Arsenal footballers are facing their third London derby in a row in the Premier League. This time the Gunnres return to Emirates Stadium, where Crystal Palace will visit on Sunday. The Mikel Arteta's are in fantastic shape and frame of mind at the moment. After the three points Arsenal took away from Craven Cottage came a sovereign win in the Champions League week as well. Arsenal declashed Atlético Madrid 4-0 at their home stadium. However, despite the solid performances and great results, there is no room for taking the foot off the gas. On the contrary! Every game must be played with 100% concentration. And in the Premier League this rule is doubly true. Although Crystal Palace have not returned in the best form after the national break, Arsenal must not underestimate them. Oliver Glasner's team certainly has its qualities. Let's take a look at all the key aspects of Sunday's derby together.
Form
Arsenal and Crystal Palace have two games in a row after the national break, which is still not enough to evaluate the form in detail. On the other hand, something can certainly be gleaned from the results, and that is exactly what I will try to do in the following lines. Of course, we will also look at the recent results of both teams before the enforced break from club football. Here we go.
Arsenal
I'm aware that I didn't write much about Arsenal's form in my last blog, but this time it won't be too long either. Why? The current form needs no great analysis. The Gunners have five wins in their last five games. In addition, they kept a clean sheet in four of those games, while at the other end of the field they scored eleven times. If I were to consider only the domestic league competition, Arsenal's form is not much worse (4 wins, 1 draw).
When I look at the games that Mikel Arteta's charges have played after the national break, my assessment cannot be other than positive. First, Arsenal won the Premier League at Fulham by the narrowest possible margin (1-0) and then at home they blasted Spanish Atlético Madrid in the Champions League (4-0).
Bottom line, Arsenal's current form is excellent and we can only hope it lasts as long as possible.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace generally experiencing a successful start to the 2025/2026 league season. Oliver Glasner's team was the only one not to taste the bitterness of defeat in the new Premier League season after six rounds. But that is no longer the case at the moment. Still, the Eagles have a solid 13 points after eight rounds and a record of three wins, four draws and one defeat. They are 8th in the league table.
With the current form, if I classically focus on the last 5 competitive games, it's not great from a Crystal Palace perspective. Two wins, one draw and two defeats. Before the last national break, Crystal Palace won the league against Liverpool (2:1) and then the European Conference League against Dynamo Kiev (2:0). The winning streak was ended by a 1-2 defeat at Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Crystal Palace fell short to Everton at home. After the aforementioned break, the team from Selhurst Park could not return to the winning streak. First, the Eagles drew 3-3 with Brighton after a crazy shootout in the league and then in the European Conference League at home they surprisingly failed to keep up with the Cypriot team AEK Larnaca, to whom they lost 0-1. If I had to sum up Crystal Palace's current form, I'd have to say it's below average. At least compared to his form at the beginning of the season.
Team and expected line-up
Although Arsenal On Tuesday he played a tough Champions League match against Atlético Madrid, I think the Spanish manager he won't make many changes to the lineup. To be precise, I expect two, with one of them being forced. So what will Arsenal's starting eleven look like in the little London derby against Crystal Palace?
David Raya
Nothing should change between the three poles, will be in goal against Crystal Palace David Raya. The Spanish goalkeeper will be looking for his sixth clean sheet in the current Premier League campaign.
Jurriën Timber
On the right edge of the defense he'll come back again and again Jurriën Timber. The Dutch right-back is performing very well on the right side, so Mikel Arteta has no reason to change anything from a football point of view. However, Arsenal's crowded calendar literally encourages more player rotation, which we will see soon. Against Crystal Palace, however, it won't be yet. In my opinion, Ben White will start in the next game that Arsenal have to play, but more on that next time.
William Saliba
In the very likely absence of Gabriel, which I'll get to in a moment, I'll I can't imagine that at the heart of the defense, there's also William Saliba. The French defender is not as much of an offensive threat as his Brazilian counterpart, but defensively, he's extremely important. Despite his young age, he brings the necessary calmness and experience to Arsenal's defensive line. He has not earned the nickname Rolls Royce for nothing.
Cristhian Mosquera
With Brazilian stopper Gabriel picking up a minor injury against Atlético and not training with the team for the rest of the week, I expect him to start against Crystal Palace Cristhian Mosquera. Defensively, Mikel Arteta definitely has a lot to choose from, but the Spanish defender seems to be the most likely option. I'll explain why. The most natural replacement at left-back is Piero Hincapié, but we haven't seen him on the pitch yet due to injury. Next, Riccardo Calafiori could move into the centre of defence and Myles Lewis-Skelly would keep his place on the left flank. Jurriën Timber can also play at left-back. With Calafiori and Timber, I expect them to start on the flanks of the defense, which is why it makes the most sense to me that Cristhian Mosquera will be standing next to William Saliba. Side by side, they came on in the ELF Cup match against Port Vale and so it would not be a first for them.
Riccardo Calafiori
Despite the fact that Myles Lewis-Skelly had a fantastic game against Atlético, in which he also had an assist on Gabriel Martinelli's goal, I think he will return to the lineup Riccardo Calafiori. Mikel Arteta has been rotating both players on the left side of the defence quite often this season and Sunday's game will be no exception. Choosing between Calafiori and Lewis-Skelly or even Hincapie is a huge luxury for the manager.
Martín Zubimendi
I have to repeat myself, but there's just no other way, when you have at your disposal Martin Zubimendi, you're hardly going to let him sit among the replacements. The Spanish midfielder has quickly integrated himself into the Arsenal starting line-up after his transfer to north London and in virtually every game he shows us why. His contribution to the Arsenal game is undeniable.
