Arsenal vs Crystal Palace LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Gunners net five at Emirates Stadium

Arsenal earned themselves a much needed win with a 5-0 hammering of Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in Saturday’s early Premier League kick off.

From the start the Gunners looked to take control but seemed nervous and tentative after their recent troubles in front of goal. The breakthrough came from a set piece, Gabriel rising highest at the back post to nod Arsenal ahead. The second goal came in a similar fashion. Bukayo Saka swung in another corner, Gabriel won the header but this time sent the ball into Dean Henderson for an own goal.

The Gunners went into the break two goals to the good and grew in confidence. Leandro Trossard ended his goal drought with a fine finish to complete a counter attack before Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score two goals late in stoppage time to put the icing on the cake.

Relive the action below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace LIVE

• Arsenal hammer Crystal Palace in the Premier League early kick off

• 90+6’ GOAL! - Martinelli makes it five from the counter (ARS 5-0 CRY)

• 90+4’ GOAL! - Martinelli scores off the bench (ARS 4-0 CRY)

• 59’ GOAL! - Trossard adds a third for Arsenal (ARS 3-0 CRY)

• 37’ GOAL! - Gabriel’s header brings another set piece goal for Arsenal (ARS 2-0 CRY)

• 34’ SAVE! - Lerma’s long range strike is palmed wide by Raya (ARS 1-0 CRY)

• 32’ CLOSE! - Clyne’s shot finds Mateta who fails to control the ball in the box (ARS 1-0 CRY)

• 14’ CROSSBAR! - Lerma turns the ball onto his own woodwork from a corner (ARS 1-0 CRY)

• 11’ GOAL! - Gabriel nods the Gunners ahead (ARS 1-0 CRY)

Arsenal FC 5 - 0 Crystal Palace FC

Arsenal show poor form was little more than a blip, while pressure mounts on Roy Hodgson

15:05 , Mike Jones

Arsenal eased all the noise while increasing that around Roy Hodgson.

This had looked like it was going to be a nice little story of Mikel Arteta’s side managing to get going again, through a look backwards. With former manager George Graham watching on, Arsenal twice scored through the set-piece route that won the Scot two league titles at this club. That instead served to finally release Arteta’s side after a month of relative malaise, and this 2-0 into a 5-0 and a much grimmer tale for Hodgson. He is surely on the brink, as Palace now look at real risk of falling into a relegation battle.

Their typically loud fans made it very clear they have far bigger concerns, holding up banners stating “wasted potential on and off the pitch, weak decisions taking us backwards”. It comes amid stories of increasing tension in the hierarchy and a report by the Independent that John Textor is about to begin the process of selling his shares.

Arsenal show poor form was a blip, while pressure mounts on Roy Hodgson

Bukayo Saka speaking to TNT Sports:

15:12 , Mike Jones

“Most games it feels like we’re going up against a low block. The Premier League is a really physical league. It’s about me studying it, trying to find a solution - whether that’s dribbling, finding space or passing it.

“It hasn’t been easy but I’m still trying and we’re still doing well as a team.

“We do a lot of work on set-pieces. It’s the worst! Our set-piece coach tries to make it fun. We’re doing well and what he’s doing is working.

“We went out of the FA Cup mostly on a set-piece so we wanted to put it right today and get a clean sheet. We scored two so we’re happy.

“Everyone knows we lost the last three games so this one was important for us and the fans to build some momentum. When you look at the league table, you want to be first. You don’t want to be third, fourth of fifth. That’s my feeling personally.”

Post match reaction from Mikel Arteta

15:08 , Mike Jones

The Arsenal boss told Match of the Day: “Very pleased, clean sheet and five goals, win the game and performance.

“I had a really good feeling after we left the stadium after Liverpool, the performance was there but the results were not.

“Today we were much more efficient in the opponents’ box particularly than the last few games. Last few games we had moments playing better than today but this is about scoring goals.

“Set pieces are a big part of us, especially against teams that want to defend deeply. It is a good way to win games. The success of last season was the amount of players who scored more than 10 goals and we are going to have to do that again.

“We used moments of the game we knew could exploit really, really well. The subs did really well and had a big impact. Everyone was really focused.

