Martinelli dropped, Timber returned, and Thomas Partey will team up with Declan. Arsenal predicted XI against Crystal Palace, with Arteta Men set to humiliate Palace at the Emirates tomorrow.
Arsenal will return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon against London rivals Crystal Palace, after a two-week layoff, with the goal of snapping a three-game losing streak.
The Gunners have been soaking up the Dubai sun since being knocked out of the FA Cup by Liverpool in the third round, while the Eagles are also coming from a knockout loss, losing their rematch to Everton on Wednesday night.
Arsenal’s winter attacking woes have come to the fore throughout the festive period, from topping the Premier League table on Christmas Day to being on the verge of dropping out of the top four entirely. Mikel Arteta’s troops have now been punished for such alarming profligacy on more than one occasion.
After producing toothless attacking performances in successive top-flight defeats to West Ham United and Fulham, Arsenal passed up a surfeit of opportunities to draw first blood against Liverpool in the FA Cup, until Jakub Kiwior managed to make the net ripple in front of the Reds fans.
Unfortunately for the Pole, he sent the away end into ecstasy when he inadvertently headed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free kick into the net, before Luis Diaz taught Arsenal a lesson in ruthlessness with a thunderous finish into the roof of the goal, prompting Arteta to admit that his team may have developed a mental block when it comes to finishing chances.
Pleas from Gooners to splash the cash on a new number nine in January are unlikely to be heard – unless an audacious loan move for Karim Benzema is completed – leaving the onus on Arteta and co. to pull fourth-placed Arsenal, who are only ahead of Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference with a game in hand, out of their offensive funk.
With just one win to show from seven matches in all tournaments – and even then wasted chances nearly proved costly in a 2-0 beating of Brighton & Hove Albion – Arsenal have never endured a worse seven-game run under Arteta, and they have now lost their last two Premier League London derbies after going unbeaten in 17 capital clashes before that.