Arsenal will play their third game in a week on Sunday as they prepare to host Crystal Palace at the Emirates.

Arsenal (9/20)

The Unai Emery era has certainly been a complicated one for Arsenal Football Club and it doesn’t seem as if it’s going to get any easier as time goes on. From questionable tactics to avoiding certain questions in the media, it’s safe to say that the Emirates faithful are starting to get a little bit tired of his excuses. Still, they seem to be going fairly well in the Europa League and the Premier League, leading many to wonder what the odds really are of them making a substantial push for the top four this season.

They’ve managed to win four of their last six games in all competitions, but a draw against Manchester United and a poor loss to Sheffield United really did put things into perspective. Nicolas Pepe’s double against Vitoria SC earlier in the week has definitely given the fans cause for hope, though.

Crystal Palace (11/2)

Crystal Palace’s potential as contenders for a spot in Europe is an interesting debate to have, and these are the sorts of games that will test them to their very core. Roy Hodgson has been able to build an exciting young team at Selhurst Park, to the point where it really does feel like they’re capable of upsetting quite a few sides this season. They’ve got a direct and concise attacking style and that is going to bode well for them in a league full of defensive uncertainty.

Wins over Aston Villa, Norwich and West Ham as of late have confirmed to the masses that they are, in fact, the real deal. They were disappointed to drop points against Wolves after leading Nuno’s men for so long, but their only losses in their last six have come to Tottenham and Manchester City.

Conclusion

It’s been a hectic week for Arsenal and while it’d be easy to suggest that the wheels are going to fall off against a team like Palace, who are really strong away from home, we just think that someone is going to pull a rabbit out of the hat for the Gunners. It’s the kind of encounter that is bound to keep everyone guessing from the first minute until the full time whistle blows, but in the end, we’re backing Emery’s side to edge out Palace and reaffirm their status as top four contenders this season.

If a team pushes back against Arsenal and is really able to get in their face, that almost always leads to an entertaining game full of goals. The Eagles fit that description perfectly, which is why we’re backing the over 2.5 goals threshold here.

Verdict: Back the home win at odds of 9/20 and the over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 8/15. (All odds are taken from bet365).

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