven top-flight home H2Hs with the Gunners in the new millennium, losing four of the other six such fixtures (D2).

As for the visitors, they head to Selhurst Park after picking up two consecutive triumphs in all competitions. Importantly for the traveling fans, the Gunners have kept clean sheets in both of those wins, which is something they’ve failed to do since early October. But, a dismal away form could be setting Arsenal back here in their efforts to reduce a nine-point gap on fourth-placed Chelsea. The North Londoners have won just twice in ten PL road trips so far this campaign (D5, L3), failing to shut their rivals out on eight of those occasions. A lack of away goals could be another potential reason for wary, as Mikel Arteta’s men have bagged one goal or less in five of their last seven top-flight road matches.