“This is the second part of the season we want to tackle it with a lot of aggression and motivation.

“I would like to play three days after but it is what it is! We will keep preparing and we must continue to do better and improve as a team.”

FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

15:05 , Mike Jones

Crystal Palace have won just one of their last 18 away London derbies in the Premier League and are winless in nine (D4 L5).

FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

15:01 , Mike Jones

Roy Hodgson has failed to win any of his six Premier League encounters with Mikel Arteta (two draws, four defeats).

FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

14:59 , Mike Jones

Since the start of 2020-21, Gabriel has scored 12 Premier League goals for Arsenal, at least three more than any other defender during this period.

FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

14:56 , Mike Jones

More from Gabriel Martinelli who says: “It was so important. We know our qualities. It doesn’t matter what people say on the outside, we believe in ourselves. We showed that today and what we can do.

“We knew we needed a game like that where we had a clean sheet and scored five games.

“We will try our best and keep going like that because we know our expectation.”

FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

14:53 , Mike Jones

Today’s win was Arsenal’s joint-biggest margin of victory in a Premier League London derby, alongside their 5-0 win against Wimbledon back in April 1998.

FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

14:50 , Mike Jones

Arsenal have scored more goals from corners than any other team in the Premier League this season (9), while their 10 headed goals are also the most of any side.

FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

14:47 , Mike Jones

Arsenal are now up to third and have drawn back level with Manchester City and Aston Villa on 43 points. They are just two behind Liverpool at the top of the league though they have played one game more than Jurgen Klopp’s men.

FT Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

14:44 , Mike Jones

Arsenal goalscorers Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli spoke to TNT Sports.

Gabriel is told his second goal was given as an own goal by Dean Henderson.

“Ah, yeah, but I’m so happy to score goals for the team. I think one more minute and Gabriel Martinelli will score three goals,” he said.

Martinelli adds: “I’m so pleased for the team. I think we needed a performance like that. I’m here to help the team even if I only play one, two or three minutes.

“Today, I had the opportunity to score two and I’m so happy with the team and the performance.”

Full-time! Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

14:27 , Mike Jones

90+6 mins: The whistle goes to end the game at the Emirates stadium. It’s been a perfect outing for Arsenal who get back to winning ways in the most emphatic fashion.

GOAL! Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace (Martinelli, 90+6’)⚽️

14:26 , Mike Jones

90+6 mins: Martinelli has two!

It’s an almost carbon copy of the previous goal with the forward fed in from the left. He takes the ball into the box and scores with a low shot to the bottom corner.

GOAL! Arsenal 4-0 Crystal Palace (Martinelli, 90+4’)⚽️

14:24 , Mike Jones

90+4 mins: Another one!

Gabriell Martinelli has been a menace since he’s come on and now has the goal he’s been after. Arsenal stretch Palace and work the ball in behind for the Brazilian.

He’s got the composure to slot it home and Arsenal have another player on the scoresheet.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

14:21 , Mike Jones

90 mins: There’s six minutes of added time to play before the end of this match.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

14:17 , Mike Jones

86 mins: Bukayo Saka loses the ball on the edge of the Palace box after a patient build-up from Arsenal. Gabriel Martinelli nicks it back quickly but loses the ball again as he attacks from the left.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

14:14 , Mike Jones

83 mins: Arsenal are cruising to victory here. Dominating possession, pushing high up the pitch, looking for more goals. It’s bee a very impressive performance from them.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

14:10 , Mike Jones

80 mins: More changes coming now but this time for Arsenal. Gabriel Jesus gets a loud round of applause for his efforts today as he heads off alongside goalscorer Gabriel.

