Crystal Palace v Arsenal: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Crystal Palace and Arsenal will meet for the second time in the space of three days when they lock horns at Selhurst Park for Saturday's evening kick-off in the Premier League.

It was the Gunners that came out on top when the sides clashed at the Emirates Stadium in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday, with a Gabriel Jesus hat-trick inspiring them to a 3-2 victory.

That cup success came as a boost for Mikel Arteta's side, who had dropped points in their previous two Premier League games against Fulham and Everton, but with ground to make up in the title race, they can ill afford another slip up when they travel from north to south London this weekend.

Crystal Palace v Arsenal betting tips and predictions

Arsenal to win and both teams to score - 12/5

Arsenal were made to work hard for their midweek cup success over Palace as, after opting to make eight changes to his starting XI, Arteta saw his side fall behind to an early Jean-Philippe Mateta strike.

It wasn't until the second half that Arsenal were able to turn things around, with Arteta forced to bring on the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka to make sure his side avoided a cup exit, while it was Jesus that proved the hero.

The 3-2 success was Arsenal's fifth win in a row against Palace and with Arteta set to revert back to something like his first-choice line up on Saturday, victory number six could soon follow.

That's not to say Arsenal will find it easy at Selhurst Park, as they have only won one of their last six away games in the Premier League and they are without a top-flight clean sheet on the road since edging past Tottenham in the North London derby over three months ago.

This is also an improving Palace side as they showed despite their defeat at the Emirates, as after a tricky start to the campaign, Oliver Glasner's team are unbeaten in five league matches and have only lost one of their previous eight in the division.

That upturn in form was kickstarted by a 1-0 home success over Tottenham in October, but that remains Palace's only league victory in eight attempts at Selhurst Park this season.

While the signs are there that Palace will pull further clear of the relegation zone over the coming weeks, getting anything from this game may prove beyond them, although as they showed on Wednesday, they are capable of getting on the scoresheet.

Over 24.5 shots in the match - 4/5

These two sides both rank in the top 10 for most shots in the Premier League this season, which is no surprise for a title challenger like Arsenal, but Palace, who have been battling at the wrong end of the table for much of the campaign, have only unleashed one shot fewer than the Gunners.

Both teams are averaging over 14 shots per game in the league this season, while Arsenal have reached double figures for efforts in each of their last 12 matches across all competitions - including firing off 12 against Palace during the week.

Palace only managed eight efforts at the Emirates, but that is the first time in 11 games that they haven't hit double figures for shots, having accumulated 13 in last weekend's 3-1 win at Brighton and 12 in their recent home draw with Manchester City.

With both teams also boasting players ranked in the top eight for most shots in this season's Premier League - Saka has had 46 for Arsenal and Eberechi Eze 43 for Palace - expect both goalkeepers to be kept on their toes on Saturday, with a combined 25 efforts in the match seeming more than attainable. 

Will Hughes to be booked - 3/1

Palace midfielder Will Hughes is perhaps not one of the most unheralded players in the Premier League, but he has been an important cog in Glasner's team of late, starting eight of their last nine top-flight games as well as featuring for 80 minutes at the Emirates during the week.

The experienced 29-year-old is a combative figure in the middle of the park and that is highlighted by the team-high 24 fouls he has given away this season in the league, while no player in the division has picked up more bookings than his total of six.

Hughes has been cautioned against Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham this season, suggesting he is more susceptible to being reprimanded against the bigger teams. Arsenal certainly fall into that category and the 3/1 for the former Watford ace to be yellow carded on Saturday, on the face of it, would appear a value play.

Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.

Crystal Palace v Arsenal - Money Back in Free Bets Offer

As part of the Festive 12 campaign, bet365 is offering new and eligible customers a Money Back in Free Bets offer on Crystal Palace v Arsenal, which takes place at 17:30 GMT on Saturday 21st December.

• This offer is available from Saturday 21st December at 10am to new and eligible customers only.
• The qualifying match for this offer is Crystal Palace v Arsenal taking place on Saturday 21st December 2024.
• To qualify for the offer, add your qualifying Bet Builder to the bet slip, enter your cash stake amount (up to £10), select ‘Use Money Back in Free Bets’ and place the bet. If your qualifying bet loses, you will receive your money back in Bet Credits.
• The maximum return in Bet Credits that can be received is £10.
• Bets placed must meet certain conditions to count:
  • Only bets placed with cash are eligible to receive the offer. Bets placed in part with cash and part with Bet Credits will only receive money back in Bet Credits on the cash aspect of the stake.
  • Must contain minimum odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater.
  • Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, only the remaining active stake will count.
  • Where a bet has been edited using our Edit Bet feature, the offer will no longer apply.
  • Fully Cashed Out, Instant Games, Gaming, Free Bets, void bets, single bets, bets placed using Bet Credits or Fantasy Sports entries will not qualify.
• Money Back in Free Bets will apply to your chosen Bet Builder once ‘Use Money Back in Free Bets’ is selected on the Bet Slip. If you place two or more bets on the same Bet Slip, only the selection that has been nominated as the Money Back in Free Bets bet will qualify.
• Where a qualifying bet is placed on a market that can be settled as part won and part loss, for example an Each Way or Asian Line bet, the Bet Credits received will be the difference between the original stake and the returns received. For example, if you place a £5 Each Way bet totalling £10 using a Money Back in Free Bets bet that is settled as a Place with total returns of £8, you would receive £2 in Bet Credits. If the returns received are greater than the original stake, no Bet Credits will be credited and the offer will be closed.
• If you are eligible for this promotion, your Bet Credits will be added to your Bet Credits balance within 24 hours of the fixture finishing.
• Your Bet Credits are non-withdrawable, and Bet Credits stakes are not included in any returns. Any returns from Bet Credits placed will be added to your Withdrawable Balance. Bet Credits cannot be used on certain products, offers/promotions and bet types. See full Terms and Conditions for details.
• Your Bet Credits will expire 7 days after they are added to your Bet Credits balance.

Only available to new and eligible customers. Bet restrictions and T&Cs apply.

Crystal Palace v Arsenal odds

Crystal Palace - 19/4
Draw - 31/10
Arsenal - 3/5

View the full market and more odds for Crystal Palace v Arsenal on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.