Crystal Palace travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday following a disappointing 1-0 defeat to AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League. The loss, Palace’s first home game in European competition proper, saw several squandered chances, continuing a troubling pattern for the Eagles this season.

Mateta Remains Palace’s Key Threat
Jean-Philippe Mateta, who missed a stoppage-time chance against Bournemouth that would have secured a 4-3 win, was again off-target against Larnaca, hitting the bar and missing several opportunities. Mateta has historically delivered against Arsenal, as he and now-Gunner Eberechi Eze were both on target in a 2-2 draw at the Emirates in 2024/25.

However, Arsenal have dominated recent encounters, remaining unbeaten in the last six meetings. In five of those, the North Londoners scored at least twice, including two 5-0 victories under Oliver Glasner’s predecessors.

Arsenal in Strong Form
Current form heavily favors Mikel Arteta’s side. Since a 1-0 loss to Liverpool, Arsenal have won four and drawn one, conceding no more than a single goal per game. Sitting atop the Premier League, a win would maintain at least a three-point cushion over nearest rivals Manchester City.

Palace, meanwhile, are eighth, only three points off City in second. They’ve lost just once in their last six games, away at Everton, continuing the momentum from last season. Away from Selhurst Park, the Eagles have recorded two wins, one draw, and the Everton loss.

Stats and Key Players
Palace lead the league for shots on target (43), while Arsenal top total shots (123) and have conceded the fewest goals (three). Arsenal are surprisingly only fifth for total passes (3,931), despite their possession-heavy style.

Viktor Gyokeres leads Arsenal in scoring with three goals, also topping shots (18) and shots on target (7). Mateta is Palace’s standout, leading in goals (five), total shots (28), and shots on target (16). Key creators like Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Adam Wharton (13 chances each) are expected to influence the outcome, with Wharton’s midfield work crucial for Palace to exploit spaces.

Defensively, Marc Guehi will be central to Palace’s hopes of stifling Arsenal’s attacks. The Eagles’ defensive frailties have been exposed late in games, with four goals conceded between the 75th and 90th minutes, coinciding with Arsenal scoring five in that period.

Timing of Goals Could Be Crucial
Both sides have been slow starters this season. Arsenal are most dangerous in the 30 minutes before and after halftime, while Palace tend to improve in the final 15 minutes of each half. The clash could be decided by late goals, with Palace needing to press early to create their best chance of an upset.

Injury News
Arsenal will be without Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke, and Kai Havertz. Palace will miss Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucouré.

Sunday’s London derby promises excitement, with Arsenal looking to extend their dominance and Palace hoping to capitalize on their attacking potential and disrupt the hosts early.