Arsenal v Palace

Emirates Stadium, Saturday 3.00pm

Joel Ward

Team news

Crystal Palace right back Joel Ward returns to the squad after recovering from a groin injury that has kept him sidelined for a month.

French midfielder Yohan Cabaye is available to start after sitting on the bench during last week's victory at home to Burnley with fatigue.

Mamadou Sakho (calf), Andros Townsend, Jeffrey Schlupp (both foot) and Connor Wickham (knee) are out still. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (ankle) will be out for a further two or three weeks.

Midfielder Jason Puncheon and defender Scott Dann (both knee) remain out for the season.

Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez will feature if he does not complete a transfer away from the Emirates, with Manchester United favourites to land him.

Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal and Mezut Ozil should be back available for the Gunners, while Olivier Giroud is a week away from a return.

Quotes

Roy Hodgson

"Our realistic thoughts after I'd been in the club two or three weeks was four [new players], to make the squad as balanced and well-covered as it could be.

"The reason I said it could go higher than that is quite simply because we've lost two players until the end of the season, Jeffrey Schlupp is likely to be out for quite a while and we are uncertain at the moment as to how long Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be out.

"There are four players there that I really counted on as being part of our first XI even that we've lost.

"I don't think it's unrealistic to think if we could get more than four players, it would be good for us, if we don't get the four players then our squad is going to be short of numbers apart from anything else.

"We are certainly going to be weak in certain areas where we don't have the cover and the competition for places we would like, but we are also actually going to be short of numbers."

Arsene Wenger

"I am confident yes, but it is down to our performance. Crystal Palace were in a good run before we played against them and since they have had positive results again, so we just have to focus on our performance and make that we win the game.

"I agree completely that 2018 until now has not been very positive but I am long enough in the job to know that what is important is how we respond to it and to focus on the performance. My personal situation is a bit secondary to all of that, what is important is how the team responds and what we make of 2018.

"We have many challenges, it is difficult at the moment, but as well very exciting because we have many challenges in front of us and we can come back in the Champions League. We of course play the semi-final next week and after we have the Europa League as well, which is another target."

Can Roy Hodgson's Palace claim a win at the Emirates? Place your bets at 888sport.

Arsenal - league stats

Full league table

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
28/12/2017	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 3	Arsenal
10/04/2017	League	Crystal Palace	3 - 0	Arsenal
01/01/2017	League	Arsenal	2 - 0	Crystal Palace
17/04/2016	League	Arsenal	1 - 1	Crystal Palace
16/08/2015	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 2	Arsenal

All time results

Last meeting

Palace 2-3 Arsenal

Thursday December 28 2017

Palace: Speroni, Dann, Schlupp, Tomkins, Kelly (Fosu-Mensah, 80), Cabaye (McArthur, 53), Loftus-Cheek (Sako, 70), Milivojevic, Townsend, Benteke, Zaha

Subs not used: Riedewald, Hennessey, Puncheon, van Aanholt

Goals: Townsend (49), Tomkins (89)

Bookings: Zaha

Arsenal: Cech, Koscielny, Mustafi, Chambers, Wilshere, Xhaka (Maitland-Niles, 87), Bellerin, Kolasinac, Sanchez, Ozil, Lacazette (Coquelin, 75)

Subs not used: Walcott, Holding, Ospina, Iwobi, Welbeck

Goals: Mustafi (25), Sánchez (62, 66)

Bookings: Chambers

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