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Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Predicted XI: Stop the plague

By Josh Sippie

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 24: Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Europa League group F match between Arsenal FC and Vitoria Guimaraes at Emirates Stadium on October 24, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 24: Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Europa League group F match between Arsenal FC and Vitoria Guimaraes at Emirates Stadium on October 24, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal’s festering wounds continue to spread as they face off with Crystal Palace. Here is how they will probably line up to stop the plague.

Arsenal (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Arsenal (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /

After losing in ridiculous fashion to Sheffield United and putting up very little fight in the process, Arsenal returned to action to face Vitoria in a midweek fixture, the likes of which have become the only way for fans to catch hearty, entertaining football from their beloved club.

Only the start against Vitoria was… awful, as the Gunners were down 2-1 going into half despite not having given up a single goal in the Europa League up until this match.

They ended up winning 3-2 thanks almost entirely to Nicolas Pepe (bet you didn’t see that coming). The stopped-up Ivorian chucked home not one, but two fantastic free kick goals, the first from 25 yards and the second from 20. He nearly got another in between as well. But maybe… just maybe, this opened him up a bit.

Related Story. Arsenal vs Vitoria Player Ratings. light

Next up is Crystal Palace. Somehow snuggled up just one point behind us. And I don’t know if you were paying attention to the starting XI against Vitoria, but it gave off some rather unfortunate hints as to how the starting XI against Crystal Palace might line up.

Unai Emery needs to make changes, that much is certain. I don’t know how you can sit through that Sheffield match and not see how dire the situation is, but Emery may prove more obstinate than we thought with the starting XI selection against Sheffield United.

Count on the 4-2-3-1 remaining, but having seen so many of the players I want to predict in the starting XI spend 90 minutes on the pitch for 90 minutes on Thursday, I can’t with confidence predict much change from the Sheffield United flop-stars.

Regardless, there will be some changes. And some is far better than none. So let’s dig in to the starting XI, beginning at the back.

Keeper

Bernd Leno is going to be back in action. Emi Martinez had been near perfect all season, but still had little hope of unseating the German, and after giving up two goals to Vitoria, whether his fault entirely or not, it’s even less likely.

Which is fine. Leno still inspires the confidence he always has. Onward to the fullbacks

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