A rare 3pm Saturday game for Arsenal this week.

In addition to our extensive pre-match coverage of the game, we’ve gotten our writers together for a short prediction on how they think the game will pan out.

And if you think we’re just going to throw these predictions out there and then forget about them, fear not.

We’ll be back to take a look at how we did and laughing at the person who got it wrong more than anyone else.

Lee Hurley Win 3-0

Against a side like Palace Arsenal are more than capable of Arsenaling things up, but I don’t think that’s what we’re going to see on Saturday.

The defeat to that lot is likely to have refocused the squad in the way it has done in the past. It’s a shame that it is often needed, but it is, at least, a silver lining.

At the back we are steady and up front we are simply lethal. Palace don’t have enough at either end to do what’s needed to stop us winning this game.

Prediction: Turn up, treat it seriously, want it as much as Crystal Palace, take all the points with another professional win, 3-0 this time.

Helen Trantum Win 4-1

Crystal Palace have proven rather stubborn this season in terms of rolling over for the big teams. They’ve even given smaller teams like Spurs a run for their money, taking four points from six.

The big concern is the talent on the wings, with two of Bolasie, Puncheon and Zaha offering both pace and trickery to test the best full backs. It’s not a good game to be missing Bellerin, late fitness tests aside.

Up top though, I expect Arsenal to have too much as long as we turn in a performance – both Ozil and Cazorla are in sparkling form and with willing runners and a rather static and shaky Palace defence, we should be able to quieten the crowd.

Prediction: Arsène will have impressed the importance of getting this week off to a good start, and I fully expect us to do better than the opening day here – 4-1.

Stephen Bradley Win 2-0

It’s very hard to judge this Palace team, seeing that they only hired Alan Pardew a few weeks ago, but even so, this team has one glaring Achilles heel – pace.

When Everton beat them, it was because of the constant movement of Lukaku and Mirallas. When Liverpool took the points, it was because of the interchange between Coutinho and Sturridge. If you run at them consistently, they will give up chances.

My one fear is in midfield.

With Monaco coming up on Wednesday, the temptation to rest either Coquelin or Cazorla will be huge, but right now, we have nobody else to play there. Rosicky is better as an attacking midfielder, and Flamini………….ugh. He’s possibly injured anyway.

Without captain Mile Jedinak though, Palace lose a lot of their ability to defend deep and play on the counter.

Prediction: If we keep the ball and maintain a high tempo throughout, this will be as comfortable a 2-0 win as last week was.

Paul Williams Win 2-1

Palace are, for all their recent resurgence (which now seems to be tapering off), a team that Arsenal have to beat.

However, we know from the opening game of the season- as well as last season’s fixture at Selhurst Park, that the Eagles can be a tough nut to crack.

That being said, with no midweek fixture played last week and some players rested for the FA Cup win over Middlesbrough, I would expect our lads to come out breathing fire.

Theo Walcott spoke in the week of the manager’s attempts to get his players to realise the value of a fast start and it seems, with Arsenal now scoring regularly inside the first half an hour, those attempts are paying off.

Hallelujah!

Prediction: A fast start here would help to calm what is certain to be a boisterous home crowd. Even if we have one eye on midweek and Monaco, I think we’re well capable of it. 2-1 Arsenal.

Sylvain Jamet Win 2-1

It will certainly be a tough game as Palace seem to be reacting well to Pardew’s appointment. As the race for 4th place is hotting up a win is a necessity.

Prediction:  2-1 for the Arsenal

Lewis Ambrose Win 2-1

Palace seem to have had a slight upturn in form thanks to the ‘new manager effect’.

It’s a crying shame that the new manager is such a monumental *profanity of choice*, and I really hope we get one over him on Saturday.

Gayle and Bolasie can be unpredictable and threatening on the front foot, but we should be good enough to remain solid.

At the other end we have more than enough talent to break them down.

Prediction: Having said that, I do expect a really difficult game with the crowd right on top of us.
Palace 1-2 Arsenal

Nia Griffiths Win 2-1

This should be a win for us but I don’t see it being a walk in the (Selhurst) park.

Although our recent scorelines against the Eagles suggest we’ve had an easy run, I remember our last performance away against them being pretty nervy. They went close a few times and, until we’d safely put away that second goal, I was almost positive we’d only come away with a point at the end of it.

However, we’re a different team now and have far more quality.

Our recent results, bar the one we won’t mention (ever), have been going in the right direction while Crystal Palace are faltering in mid-table with a new manager.

I think they’ll allow us to bring our game to them and concentrate on sitting back. Organisation, and essentially parking the bus, will be key in them preventing us from scoring and I reckon we’ll be prepared for that.

As long as we draw them out, maintain high pressure and can win the ball in their half, we’ve managed to hone our passing to be able to get through what’s likely to be a tight defense.

Prediction: I think we will concede, probably from a corner or silly freekick because that’s just how we roll, but we should grab two ourselves.

Andi Foster N/A

Andi is still missing and still assumed drunk.

Prediction: He’s in for one doozer of a hangover.

Sean Ferguson Win 3-1

Palace have been on a mixed run of form since Pardew took over, they seem to be drifting into obscurity as the season draws to an end so hopefully they put up a half hearted performance against us!

I can see this being a easy win, my only concern is how much rotation we do which may make this game tougher than it needs to be.

It’ll be nice to see Le Coq come back in for Flamini but it’ll be interesting to see who is picked at the back.

With a big game at home mid-week v Monaco can we trust Kos and his Achilles to play three games in a week or is this one he could sit out?

Going forward we should have more than enough for the weak back-line Palace have.

The only players that concern me at the other end of the field is Bolasie and Gayle.

Prediction: The prospect of Bolasie running at Chambers worries me a little but we should come through in the end. 3-1 Arsenal!

Mark Fine Win 3-1

Not really sure how this game is going to play out.

Palace have had trouble scoring lately and exceptin their games against Tottenham and Burnley (where they actually scored five) they’ve only scored four goals in their last 10 games.

Their main threats, and I use that term loosely, are Marouane Chamakh, Dwight Gayle, and Frazier Campbell (who came on for an injured Sanogo against Newcastle).

In those same 10 games they’ve given up 11 goals – six between Man City and Southampton in December – but that was prior to Pardew taking the helm.

Palace are now 3-1-1 in their last five games under the former Newcastle manager.

The aforementioned Tottenham and Burnley games were his first two wins, but they’ve seemed to have settled a bit since.

Prediction: Based on that, and if Mark Clattenburg isn’t a factor this could easily be a 3-1 win to the Arsenal at Selhurst.

Anita Sambol Win 2-0

This is my first time doing predictions on Daily Cannon so I hope we’ll start with a win.

Palace don’t seem like a big threat, although I haven’t watched them that much.

They are an average bottom-half team but we shouldn’t underestimate them as smaller teams always show up against us.

It seems like Bellerin won’t feature on Saturday, and perhaps Arsene Wenger will decide to rest one of the midfield but that shouldn’t be an issue.

I’m rooting for Rosicky start and Alexis to end his mini goal drought.

Prediction: 2-0 win for us, one goal being from a set piece (my inner psychic says so).