The wait is over as Crystal Palace host Arsenal in EPL’s season opener
Crystal Palace and Arsenal kick off the 2022/23 Premier League season today night under the Selhurst Park lights.
Arsenal finished seven places and 21 points above Palace last term but the Eagles went unbeaten against the Gunners, unsettling their Champions League qualification bid with a 3-0 romp in this fixture last April.
Four months on and with clean slates for both sides, here’s all you need to know about the upcoming game.
The Gunners are reportedly set to be without Emile Smith Rowe for their season-opening match.
The 22-year-old is expected to miss out with a groin injury, and Mikel Arteta also has concerns over Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney and Fabio Vieira ahead of the opening day.
Tierney and Tomiyasu may not be risked given their respective fitness records, so new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko should start at left-back with Ben White on the right-hand side.
White featuring on the right would allow William Saliba to make his competitive debut for Arsenal three years after his arrival, partnering Gabriel Magalhaes in front of Aaron Ramsdale.
Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey should continue to form their effective midfield pairing, with captain Martin Odegaard pulling the strings from the number 10 spot.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to start out wide for the Gunners, as £45m man Gabriel Jesus spearheads the attack off the back of scoring seven goals in pre-season.