Jakub Kiwior and Eddie Nketiah are the two men brought on.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

14:08 , Mike Jones

77 mins: Naouirou Ahamada and Matheus Franca De Oliviera are on for Palace, Nathaniel Clyne and Jeffrey Schlupp are the two men replaced.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

14:05 , Mike Jones

74 mins: Gabriel Jesus looks to slip Smith Rowe into the box but he can’t bring the ball under control and it is booted away. Bukayo Saka receives it over on the right side, he gets inside, lays the ball onto his left foot and shoots but misses the target.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

14:04 , Mike Jones

71 mins: Gabriel Martinelli gets stuck into the action immediately and beats Nathaniel Clyne on the left. He drives towards the box but takes a heavy touch rolls the ball out for a goal kick.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

13:58 , Mike Jones

68 mins: Gabriel Martinelli is introduced into the Arsenal line-up replacing goalscorer Leandro Trossard. Emile Smith Rowe gets a huge cheer from the Gunners faithful as he replaces Kai Havertz too.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

13:54 , Mike Jones

65 mins: The resultant free kick is floated over to the opposite side of the box where Will Hughes latches onto a volley and shoots. His effort skips low through the box but gets blocked and booted away.

Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace

13:53 , Mike Jones

62 mins: Crystal Palace win themselves a free kick on the edge of the box and Eberechi Eze is going to take this one. He pings a shot straight at the goalkeeper who palms it over the crossbar!

GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace (Trossard, 59’)⚽️

13:49 , Mike Jones

59 mins: Three!

From a Palace set piece, Arsenal burst quickly up the pitch on the counter attack. Gabriel Jesus is fed down the right side of the pitch and he drives forward before slipping a pass across to Leandro Trossard.

Trossard cuts across to the right of the goalkeeper then smokes his shot into the back of the net.

Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:47 , Mike Jones

57 mins: Gabriel Jesus is seemingly dragged to the ground inside the penalty area by Nathanial Clyne. He was making a dart towards the loose ball and dramatically fell to the floor.

The referee waves for play to go on and VAR doesn’t overturn the decision.

Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:45 , Mike Jones

54 mins: Crystal Palace are still struggling to get time on the ball. Arsenal are quick to close them down and win it back. Saka flies back down the line to recover possession and work it across to the opposite wing.

Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:40 , Mike Jones

51 mins: Oh wow!

Arsenal burst forward quickly and slip Gabriel Jesus into the right side of the box. Will Hughes and Bukayo Saka come together and Saka falls down wanting a penalty.

Jesus squares the ball across to Leandro Trossard who should score. He messes up his effort though and softly bobbles the ball to Dean Henderson.

Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:37 , Mike Jones

48 mins: Saka swings another corner into the middle of the box and once again Palace don’t seem comfortable. Gabriel lunges for the ball but Joachim Andersen is on hand to nod it clear this time.

Second half! Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:35 , Mike Jones

Arsenal kick off the second half. Neither manager has made a change at half-time with Arsenal looking to pick up where they left off.

HT Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:32 , Mike Jones

Palace have been outplayed so far at the Emirates. Can Roy Hodgson mastermind a turnaround in the second half or will the Gunners run away with the game?

HT Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:28 , Mike Jones

Arsenal have scored more goals from corners than any other team in the Premier League this season.

They now have 10.

HT Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:24 , Mike Jones

Half-time! Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:20 , Mike Jones

45+4 mins: There’s the whistle to signal the break. The players head off into the tunnel and Mikel Arteta has a smile on his face. He’ll be pleased with what he’s seen so far.

Arsenal are in control of this match.

Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:15 , Mike Jones

45 mins: Four minutes of added time to play before the end of the first half.

Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:14 , Mike Jones

43 mins: Arsenal have scored from two fantastic set pieces so Roy Hodgson will feel a little hard donw by. Palace have been decent at defending from open play.

Jefferson Lerma takes a knock to the neck and needs a bit of treatment here.

Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace

13:11 , Mike Jones

40 mins: Arsenal look so dangerous with set pieces around the penalty area. A dainty free kick is flicked over to Zinchenko who, at first, looks to keep the attack going with a cross.

Clyne blocks it and Zinchenko decides to shoot but fizzes his effort over the top.

GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace (Gabriel, 37’)⚽️

13:08 , Mike Jones

37 mins: There it is!

It’s another set piece which sees Bukayo Saka swing a corner into the box. He finds Gabriel at the far post who pings a header back across the face of goal.

It hits Dean Henderson in the back and bounces across the line. Arsenal will be over the moon now.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

13:06 , Mike Jones

36 mins: Odegaard lifts a free kick over to the right side of the penalty area with Gabriel the target. Tyrick Mitchell beats him to the ball in the air and nods it clear.

