Premier League leaders Arsenal host Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, aiming to extend their perfect start in the Champions League and maintain their three-point advantage at the top. The Gunners recently thrashed Atlético Madrid 4-0, while Palace are winless in their last three matches across all competitions. Both teams enter with injury concerns, setting the stage for a competitive London derby.
Arsenal sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League table after three straight wins, including a 1-0 victory over Fulham last weekend where Leandro Trossard scored the only goal. Their Champions League campaign remains flawless with three victories and no goals conceded, highlighted by a 4-0 demolition of Atlético Madrid on October 21. In that match, Gabriel headed in a Declan Rice free-kick, Myles Lewis-Skelly assisted Gabriel Martinelli for the second, and Viktor Gyökeres netted twice in three minutes during a second-half blitz. Earlier CL wins came 2-0 against Athletic Club Bilbao and Olympiacos. Last season, Arsenal finished third in the league phase and reached the semi-finals.
Crystal Palace, managed by Oliver Glasner, ended a club-record 19-match unbeaten run and are now without a win in three games. They suffered a 1-0 home defeat to AEK Larnaca in the Conference League on October 23, managing 13 shots but only one on target. In the Premier League, Palace lost 2-1 to Everton despite leading through Daniel Muñoz and drew 3-3 with Bournemouth, where Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a hat-trick but missed a late chance to win. Palace have won the FA Cup and Community Shield since their last meeting with Arsenal, a 2-2 draw on April 24, 2025.
Head-to-head records favor Arsenal heavily: 35 wins in 58 meetings, with Palace victorious in just six. Arsenal won their previous six encounters before the April draw, including a 5-1 away win last season. Palace have only two away wins against Arsenal in the last 27 games, in 1994 and 2014.
Team News
Arsenal face absences with Martin Ødegaard, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus sidelined. Centre-back Gabriel is a doubt after hobbling off against Atlético Madrid and missing training. Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapié could deputize alongside William Saliba. Predicted lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Mosquera, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyökeres, Trossard.
Palace have a short injury list with Cheick Doucouré and Chadi Riad out. Chris Richards and Adam Wharton are set to return after Thursday's rotation. Eddie Nketiah hopes for a start against his former club. Predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi; Muñoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Nketiah; Mateta.
Key Players
Eberechi Eze, now at Arsenal after leaving Palace, scored the FA Cup final winner against Manchester City in May and will operate centrally. For Palace, Mateta has 24 goals since last season, including one against Arsenal in April.
The match kicks off at 2 p.m. BST on October 26 at Emirates Stadium. Both sources predict a 2-0 Arsenal win, citing the Gunners' league-best defense that has conceded just three goals in 11 games.