Team news and key Opta statistics to help with Fantasy Football picks and bets for Crystal Palace's clash against Arsenal on Thursday night.
Thursday December 28
Crystal Palace v Arsenal
- Kick-off time & date: Thursday December 28, 2000 GMT
- Venue: Selhurst Park
- TV coverage: Sky Sports
- Sky Bet odds: Crystal Palace 4/1, Draw 29/10, Arsenal 4/6
Team news
Olivier Giroud will miss Arsenal's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on Thursday, with the France striker sidelined until January 15 with a hamstring problem.
Defender Nacho Monreal has been ruled out due to an ankle injury that is expected to take 10 days to clear.
And midfielder Aaron Ramsey will also be unavailable, as he battles a hamstring problem of his own.
Palace have Christian Benteke available again.
The striker served a one-match ban as Palace drew at Swansea on Saturday and he is expected to be restored to the starting line-up by boss Roy Hodgson.
Jason Puncheon remains available for selection despite being charged with possession of an offensive weapon and assault while Joel Ward is still struggling with a groin problem.
Teams
Crystal Palace (from): Speroni, Hennessey, Kelly, Dann, Tomkins, Riedewald, Schlupp, Van Aanholt, Souare, Townsend, Loftus-Cheek, Puncheon, Cabaye, Milivojevic, McArthur, Mutch, Ladapo, Sako, Kaikai, Zaha, Benteke.
Arsenal (from): Cech, Ospina, Mertesacker, Holding, Mustafi, Koscielny, Chambers, Debuchy, Bellerin, Nelson, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Coquelin, Wilshere, Xhaka, Elneny, Ozil, Iwobi, Sanchez, Welbeck, Walcott, Lacazette.
Opta statistics
- Crystal Palace have won only one of their last 12 home league games against Arsenal (D5 L6), though it was a 3-0 victory in this exact fixture last season.
- Arsenal have only failed to score in two of their last 19 league games against Crystal Palace – the 0-3 loss last season and a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park in October 1997.
- After losing their first three home league games of the season without scoring, Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last six at Selhurst Park (W3 D3 L0) and have scored exactly two goals in each game.
- Arsenal have only won two Premier League away games this season – their joint-fewest tally after nine away games of a campaign in the Premier League era (level with 1994-95, 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2005-06).
- The Gunners have kept a clean sheet in all three of their Premier League London derbies this season – they haven’t gone four London derbies without conceding since February 1999.
- Arsenal haven’t won any of their five Premier League London derbies away from the Emirates in 2017 (W0 D2 L3) and have failed to score in the last four of these.