Arsenal welcome Crystal Palace to the Emirates Stadium tonight for a crucial Carabao Cup quarter-final clash and this is the team that Mikel Arteta has announced.
Arsenal has been inconsistent lately. The weekend’s draw against Everton was a disappointing result and, unfortunately, not an isolated occurrence this season. While the team has delivered some excellent results and put in several stellar performances, consistency remains a challenge. Facing a resurgent Crystal Palace is a tricky prospect, especially in a cup competition, regardless of the home advantage.
That said, one would expect a strong reaction from Arsenal this evening after the disappointment against Everton. The players owe it to the fans, themselves, and Mikel Arteta to bounce back with an elite performance and secure a place in the semi-finals.
Crystal Palace, however, are in excellent form. They have lost just once in their last nine matches across all competitions and eliminated Aston Villa at Villa Park in the previous round of this tournament. Under Oliver Glasner, Palace has also drawn with Villa in the league, held Manchester City to a draw, and beaten Tottenham, showcasing their recent upturn in form.
If Arsenal returns to their impeccable best, they should win tonight. However, if they fail to perform, Palace is more than capable of pulling off an upset.
This promises to be an intriguing and exciting game.