"There are question marks over Mikel Arteta's side after their recent results" - Chris Sutton makes prediction for Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
Former Blackburn Rovers forward Chris Sutton believes Arsenal's recent form has been a concern, but has backed them to beat Crystal Palace this weekend. The two teams will meet in a Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, January 20.
The Gunners enter this contest as the fourth-placed team in the standings with 40 points from 20 matches. They are three points behind third-placed Aston Villa, who have played a game more, and five behind leaders Liverpool.
Palace, meanwhile, are 14th with just 21 points from 20 outings. The Eagles are only five points clear of the relegation zone and have won just one of their last 11 games across competitions.
Sutton believes Roy Hodgson's struggling side will look to set up defensively, but still predicted a 2-0 win for the hosts on Saturday. The 1994-95 Premier League winner wrote in his prediction column for the BBC:
"Crystal Palace went out of the FA Cup against Everton on Wednesday but they definitely had one eye on this game with the substitutions Roy Hodgson made. You know what Hodgson will do here - he will shut up shop and try to frustrate Arsenal, then hope to get something on the break, a lot like the Eagles did against Manchester City before Christmas.
"They have the quality to hurt Arsenal that way, but I still think this game is more about whether the Gunners can find a way through Palace's defence."
Sutton added that he had doubts over the hosts' attack, which has scored just twice in their last four matches across competitions despite racking up 74 shots, (18 on target):
"Of course there are question marks over Mikel Arteta's side after their recent results, especially in attack where they have not been taking their chances. They need to find a way of changing that and I suspect they will, but this prediction is really what I'm hoping for more than anything else.
"I want to see Arsenal in the title race and challenging Manchester City at the end of the season. For that to happen, they will have to hang on in there during spells like this."
Arsenal's last game saw them suffer a 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool, resulting in a third-round exit from the FA Cup. Palace, meanwhile, played out a 0-0 draw at home against Everton in their third-round FA Cup clash before falling 1-0 at Goodison Park in the Replay.
Arsenal edged Crystal Palace 1-0 earlier in the Premier League season
Arsenal and Crystal Palace have already met once in the Premier League this season all the way back in August last year at Selhurst Park.
In that contest, the Gunners enjoyed 67% possession in the first half and got nine shots away, but could not find an opener. However, they received a chance to go ahead after Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone fouled Eddie Nketiah in the box in the 54th minute. Martin Odegaard converted the spot-kick to make it 1-0.
The visitors were then put in a spot of bother after Takehiro Tomiyasu was sent off in 13 minutes later after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Jordan Ayew. The Eagles poured men forward in search of an equalizer, but could not make use of their numerical superiority as Arsenal held on for the win.