Those two Crystal Palace chances will give the visitors a bit of hope that they’re still in this game. Arsenal will know they need a second goal to be comfortable.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

13:04 , Mike Jones

34 mins: Save! Jefferson Lerma smokes a great effort from outside the box after Arsenal mess up trying to play out from the back.

The strike is brilliant and forces David Raya to leap across to his right where he manages to palm the ball wide of the post!

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

13:02 , Mike Jones

32 mins: Eze gets on the ball, dances around a couple of Arsenal defenders then wins a free kick just outside the penalty area. This is a set piece in shooting range for Crystal Palace.

Eze himself lines up the shot, he tries to whip is over the wall but hits the defender. Nathanial Clyne drills the rebound low into the box where Mateta attempts to control the ball.

He fumbles it and Raya manages to smother the danger for Arsenal.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

13:00 , Mike Jones

29 mins: Declan Rice almost feeds Bukayo Saka into space on the right wing but the diagonal pass is overhit and the ball skids through to Dean Henderson before Saka can recover it.

Arsenal will be pleased with their performance so far but Mikel Arteta will want them to step it up and add another couple of goals to the tally.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

12:57 , Mike Jones

26 mins: David Raya is given the ball and he sends it across the box to Oleksandr Zinchenko. That’s the most involvement the Arsenal goalkeeper has had in this match so far.

Crystal Palace need to get the ball higher up the pitch Eze and Mateta have been starved of possession so far.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

12:54 , Mike Jones

23 mins: Kai Havertz makes a nifty run into the box as the ball is chipped across to him from the left wing. There’s a slight nudge in his back from Joachim Andersen and Havertz goes to ground catching the ball in his arms on the way down.

The referee decides there’s not enough contact to warrant a penalty so awards a free kick to Palace for a Havertz handball.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

12:50 , Mike Jones

20 mins: Gabriel is getting stuck in to a couple of battles as he tries to keep Arsenal in possession high up the pitch. He takes on Richards first but doesn’t win a free kick when going to ground.

His next tussle is with Jeffrey Schlupp who yanks the Arsenal man back and gives away a foul.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

12:48 , Mike Jones

17 mins: There’s more of a zip and confidence about Arsenal now. Things always seem different when a team takes the lead. The Gunners are working the ball around fluidly and pressing high up the pitch.

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

12:44 , Mike Jones

14 mins: Crystal Palace may need to rethink their gameplan now that they’ve gone behind. Their formation of five at the back is inviting pressure and Arsenal are gaining confidence.

Palace need to respond quickly and to do so they need to force Arsenal further down the pitch.

Close! Bukayo Saka whips another corner into the box. The initial clearance strikes Jefferson Lerma and sends the ball back towards goal.

Dean Henderson can’t get across and the ball hits the crossbar before bouncing out of play.

GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace (Gabriel, 11’)⚽️

12:41 , Mike Jones

11 mins: Roy Hodgson has set up the Eagles to defend in numbers which means Arsenal are going to get a ton of possession inside the final third.

Nathanial Clyne blocks a cross out for a corner which is whipped straight into the penalty area. Gabriel leaps above Chris Richards to win the ball and powers a header into the bottom corner!

Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace

12:38 , Mike Jones

9 mins: Close! It’s a half chance for Gabriel Jesus.

There’s a slight scramble as Odegaard gets into the box. Palace throw men at him to defend the ball but it comes loose and the Brazilian forward manages to touch it down before hooking a snatched shot over the top of the crossbar.

Positive signs for Arsenal though.

Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace

12:35 , Mike Jones

6 mins: Nearly! Arsenal bring the ball down the left and whip in a cross. It drops over Chris Richards and gets brought down by Martin Odegaard.

He looks to shift the ball to the left in the hopes of opening up a touch of space to shoot but Will Hughes is onto him in a flash and pokes the ball away from the Arsenal captain.

Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace

12:33 , Mike Jones

3 mins: Martin Odegaard fouls Marc Guehi just inside Arsenal’s half allowing Eberechi Eze to loft a long free kick into the penalty area.

Joachim Andersen gets a head to the ball and nods it wide of the nearest post.