Declan Rice
Declan Rice Unlike his „new“ midfield partner, he is in his third season in Mikel Arteta's team, but the same applies to him. A difference maker and a key piece of the Mikel Arteta puzzle. Although he deserves some extra time off, he will start against Crystal Palace from the first minute.
Eberechi Eze
The starting line-up against Crystal Palace must not be missing Eberechi Eze. At least that's how I see it. The England international has spent the bulk of his career with the Eagles, from where he headed to the Emirates Stadium this summer. Sunday's game will be special for Eze. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, Mikel Arteta has plenty of options for the number ten position even in the absence of Martin Ødegaard, but there is only one correct one for Sunday's game and that is Eberechi Eze.
Bukayo Saka
We don't even have to ask the question who will start on the right wing. The answer, of course, is Bukayo Saka. Still only twenty-four years old, the England international has a prominent place in Mikel Arteta's team. Saka has long been one of Arsenal's biggest pillars, which confirms his position in the team. He is currently Martin Ødegaard's first deputy, so he will wear the captain's armband on Sunday.
Gabriel Martinelli
I wouldn't have thought I'd say this before the season, but everything is slowly but surely beginning to suggest that good old Gabriel Martinelli is finally back. Maybe it was the increased competition that pushed him to solid performance and shooting potential, maybe something else, but it doesn't really matter in the end. The Brazilian winger has been the terror of opposing defences in recent weeks, and he proved it with another great performance in the Champions League. I believe Mikel Arteta will want to take advantage of his good form in the game against Crystal Palace.
Viktor Gyökeres
Viktor Gyökeres in Tuesday's Champions League match against Atlético broke his shooting bad luck and scored two accurate hits into the Spanish team's net. His effort and work for the team could not be denied, but strikers will always be largely judged by the number of goals they score. It was evident from the celebrations of Gyökers himself, his teammates and the fans what his goals scored mean to Arsenal. I believe his confidence will now go up a notch and he will score goals regularly. Ideally, he could score more goals right away against Crystal Palace.
Substitutes
Although it may not seem like it at first glance, Arsenal's squad is still relatively large, so all the healthy A team players will be on the substitutes' bench. They should be ready for the bench Kepa Arrigabalaga, Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Piero Hincapié, Christian Nørgaard, Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Leandro Trossard.
Four long-term injured players should still be missing from the nomination for the game against Crystal Thumbs Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke and Martin Ødegaard. Arsenal will most likely add a stopper to the Arsenal squad for the game against Crystal Palace Gabriel. As for the news about injured players, I haven't seen any confirmed news about Kai Havertz being fit and available. On the other hand, there have been photos and videos on social media this week showing Gabriel Jesus trains individually on the pitch. It seems that his comeback to the Gunners' lineup is coming soon. Noni Madueke and Martin Ødegaard continue their recovery as planned. Gabriel's injury should not be serious according to initial reports.
About the opponent
Crystal Palace are having a great time under Austrian manager Oliver Glasner. The best proof is that the South London team under Glasner even made it to Europe thanks to winning the FA Cup, which is another great achievement in itself. To give you an idea of the importance of Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup, I should mention that the South London club is the oldest club competition in the world. won for the first time in history. Interestingly, Eberechi Eze scored the only and therefore decisive goal in the final against Manchester City, who will be on Arsenal's side on Sunday.
We have already discussed the current form of the Eagles, we will focus on the match with Arsenal, so now we have to look at the players. The biggest pillars of the team include goalkeeper Dean Henderson, then Captain Marc Guehi and the shooter Jean-Philippe Mateta. But there are many more interesting players in Oliver Glasner's squad. Impressive performances in Crystal Palace's jersey also Tyrick Mitchell, Daniel Muñoz, Adam Wharton or Ismaila Sarr. Despite the fact that Crystal Palace is definitely not one of the biggest English giants, it has a decent squad at its disposal.
Arsenal footprint
Also in the squad of Crystal Palace we can find a player who is strongly connected with Arsenal. Eddie Nketiah spent virtually all of his senior career at Crystal Palace before moving to north London. Nketiah has also played for Arsenal in the youth categories. The English striker has a place in the hearts of the Gunners' fans forever as a product of the Arsenal youth academy.
Match
The quality and breadth of the squad, the form and the home environment are all factors that are on the side of the home footballers. In addition, there is another important aspect that I would not like to omit, Fatigue. Arsenal played their European game on Tuesday, while Crystal Palace didn't play until Thursday. Sure, a difference of two days may not seem like a significant difference at first glance, but believe me, having two or four days off between two games really does make a difference. Moreover, the Gunners have a much wider squad than its opponent, so fatigue may play a big role in Sunday's game. Arsenal are deservedly on paper the clear favourites for the little London derby.
Based on the above information, the picture of the game should look like this home footballers will determine the nature of the match. Plain and simple, Arsenal players should have the upper hand in all fundamental aspects of the game. This should logically be reflected in the final result. I believe that Arsenal will take advantage of their good form and mental state and will go for all three points after a dominant performance. I predict Arsenal to win 3:0.
Next match
It probably won't surprise anyone that Arsenal will play another competitive match in the same week, namely Wednesday 29 October 2025 at 20:45 (CET) in the EFL Cup against Brighton. The English Cup semi-final match has been drawn to be played in London at the Emirates Stadium. As far as the Premier League is concerned, the next game that awaits the Gunners is the Turf Moor v Burnley, scheduled for 1 Nov 2025 at 16:00 (CET).
See you next time, I'll look forward to it!
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Editor, administrator and editor of the True Gunner Diary website, but above all a devoted Arsenal fan. I started with sports articles at the Tipsport bookmaker, where I have published more than 100 blogs. If you want to know more about me, check out the section of the same name here on the site.