Crystal Palace v Arsenal: Eagles underrated on opening night

Palace in a good place

Crystal Palace silenced an army of pre-season pundits last season as the Eagles defied the doom-merchants to post a solid mid-table Premier League finish, as well as reaching the FA Cup semi-finals, despite a high turnover of players, an overhaul of playing style, and the arrival of previously unproven head coach Patrick Vieira at Selhurst Park.

An ageing squad was given a much-needed rebuild and the club were rewarded for their bold ambition with a vibrant and youthful set-up, and a more adventurous style of play. The results were obvious with Palace ending the campaign with their best-ever EPL defensive record, fewest defeats, second-highest points tally, and a first positive goal difference.

Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher has departed yet the Eagles have made a couple of interesting additions, including £18m arrival Cheick Doucoure from Lens. The 22-year-old can operate as a No 6, and earned rave reviews in Ligue 1 last season, whilst having a fully fit Eberechi Eze from the off this term will also feel like a new signing for Vieira and co.

Arsenal eyes on the top-four

After back-to-back eighth-placed Premier League finishes, Arsenal moved up to fifth in 2021/22. However, Mikel Arteta's men blew a fantastic opportunity to secure Champions League qualification - the Gunners had the top-four in their own hands coming into the final furlong, although two defeats in their final three fixtures provided an anti-climactic ending.

A lack of squad depth hurt Arsenal at the top and tail of the season, and the club have made positive moves in the transfer market to address that concern now that European commitments are back on the table. Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko immediately improve the first XI, and Fabio Vieira is an exciting arrival from Portuguese football.

Hopes are high around North London. William Saliba returns following a breakout season with Marseille, plus the likes of Bukayo Sako, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli are a year older. The Gunners have impressed in pre-season, although question marks remain around the side's maturity and ability to handle pressure-situations.

Gunners unappeling odds-on favourites

Crystal Palace have relished recent Premier League meetings with Arsenal; the Eagles have suffered a solitary reverse in their last eight such encounters (W2-D5-L1) and ran out cushy 3-0 winners when the two teams crossed swords at Selhurst Park last season.

Crystal Palace 4.607/2 ended last term in fine home form, unbeaten in six (W3-D3-L0), having kept a clean sheet in five of those fixtures - the Eagles last enjoyed a longer unbeaten home run in the top-flight back in 1992. Patrick Viera's posse also relished entertaining the big guns here, holding Man City, as well as beating Tottenham and Man Utd at Selhurst.

Arsenal 1.8910/11 suffered a humbling opening night defeat at Brentford 12 months ago, and the Gunners have been turned over in five of their past nine curtain-raisers. Mikel Arteta's troops fell to five losses at bottom-half sides last season and look much too short to support here considering they were chalked up as a 2.07107/100 shot in this contest as recently as April.

Eagles underrated on the Asian line

Goals could well be on the agenda on Friday night. Over 2.5 Goals is bound to have backers as an attractive 1.981/1 option - Crystal Palace boast an exciting forwardline that could feature the aforementioned Ebere Eze, Michael Olise, Wilfried Zaha, Jean-Philippe Mateta or Odsonne Edouard, whilst Arsenal have added Gabriel Jesus for guaranteed goals.

Punters can pick up a £5 free bet after placing a £5 Bet Builder on this opening day encounter, and backing Crystal Palace Double Chance and Over 2.5 Goals gives us an intriguing 4.5689/25 poke via the Bet Builder function on the Sportsbook. Five of Palace's last eight match-ups with top-eight teams here produced a minimum of three strikes.

However, my preferred play is to support Crystal Palace +0.5 & +1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 1.834/5. This selection pays-out should the Eagles avoid defeat, but we'll also only lose half of our stake should Arsenal run out victorious by a solitary strike - last season, the hosts suffered just one Selhurst Park reverse by a margin of two goals or more.