Kick off! Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace

12:31 , Mike Jones

Crystal Palace get the ball rolling at the Emirates Stadium and work it over to the left wing. Eberechi Eze attempts to go on an early run down the line but he’s tackled and Arsenal come away with the ball.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

12:26 , Mike Jones

Here come the teams. Both these clubs are playing their first Premier League matches of 2024. Who will come out on top today?

Pre-match thoughts from Mikel Arteta

12:24 , Mike Jones

“We recharged, re-energised and have been very clear with each other what to expect, and then attack the second half of the season.”

“We have to earn the right to win. This is a team that is well organised. We are ready.

“The margins are so small in the Premier League, it is the hardest thing in football [to score goals] but I believe a lot in my players.”

Pre-match thoughts from Roy Hodgson

12:23 , Mike Jones

“We are looking forward to getting back to it, you should always look forward to coming to Arsenal.

“Our job today is to focus on the task at hand, we know what problems Arsenal can cause us and we have to be aware and combat that.

“We won’t have much of the ball but when we do have it we have to make sure we do something with it. We have to ask them questions in the same way they will ask plenty of us.”

Can Saka improve his form?

12:20 , Mike Jones

Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s leading Premier League scorer with six goals this campaign.

It is the lowest tally by the club’s leading scorer after 20 matches of a league season since four players were on five goals in 1989/90. At this stage of 2022/23, Martin Odegaard had eight top-flight goals, and Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were both on seven.

Saka has scored six goals and assisted nine in 18 Premier League London derbies. Three of those goal involvements came in Arsenal’s 4-1 home win against Palace last season.

Palace’s missing striker?

12:15 , Mike Jones

Odsonne Edouard has scored six goals in 15 Premier League appearances in 2023/24, equalling his best return in a season (set in 2021/22).

He has not made a league appearance since a home defeat versus Liverpool on 9th December.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

12:10 , Mike Jones

Arsenal have dropped points in all three London derbies at the Emirates this season, in contrast to winning all seven of their other games.

They could lose three consecutive London derbies for the first time since 1993 due to the fact the Gunners have conceded 10 league goals from the last 19 shots on target they have faced.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

12:05 , Mike Jones

Crystal Palace have lost their opening league fixture of a calendar year on each of the last eight occasions it was a London derby.

Their only win in the last 17 Premier League away London derbies came at West Ham in November 2022.

Mikel Arteta: Arsenal must start winning to stay in Premier League title race

12:00 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta has acknowledged Arsenal can ill-afford any more slip-ups in the Premier League title race.

Manchester City’s impressive win at Newcastle last weekend sent an ominous warning to the chasing pack, but Pep Guardiola’s holders are only second in the table behind Liverpool.

Arsenal battled to a 1-1 draw at Anfield before Christmas and yet trail Liverpool by five points after a poor festive period.

Mikel Arteta: Arsenal must start winning to stay in Premier League title race

Arsenal need to improve in front of goal

11:55 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta’s side have scored one goal from 61 shots across their last three fixtures. They are in danger of losing three matches in a row at home without scoring for the first time since 1908.

Crystal Palace not were they want to be

11:50 , Mike Jones

Crystal Palace’s tally of 21 points is their lowest after 20 matches of a Premier League campaign since they amassed 19 in 2018/19 during Roy Hodgson’s first spell as manager.

But, Palace can win consecutive league games for the first time since April, when they won their first three after reappointing Hodgson as manager.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

11:45 , Mike Jones

Arsenal have taken just four points from their last 15 available. They had only dropped nine points from their opening 15 league games this season.

The Gunners could suffer four consecutive defeats in all competitions for the first time since February to March 2018 in Arsene Wenger’s final season as manager.

Hodgson on Arsenal

11:40 , Mike Jones

Roy Hodgson says his team are underdogs against the Gunners this afternoon but knows that the Eagles have a good chance of taking something from the match especially given Arsenal’s recent record.

He said: “I’ve never taken a team to Arsenal thinking: ‘this is an easy one for us.’ It’s always been up against it really, the underdog, which we still are in this match as well.

“But I thought there were a lot of aspects to our play on Wednesday night which were very satisfying. I thought we carried out our gameplan pretty well and on another occasion, I think we’d have even got a result from that game. I do think we take a little bit of positivity from the Wednesday evening game into that game tomorrow with us.”

