Arsenal will be up against Crystal Palace on the first day of a new year and both the teams will obviously want to get off to a positive start. Crystal Palace had a horrendous year as far as results were concerned as they could rack up just 6 wins throughout 2016. It led to Alan Pardew’s sacking and the subsequent appointment of Sam Allardyce in his place.
Arsenal are in the 4th position and will be wary of Tottenham Hotspur’s pressure on them with just a solitary point separating them. The Gunners will be fairly confident of getting a result with Palace looking far from a settled unit.
Let us take a brief look at the 3 key battles which could have an impact on the game.
ALEXIS SANCHEZ VS MARTIN KELLY
Crystal Palace have leaked goals at an alarming rate under Pardew and they have serious issues in the fullback region. Although the left-back position has been their major ailment, Kelly hasn’t been at his best.
He will be up against Sanchez who has been shifted onto the flanks in the last match and after a successful stint as the centre forward he will look to have a similar sort of impact on the wing.
His work-rate and his ability to cut inside and influence the game will make sure that Kelly has his hands full throughout the 90 minutes. The right-back has to be on top of his game to stifle the Chilean.
BENTEKE VS KOSCIELNY
The Belgian has been in fairly good nick ever since joining Palace but will be hurting after missing a decisive penalty against Watford which denied Sam Allardyce a win in his very first match.
Benteke will look to impose himself on the Arsenal defenders but he has to get past the unflappable Laurent Koscielny.
The Frenchman has been in good form this season and has at times, carried the defence on his shoulders. The physical battle between the two will be interesting to watch.
HECTOR BELLERIN VS ZAHA
Two youngsters. Two players full of energy and desire to leave a mark on the game. Zaha has been good lately and has attracted interest from the likes of Spurs which shows that he is headed in the right direction.
Meanwhile, Bellerin is considered as the best right-back in the league and the two players will look to outdo each other as they are likely to clash on the wings over the course of the match.
