The blemish at the St Marys earlier in the week will not take away any of the good work done by Sam Allardyce since he joined Crystal Palace earlier this year. The Eagles beat Chelsea in their own den before losing to the Saints and they face yet another tricky fixture when they welcome Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal to the Selhurst Park in a Monday night kick-off in the Premier League.
The Gunners are fresh from a win over West Ham United, taking all three points for just the second time since the turn of the year but they are sure to find it difficult against Allardyce’s side who seem to have found the confidence to find some results late in the season. Palace are currently three points away from the Swans and the drop zone and cannot afford to lose their consistency for the rest of the season. They will set up to frustrate Arsenal but will know that they can take all three points from this game. Here is the predicted lineup that Sam Allardyce might field for this tie:
Team News
The likes of James Tomkins, Yohan Cabaye, and Loic Remy are all expected to miss the match with calf problems. But that is just a part of the injury list which keeps mounting. Patrick van Aanholt, Scott Dann, Pape Souare, Steve Mandanda and Connor Wickham are also all ruled out of this tie. Frazier Campbell will have to undergo a late fitness test to find a place in the team.
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Crystal Palace Lineup To Upset Arsenal
Defense:
Wayne Hennessey has been used extensively in the absence of Mandanda and has been doing a decent job. He should start this game between the sticks for Crystal Palace. Joel Ward has been solid on the right side of the defence and should keep his place in the side while Jeffery Schlupp has been used recently to good effect and might not be changed. With an injury crisis at the center-back, Martin Kelly is expected to partner Mamadou Sakho, with the Frenchman, on-loan from Liverpool, expected to lead the defensive line on the night.
Midfield:
Arsenal’s cult hero Mathieu Flamini might get his chance to face his former side as Allardyce has injuries to worry about even in the midfield. Luka Milivojevic has put in some excellent performances recently and should partner Flamini in a two-man midfield for Palace for this game.
Attack:
Belgian star Christian Benteke will lead the attack for Palace and will try to take advantage of the absence of Laurent Koscielny in this game. Winger Wilfried Zaha, who has been in blistering form this season should start on the left-flank and will be the danger man for Arsenal while Andros Townsend, who is finding some form, will provide width on the other wing.
Jason Puncheon should play in the number-10 role and will be responsible for creating chances for his side in the final third, on the night. Palace have a strong squad, even with all the injuries and they have a decent chance to further dent Arsenal’s chances of finishing in the top-4 this season.
This is how they would line up:
