Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: 5 key players to make it three straight

3. David Luiz

I am still devastated by the Calum Chambers injury, but the devastation is becoming a bit of a wasteland now. It used to be I was just upset that we’d be missing him. Now I’ve hit a steady lull of being upset that our defensive limbo begins again.

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David Luiz is the solution to that. Luiz is yet another player who has found new life under Mikel Arteta. Suddenly his partnership with Sokratis has become something capable of keeping a clean sheet, but all in all, I still find my faith still better invested in Luiz than his mate.

Luiz’s leadership skills and ball handling make him invaluable when he’s really on his game. Lately, his defense has even taken an upturn, against all odds, and if he can keep that up, then I have every bit of confidence that we will not only take three points, but also an away clean sheet from this one. But it all depends on David Luiz.

Until we see Rob Holding get back into form, it’s going to fall on Luiz for the foreseeable future. And likely even when Holding does return to form. That’s what Luiz is here for, after all. No point in hiding from it.

No. 2 coming up next.