Ex-Arsenal striker Alan Smith has warned the Gunners that they will need to be on their game when they face Crystal Palace this weekend.
The Eagles have had a strong start to the season under head coach Oliver Glasner, and when asked by BestBettingSites.co.uk whether the match could be a potential banana skin, Smith replied:
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“Palace just keep on going, don’t they? Mateta with a hat-trick the other day against Bournemouth. He’s just flying. So that match-up with Saliba and Gabriel is going to be interesting, because that’s the best central defensive partnership in the country, if not Europe at the moment.
“They’re not conceding goals. They’re hardly conceding a shot on goal. So that’ll be interesting to see if Mateta can make a dent in that. But yeah, Palace, a dangerous team under Glasner, they’ll be full of confidence. So, yeah, we’ll wait and see. Arsenal got a great, great result against Atletico, which should set them up nicely for this one.”
Palace have a strong away record
Glasner’s team have actually picked up more points on the road than at home so far this campaign, with two wins and a draw from their 4 league games.
Their one defeat came against Everton, although the Toffees needed a stoppage-time goal from Jack Grealish to seal all three points. It means Arsenal are unlikely to have everything go their way on Sunday afternoon.
Arsenal are in fantastic form
As Smith mentions, Mikel Arteta’s side are coming into the game off the back of thrashing Atletico Madrid 4-0. Their defensive record is also phenomenal.
They have conceded just three times in eight Premier League fixtures so far this season, and only one of those has come from open play. You would back them to get the win against Palace based on their recent displays.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here