Mikel Arteta has fielded a strong Arsenal eleven for Monday night’s crunch London derby against club legend Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace as the Gunners look to get back to winning ways after dropping points at Brighton last weekend.
Winger Nicolas Pepe returned to the starting lineup for the hosts, which will be spearheaded by star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The trio of Pepe, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe fill up the three creative slots behind the Gabonese striker.
Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey have been selected as the midfield pivots with the back four consisting of Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
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Aaron Ramsdale continues to earn the manager’s trust with yet another league start ahead of the German Bernd Leno.
Wilfried Zaha is the notable absentee from the Palace lineup as Vieira will look to remind his old club of their leadership issues with a win at the Emirates.
Cristian Benteke starts as number nine with Jordan Ayew and Odsonne Edouard either side of the Belgian. Youngster Conor Gallahar has been a revelation this season and will look to continue his performances in midfield, where he starts along with Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur.
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Tyrick Mitchell, Marc Guehi, Joachim Anderson and Joel Ward will shield Vincente Guaita in goal.
The Frenchman made his name as one of the all-time Premier League greats playing in the white and red of the Arsenal and will look to make a similar mark from the dugout with their cross-town rivals.
He has promised to infuse free-flowing, expansive football into the Eagles, but will likely find a match in Pep Guardiola’s former pupil Arteta in the opposition touchline.
Both former Gunners midfielders have experienced similar starts to the season, with Arsenal just a place and three points above Palace in 14th on the table.
Arsenal lost the first three games of their season before winning the next three and finally drawing at Graham Potter’s Seagulls in the weekend prior to the international break.
Meanwhile, Palace have won just one, drawing four and losing two from seven games so far this season.
