Opposition briefing: Everything you need to know about Arsenal

Match previews

22 Feb 2025

Crystal Palace travel to Arsenal for the second time this season on Wednesday, 23rd April (20:00 BST) - find out all you need to know about our latest opponents below!

Factfile

Manager: Mikel Arteta
Position: 2nd
Nickname: The Gunners
Ground: Emirates Stadium
Founded: 1886 (139 years ago)

What’s the story?

After pushing Manchester City to the wire over the past two seasons, there was a belief that this year might be Arsenal’s year. Mikel Arteta has overseen a revolution since his arrival, but needs his side to get over the line again in a major competition to have something to show for his efforts.

They have been unable to capitalise on Man City’s struggle this season, however, with Liverpool instead streaking away at the top of the table and now close to the title. Despite the blow of not bringing home a first Premier League crown in 20 years, the Champions League has proved a saving grace for Arteta.

One of the best performances of his five-and-a-half year reign saw Arsenal blow defending European Champions Real Madrid out of the water in the quarter-final first leg - with a dominant 3-0 win. Last week, they completed the job by winning in Santiago Bernabéu and now have a semi-final meeting with Paris Saint-Germain to look forward to.

Having lifting the FA Cup in his first season at the club, Arteta has been unable to deliver silverware at the Emirates, despite building a squad packed with star quality. But an outstanding European campaign has given them a real chance of a first ever European Cup.

In the league, the Gunners look almost certain to finish second, but Arteta will be looking to maintain momentum domestically with games remaining against Bournemouth, Liverpool, Newcastle and Southampton. They will also need three points against the Eagles to further delay Liverpool's inevitable title coronation.

This is the third meeting between the two teams this season - with the two previous clashes taking place within a four-day spell in December. In the League Cup quarter-final at the Emirates, Palace led early on before the Gunners ultimately prevailed.

They then produced one of their best domestic displays of the season the following Saturday, to win 5-1 at Selhurst Park, after Ismaïla Sarr had scored an earlier equaliser. Will it be third time lucky for the Eagles on Wednesday night?

The boss

Mikel Arteta sits third in the list of longest-serving Premier League managers, with only Manchester City's Pep Guardiola and Brentford boss Thomas Frank already in place when he joined the Gunners in December 2019.

An FA Cup triumph quickly followed, with a 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea in the covid-delayed final at Wembley. Since then Arteta has twice taken the Gunners close to a first Premier League title since 2004 - but has narrowly lost out to Manchester City two years on the bounce.

The Spaniard previously enjoyed a five-year spell as a player at the Emirates, signed by Arsene Wenger in 2011 after successful spells north of the border at Rangers and also on Merseyside with Everton.

Boot in both camps

Where else to start but with Premier League legend Ian Wright? Wrighty is a bona fide Palace and Arsenal legend.

With 118 goals in 277 games, the England striker is one of only nine players in club history to have reached a century of strikes. Wright would make the move to North London in 1991 for a club record £2.5million, only to go on and break the Arsenal club goalscoring record. Even today, only Thierry Henry has more goals in an Arsenal shirt.

Other notable players to have represented both clubs include Ashley Cole, Emmanuel Adebayor and Marouane Chamakh. Current members of the Eagles squad Rob Holding and Matt Turner also previously enjoyed spells at Arsenal.

Record against Palace

Three points on Wednesday would mark a first victory against Arsenal since a famous 3-0 win at Selhurst Park back in April 2022. Then Palace boss Patrick Vieira enjoyed a landmark win against the club he made his name at as a player, with Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha on target that day.

Since then six consecutive games against the Gunners have ended in defeat.

Our last win at the Emirates Stadium came in April 2019 when two goals in eight minutes ended Arsenal's 10-match winning league run at home. Christian Benteke and Mesut Ozil exchanged early goals for the two sides, before Zaha capitalised on a mistake by Shkodran Mustafi to restore the lead and James McArthur's header made it 3-1.

Despite Arsenal pulling a goal back through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Palace held on for a memorable win that would significantly dent the Gunners' top-four hopes.

Did you know?

Arsenal had a few different identities before eventually arriving at their current name. Originally named Dial Square Football Club when formed in 1886 they - just like Palace - were originally South Londoners, created in Woolwich by 16 munitions workers.

In January of the following year they were renamed to Royal Arsenal, playing at Plumstead Common.

They then became the first London club to go professional in 1891, before renaming again to Woolwich Arsenal in 1893 and joining the Football League.

They didn't cross the river northbound until 1913, moving into a new stadium at Highbury after the move was pushed through by then chairman Sir Henry Norris. Following this relocation, the club replaced 'Woolwich' in their name with 'The', known as The Arsenal.

Later, under the club's legendary manager Herbert Chapman, they dropped the definite article from the club's name, gradually becoming known simply as 'Arsenal.'

Match details

Wednesday, 23rd April
20:00 BST
Emirates Stadium
Sky Sports
Live audio commentary on Palace TV+

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