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace team changes

11:35 , Mike Jones

Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko return from injury for Arsenal in a total of are four changes to the starting line-up with David Raya coming back into goal and Leandro Trossard preferred on the wing.

Crystal Palace makes two changes from the FA Cup defeat at Everton. Dean Henderson comes into goal while Jean-Philippe Mateta also starts.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace line-ups

11:30 , Mike Jones

Arsenal XI: Raya: White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Havertz, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Jesus

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson; Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Richards, Lerma, Hughes; Eze, Schlupp, Mateta

Arteta on injuries and Arsenal’s Dubai training camp

11:25 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta says that Arsenal still have a few players on the injury list but they are closer to returning after a successful winter break trip to Dubai.

“We still have a few unfortunately on that list that we haven’t managed to get back yet, but hopefully they are much closer and some of them are in a better place than we expected.” He replied when asked for an injury update.

“Individually I’m not going to tell you exactly how everybody is, but we are still missing a few.

“[The training camp] was great, it was a phenomenal camp in every sense. We worked really hard on things that we wanted to do, and we recharged our batteries.

“The context and the change in environment in beautiful weather helped, and the togetherness and the moments that we shared together were great. We feel fully recharged.

“I think it gave us an opportunity to look at things with a bit of perspective and analyse what we’ve been doing, and I will take a lot of positives from the first six months of the competition.

“Even though results haven’t gone our way in the last few games, when you look at what we have produced in terms of the Premier League and any other team, we are up there.”

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

11:20 , Mike Jones

Arsenal have won three consecutive Premier League encounters against Palace, following a run of one victory in the previous eight. Can they make it four in a row this afternoon?

Mikel Arteta will be hoping so.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

11:15 , Mike Jones

Crystal Palace have won just five of the 47 league meetings, including only two away: 2-1 at Highbury in 1994 and 3-2 at Emirates Stadium in 2019.

Palace are unbeaten in their last three Premier League visits to Arsenal under Roy Hodgson. They were under the caretaker management of Paddy McCarthy when they lost 4-1 at the Emirates last season.

Mikel Arteta responds to Emile Smith Rowe transfer rumours amid West Ham links

11:10 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta insists Emile Smith Rowe is settled at Arsenal amid reported interest from West Ham.

Smith Rowe has endured a frustrating time since he hit 10 goals in the 2021-22 campaign, with groin surgery restricting his role in the club’s unsuccessful title challenge last season.

England international Smith Rowe has also struggled with a knee issue this term, but even when he has been fit the 23-year-old has been reduced to cameo appearances with only one Premier League start among 12 outings in all competitions.

Mikel Arteta responds to Emile Smith Rowe transfer rumours

Will Palace be drawn into a relegation battle?

11:05 , Mike Jones

Roy Hodgson discussed his disappointment with Palace’s campaign so far and rued the misfortune of having suffered injuries to some of his ky players.

However, he has high hopes for the remainder of the campaign and does not believe his team will be drawn into a fight to avoid relegation.

“I’ve been closer to the relegation zone than we are at the moment, that’s for sure, and often for very long periods of time,” he said. “I do have a lot of hope here that things are going to get a lot better when we maybe come over this very unfortunate period that we’ve been through.

“We haven’t just lost players who’ve been injured, we’ve lost them for months and months at a time. Six months is a hell of a long time to be out. Three-and-a-half months for [Ebere] Eze, that’s a long time. It’s not just a couple of weeks missing them, it’s a long period of time.

“I think the future looks a lot better. But at this particular moment in time it’s tough, and we’ve got to toughen up ourselves and get through it and do it in the best possible way.

“If I go back over the last four or five games, we haven’t got the wins that I would have liked, but we certainly haven’t been particularly outplayed anywhere. We haven’t looked as though we haven’t got the fight or the capacity to get ourselves out of the situation.

“So that’s what I shall keep believing and I shall keep encouraging the players to show the necessary resilience and toughness themselves, because no-one said this should be easy.

“No-one who comes into the Premier League, manager, coach, player, should ever think, well this will be easy, I’m here, now I’m on easy street. No, you sign up not to be on easy street, so get on with being on what the opposite of easy street is.”

