Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the EFL Cup match.
The teams are separated by 12 places in the Premier League standings, yet Crystal Palace's form is just as impressive as Arsenal's. On Wednesday, they meet in the EFL Cup, with quarter-final stakes raising the tension. What should we expect in this clash?
Arsenal
Arsenal have been unbeaten for eight matches—six in the Premier League and two in the Champions League. They thrive against stronger teams willing to play an open game. They've convincingly defeated Sporting CP (5:1), Manchester United (2:0), and AS Monaco (3:0). However, they struggle more against teams clearly inferior, resulting in mixed outcomes like draws against Fulham (1:1) and Everton (0:0), even when playing at Emirates Stadium.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace aren't far behind their more illustrious London rivals, with two wins and three draws. Remarkably, they've secured both victories away from home, against Ipswich Town (1:0), which was expected, and then impressively against formidable Brighton (3:1). Brighton suffered their first home defeat at the AMEX in this tournament. It's worth adding that Crystal Palace have scored in every match.
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace Prediction
So, how do we determine the winner when both teams are in top form? Clearly, the hosts have a stronger starting position, but they haven't faced any Premier League teams in the Cup so far. Will Mikel Arteta field a semi-reserve squad to rest key players ahead of the league fixtures? Will Oliver Glasner follow suit? Interestingly, they are set to face each other at Selhurst Park the following Saturday. Considering this, the more realistic bet might be on the total goals. Since 23 November, matches with a total over 2.5 have occurred in four out of seven Arsenal matches and three out of five Crystal Palace matches.
