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Arsenal will be looking to further boost their Premier League top-four hopes when they visit Crystal Palace tonight — and Selhurst Park has certainly been a happy hunting ground for them in the past.
Mikel Arteta’s side appear to be in pole position to secure Champions League football for next season despite rivals Tottenham moving above them yesterday.
An away clash with Palace will present the Gunners with an opportunity to reclaim their top-four spot by building on a run of six wins in their last seven games.
Though Patrick Vieira’s men are in strong form themselves, losing just one of 10 matches in all competitions.
Gunners love facing Palace
Arsenal boast an impressive record against their London counterparts.
In the 50 previous meetings between the two sides, the Gunners have only lost on four occasions.
That record looks even better when focusing on matches at Selhurst Park, with Palace claiming only two home wins over Arsenal ever — and just one of those coming in the Premier League.
That Palace win was an eye-catching one — a 3-0 success in a Monday-night fixture in April 2017 — but Arsenal have picked up two wins and two draws from their four visits to South London since that loss.
In total, the Gunners have won seven, drawn four and lost just one of their 12 previous away clashes with Palace in the Premier League. They have also triumphed on their two trips to Selhurst Park in cup competitions over the same period.
Draw could be on the cards
Arsenal’s record against Palace is good, but recent meetings between these two sides have tended to be tight affairs.
Out of the last seven clashes at either Selhurst Park or the Emirates, both sides have won once and the other five have ended in draws.
That includes the reverse meeting in North London earlier this season when Arsenal needed a strike from Alexandre Lacazette in second-half stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw.
Palace certainly appear to be draw specialists this season — no team has shared the spoils more often than the Eagles in the top flight this term (13).
That includes each of their last two matches at Selhurst Park against Manchester City and Burnley, which both ended all square.
Former Arsenal captain Vieira has certainly made his Palace team hard to beat this season but the stats suggest his side may be in for a tough evening against his old club.
