Arsenal and Crystal Palace will battle it out for a place in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.
The two London rivals will head into this clash off the back of contrasting results in the Premier League at the weekend.
The Gunners' title hopes were dealt another blow when being held to a goalless draw at home to Everton on Saturday.
That setback has left Mikel Arteta’s men trailing league leaders Liverpool by six points, having played one game more than the Reds.
As for Crystal Palace, they remain on an upward curve after putting rivals Brighton to the sword 3-1 at the Amex on Sunday, in a game that brought up my recommended Bet Builder.
That victory extended the Eagles’ unbeaten run in the Premier League to five matches, so they will make the short trip across the capital in high spirits.
How the bookies view it: Gunners to march on
Arsenal are firm 4/9 favourites on Boylesports to take top honours inside 90 minutes and book an EFL Cup semi-final berth in the process.
Crystal Palace are as big as 6/1 on Boylesports to emerge from the Emirates victorious in normal time, while the draw has been priced up at 7/2 with the same firm.
Head to head: Advantage Arsenal
Arsenal have triumphed in each of their last four meetings with Crystal Palace. The Gunners have managed to keep a clean sheet in three of those victories and a repeat here can be backed at 5/4 on Boylesports.
Players to watch: Jesus to be Arsenal's saviour?
Gabriel Jesus’ only goal for Arsenal this season came in the EFL Cup against Preston in the fourth round. The Brazilian forward is 6/4 on Boylesports to make the net bulge on Wednesday night.
Marc Guehi committed two fouls during Crystal Palace's 3-1 win over Brighton on Sunday. The Eagles defender is an eye-catching 11/10 on Bet 365 to make a minimum of one misdemeanour during this all-London affair.
Predicted line-ups
With fixtures coming thick and fast, Arsenal boss Arteta is expected to rotate his resources on Wednesday night. The aforementioned Jesus could be handed a rare start, as could both Jorginho and Raheem Sterling.
Oliver Glasner has opted to field strong starting XI’s in this season’s EFL Cup and he may continue to take that approach at the Emirates this midweek.
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Nwaneri, Jorginho, Merino; Trossard, Jesus, Sterling
Crystal Palace: Turner; Guehi, Chalobah, Lacroix; Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Nketiah
Anything else catch the eye?
A play on both teams to score at the Emirates on Wednesday night looks worthy of interest at 20/21 on Boylesports.
This selection would have proven profitable in six of Crystal Palace’s last eight matches across all competitions.
Throw in the fact that both teams have netted in four of Arsenal’s last seven Premier League home games, then a repeat on Wednesday night looks well within the realms of possibility at a shade below even-money.
This EFL Cup match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace will be played on Dec 18, 2024 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs Crystal Palace prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