Arteta on Crystal Palace

11:00 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta spoke about what he is expecting from today’s match and claims that Crystal Palace will be a difficult team to beat. The Arsenal boss said: “[Hodgson’s] teams are extremely well-organised and hard to beat.

“He’s really good at provoking things that he wants in the game and tomorrow is going to be a big battle for us, that’s for sure.

“We are recharged, full of energy and super motivated. The team is super motivated and we want to attack the second half of the season with a lot of ambitions and with the understanding that the team is capable of big things.

“They are convinced of that.”

Hodgson on how Palace handle the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules

10:55 , Mike Jones

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson was asked about the increasing prevalence of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules following the ongoing enquiry into Everton and Nottingham Forest’s finances. The Toffees have already been hit with a points deduction in this campaign and could face further consequences.

“The club here is well run in that respect, so I’ve never heard that we can’t do this or we can’t do that, or we’ve got to sell a player because of FFP [Financial Fair Play],” Hodgson said. “That’s never happened during my time at the club, and that’s because the club is well run.

“Whether or not the club will be able to generate the money necessary to buy a player or to facilitate the loan, that’s another question. But they have done in the past, so I’ll have to wait and see if that’s going to be a possibility.

“If you’re talking purely Crystal Palace, then the FFP doesn’t enter into our thoughts at this moment in time. But if you’re asking generically, do clubs have to start thinking about this, I think what’s happened recently, certainly with Everton and now Nottingham Forest, and there’s still a cloud hanging over the head of Manchester City and Chelsea, so it’s very much a relevant topic.

“So I’m pretty certain that quite a few clubs are looking now and thinking: ‘Well, what is our financial situation like? What will happen if we make these decisions? And will it push us into a situation where we’re going to be charged?’

“But as I say, that’s for other clubs to worry about, not us.”

Leah Williamson issues warning to Fifa over ‘unsustainable’ schedule after ACL injury

10:50 , Mike Jones

Leah Williamson has issued a warning to Fifa and Uefa that their crowded calendar is placing “unsustainable” demands on top women’s players.

Arsenal defender Williamson is closing in on a return from a serious knee injury having resumed training for the first time since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in April.

The injury forced the England captain to miss last summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

A number of high-profile footballers, including Arsenal teammates Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema, also suffered ACL tears last season.

Leah Williamson issues warning to Fifa over ‘unsustainable’ schedule after ACL injury

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace prediction

10:45 , Mike Jones

The winter break won’t have fully reset Arsenal’s squad following three games without a win but they will look more like themselves. Expect some fluid moves and stylish passing which, coupled with the home crowd and a need to win, should be enough to get them past the Eagles.

But only just.

Arsenal 2-1 Crystal Palace

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace predicted line-ups

10:40 , Mike Jones

Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Jorginho; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson; Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Richards, Lerma; Franca, Eze, Schlupp; Mateta.

Early team news

10:35 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta was vague about the fitness of his squad ahead of this fixture, suggesting that several of his players were “touch and go” on Friday.

Gabriel Jesus could be back from a knee problem that caused him to miss the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool, while Oleksandr Zinchenko will also be assessed. Fabio Vieira may be in contention following two months out.

Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is still unavailable despite returning to training after a hamstring issue. Jordan Ayew is at the Africa Cup of Nations and Michael Olise remains out.

How to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

10:30 , Mike Jones

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace is due to kick off at 12.30pm GMT on Saturday 20 January at the Emirates Stadium.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage on the channel from 11am GMT. Subscribers can stream the action via discovery+.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Good morning!

10:05 , Mike Jones

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of today’s Premier League action between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

The Gunners are hoping that the winter break has refreshed them nursed any niggling injuries within the squad. They are looking to reignite their title challenge and a win this afternoon would bring them within two points of league leaders Liverpool.

Palace, meanwhile, secured a needed 3-1 victory over Brentford in their last league game which has kept a buffer between them and the teams fighting off relegation. Any points they pick up at the Emirates today will be a big boon though Roy Hodgson will be focusing on a strong performance from his team.

We’ll have all the updates, team news and match action throughout the day so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 12.30pm.