Arsenal return to action by hosting Crystal Palace next Monday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.

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Mikel Arteta and his team with the Premier League Manager of the Month award (Photo via Arsenal on Twitter)

Arsenal have had a bit of a wait between fixtures, after playing on the Saturday (2nd October) before the international break, and not returning until the Monday (18th October) after it.

For those not on international duty in between, you’d hope that’s given them some time to reflect on the draw with Brighton, and to figure out what they’re going to do differently to return to winning ways against Crystal Palace.

Arsenal have had a rough recent run against Palace at home. After Palace’s initial return to the Premier League in 2013, Arsenal won four of the first five fixtures between the two at home. They’ve since lost one and drawn two of the last three.

That means the Gunners haven’t won this fixture since Arsene Wenger’s departure, and Mikel Arteta will hope to pick a team to change that next Monday. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Crystal Palace.

Goalkeeper

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 02: Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal makes a save from Neal Maupay of Brighton & Hove Albion during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal at American Express Community Stadium on October 02, 2021 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND: Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal makes a save from Neal Maupay of Brighton & Hove Albion during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal at American Express Community Stadium on October 02, 2021. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Aaron Ramsdale now has four clean sheets in five games since joining Arsenal, and he only conceded one goal in the fifth. He made a vital interception to stop Neal Maupay against Brighton, and it seems unlikely he loses his place for now.

Defence

Takehiro Tomiyasu A at the EPL match Arsenal v Norwich City, at the Emirates Stadium, London, UK on 11th September, 2021.
Takehiro Tomiyasu at the EPL match Arsenal v Norwich City, at the Emirates Stadium, London, UK on 11th September, 2021.

As with the goalkeeper position, there seems little reason to mess with a formula that’s working at the back for Arsenal. Kieran Tierney, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu should all start the match.

The only question marks will be whether Tierney and Tomiyasu come back from international duty healthy and ready to go again on Monday.

If not, Nuno Tavares and Cedric Soares are the two most likely to come in. But for now, there are no reports of any injury problems for Tierney or Tomiyasu.

Midfield

London, England, 22nd September 2021. Albert Sambi Lokonga of Arsenal during the Carabao Cup match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture credit should read: David Klein / Sportimage SPI-1207-0050
London, England, 22nd September 2021. Albert Sambi Lokonga of Arsenal during the Carabao Cup match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture: David Klein / Sportimage

With Granit Xhaka out, Arsenal remain somewhat limited in their options in midfield. Thomas Partey is likely to start, as is Martin Odegaard, and Albert Sambi Lokonga will probably keep his place from the last fixture.

But after Arsenal had so much trouble in possession against Brighton, it’s not impossible Arteta starts to look at other midfield options.

The Arsenal boss could give a game to Ainsley Maitland-Niles, or Mohamed Elneny, or change the formation to shift Emile Smith Rowe into midfield as one of two advanced midfielders ahead of Partey.

Our prediction is that he sticks with the midfield three he went with against Brighton. It was their very first time starting a match together, we shouldn’t write the trio off that quickly.

Forwards

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League - Emirates Stadium Arsenals Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring their side s second goal of the game with team-mate Emile Smith Rowe left during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday September 26, 2021.
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur – Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring with team-mate Emile Smith Rowe left during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday, September 26, 2021.

There’s a little bit of doubt over Nicolas Pepe’s situation at the time of writing, after he was excluded from Ivory Coast’s first match of the international break. He was called up by his country but didn’t make the squad on the day, suggesting some sort of problem.

That only makes it seem more likely that Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang keep their places in the front three.

It might seem strange to name an unchanged side from the one that struggled against Brighton, but it’s worth bearing in mind just how young this side is – with an average age of 24.1.

They’re going to be inconsistent, they’re going to have bad games, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the correct lineup moving forward.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Crystal Palace

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace created using Chosen11.com
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace created using Chosen11.com