Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: 3 pre-match talking points

Having to watch the entire Premier League play their matches ahead of you isn’t ideal. Arsenal were already behind on matches played and now that trend continues.

It’s all about playing catch-up. If given the option of having games in hand but points to gain, almost everyone would rather have the points on the board. It can be a mental hurdle.

Facing Crystal Palace on Monday, Arsenal have the first of ten cup finals standing between themselves and a return to the Champions League. There are huge games to come, many against superior sides, and while points will be dropped on the way, ideally they won’t be here.

Losing away to Chelsea? Acceptable, to a degree. Falling to defeat to the side in 12th with just seven wins all season? Less so.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: 3 pre-match talking points ahead of facing Patrick Vieira’s side in the Premier League on Monday

However, that doesn’t tell the full story of Crystal Palace, who are a vastly improved side under Patrick Vieira, someone who has worked wonders in the short time he’s been at the club. Only five teams have lost fewer games than them.

Mikel Arteta heads into this one with the Manager of the Month award under his belt for the second time this season – Jurgen Klopp went undefeated in March and beat Arsenal away from home so, ummm, yeah – and the form shown since mid-December is showing no signs of slowing down.

It’s all about getting the players back focused after travel all across the globe, where they’ve played in different positions and different systems, which is why the manager will actually be grateful that the Gunners are last up on the fixture list this matchweek.

Another absorbing Premier League fixture awaits, one with plenty of pre-match talking points.

Will Patrick Vieira Break Arsenal Hearts?

The end of season periods where it continued to appear as if Vieira was going to depart Arsenal as a player were tough to take. It hurt the soul. When he finally departed north London, however, he did so with the final kick of his Gunners career winning the club the FA Cup. The perfect send-off.

Someone loved by supporters more than any Palace fan will ever know, he was involved in seven consecutive seasons of Champions League football at Arsenal. Please don’t let him be the one who puts a big dent in the club’s hopes of returning to it for the first time in five seasons.

It would be crushing. Heartbreaking.

Everyone knows his name will be sung from the away end, but the hope is that those chants will be at their loudest since that will mean the victory is wrapped up. Let his name echo around Selhurst Park….when it’s 2-0 and all is rosy.

Not often do a travelling support love the opposing club’s manager more than their own fans. Palace fans are warming to Vieira faster than most could have imagined, and the hope is that he’ll enjoy a long and fruitful spell in south London.

But not on Monday. Let Monday be a disappointing day for him. There are only two times in the season where we’ll say that. Sorry, Paddy.

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