Will Arsenal confirm their upward form in the derby?

The conclusion of the eighth matchday in the English Premier League is not only a duel of two table neighbours, but also once again a London city derby. At the Gunners’ Emirates Stadium, 13th-placed Arsenal and 14th-placed Crystal Palace face off on Monday night.

The current position is a big disappointment for Arsenal, but between the first and second international breaks, the Arteta eleven found their feet and collected ten points out of a possible twelve. The development is definitely right and unsurprisingly Arsenal are seen as relatively clear favourites against Crystal Palace according to current odds. The best betting odds are around 1.65 for a home win for the former CL participants.

It will be a special game for the new coach of the Eagles. Patrick Vieira was an active player for Arsenal for many years, donning the red and white shirt 279 times in the Premier League, only five players have played more times in the PL for Arsenal. But the existing sympathy will be sidelined for at least 90 minutes on Monday.

Arsenal – Statistics & current form

In fact, Mikel Arteta has done it again. For the umpteenth time, the Spaniard had his back against the wall after disappointing results. This season, Arsenal started the season with three defeats without a goal of their own, before the turnaround was achieved and Arsenal collected ten points in the last four league games. This included arguably their best performance in many months in the North London derby against Tottenham (3-1 win).

Strong PL stats on Monday

Despite the long absence of captain Granit Xhaka (not expected back until 2022), the Gunners can be absolutely confident because of the momentum. Another argument underlining the betting on the home win in the Arsenal vs Crystal Palace clash is the Gunners’ recent Premier League fixtures on the first day of the week.

The last seven games Arsenal played in the English top flight on Monday were all won. Impressive here is the goal difference of 15:2. Moreover, Arsenal have rediscovered home strength, winning four of their last five games. By comparison, it took Arteta’s side 15 league home games to record four wins previously.

Spectacle is not to be expected

However, the days when Arsenal stood for spectacular attacking football are long gone. After seven games, the Gunners offence has scored only five meagre goals. Only last-placed Norwich has a worse attack (two goals).

At the beginning of the season, not only was the offensive harmless, but the defence was also weak. Bernd Leno conceded a goal every 30 minutes on average, but since the castling of new signing Aaron Ramsdale, Arsenal have stabilised considerably. During the series of four games without defeat, only one goal was conceded. In the derby between Arsenal and Crystal Palace, it is quite lucrative to predict that not both teams will score.

Predicted Arsenal line-up:
Ramsdale – Tierney, Gabriel, White, Tomiyasu – Lokonga, Partey – Smith-Rowe, Odegaard, Saka – Aubameyang

Last matches played by Arsenal:

Crystal Palace – Statistics & current form

Nearly four years Roy Hodgson was with the Eagles before taking his well-deserved retirement this summer. Extremely defensive, fast turnover play and dangerous through standards – these three cornerstones could describe Crystal Palace’s game relatively well.

Transformation to modern football

With world and European champion Patrick Vieira, a former defensive player was also hired as coach, but the Frenchman has a much more modern approach. Of course, this change takes time, and the results are still capable of improvement. Compared to last year, there is a minus of three points on the books, and even a minus of four points compared to 2019/20.

The long balls to the top are used far less often and the passing game has improved significantly compared to last year. In the passing statistics, Crystal Palace can now be found in the midfield of the league (81% successful passes). On the negative side, however, are the many goals conceded outside the 16, as Crystal Palace have already conceded five outside the “box”.

5th London Derby 2021/22

Patrick Vieira became a true derby specialist in his first few weeks as Premier League coach. Crystal Palace started the season with four derbies in a row. The 3-0 win against Tottenham was not only the only win of the season, but also the first derby win after eleven games without a win. The last time two derbies in a row were won was in April 2017, when Arsenal were beaten 3-0. On Monday, odds of just under 6.00 for Arsenal to win against Crystal Palace are tempting for the visitors.

Predicted line-up of Crystal Palace:
Guaita – Mitchell, Guehi, Andersen, Ward – Gallagher, Milivojevic, McArthur – Zaha, Edouard, Ayew

Last matches played by Crystal Palace:

Arsenal – Crystal Palace Direct Comparison / H2H Balance

The Eagles from the London borough of Selhurst have a bit of a grey mouse image. For many years under veteran coach Roy Hodgson, the club played extremely destructively and unspectacularly. However, this approach brought success, as the Eagles not only stayed in the league, but also scored five times in a row in the derby against Arsenal. It was only in the last encounter – in May this year – that the Gunners ended this winless streak and celebrated a 3:1 victory.

Arsenal – Crystal Palace Tip

Arsenal could finally forget their disastrous start to the season on Monday evening. Should the Arteta eleven be able to prolong the upward trend of the last few weeks, the Gunners would finally catch up with the international starting positions. Derbies have their own laws, but there is nothing to shake about the role of the favourites and this becomes clear when looking at the betting odds for Arsenal against Crystal Palace.

In the London city derby between Arsenal and Crystal Palace, not only is the prediction on the home win recommended, but above all the lucrative betting odds for half-time/finish 1/1. Arsenal have stabilised their defence considerably in recent weeks, and the Gunners have also scored four of their five goals of the season in the first half. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, scored just once in the first period.

An early decision in favour of the home side is therefore within the realms of possibility. Moreover, when Arsenal have taken the lead, they have won every game so far. A 2.80 for HT/FT 1/1 offers great value, with a moderate five units being used as a stake for this