A game against a Big Sam team never seems easy, but when you look at his poor record at the Emirates, Arsenal should – and must – feel confident about beating Crystal Palace/
The most clear threat tomorrow is down the flanks. Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend have been Palace’s bright sparks in a mediocre season, and we know Allardyce loves to use a big number nine, ala Christian Benteke, as his focal point in attack.
To counter this, Mustafi should be drafted back into the team after his injury. Him and Koscielny both possess the aerial prowess to deal with the Belgian. I would also be tempted to double up on the wingers, meaning that Wenger should carry on with the hard working Sanchez and Walcott, both of whom track back.
This may mean that Giroud gets another start following his winner against West Brom. This is mixed – his ability to pounce on mistakes, as well as occupy defenders, could prove useful against a likely deep sitting opposition, but I maintain that his limited mobility and ‘Plan B’ image means he is much more effective off the bench. I would go with an Ox-Alexis-Walcott front three against a slow Palace defence.
The key matchup here could be Sanchez vs Kelly. The latter is not the best defensively, so if Wenger chooses to put Sanchez on the left, we could see him dominate the left side.
