Arsenal Out to Extend Dominance Over Crystal Palace in Premier League London Derby
Forget your Sunday lunch—this Premier League London derby between Arsenal and Crystal Palace is shaping up to be one you won’t want to miss. Set for 23 April 2025 at the Emirates, this clash comes with plenty of intrigue. Whether you love a strong home team or root for the underdog, there’s more at play here than just three points.
Arsenal’s record against Palace is almost intimidating: they’ve beaten the Eagles five times on the trot in the league, most recently thrashing them 5-1. One man who feasts on Palace’s defense? Gabriel Martinelli. The young forward has picked up six goals in just nine games against the south London side, and the smart money is on him to make another big impact. If you’re choosing a fantasy captain or a bet, you can’t look past Martinelli given how often he pops up with a crucial goal or assist against these rivals.
Injury Woes, Rotations, and Lineup Talk
If you’re expecting to see a full-strength Arsenal, think again. Injuries have piled up—Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhães, Riccardo Calafiori, Jorginho, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all unavailable, knocking out a chunk of Mikel Arteta’s preferred lineup. Arsenal are likely to stick with a 4-3-3, featuring David Raya in goal, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey holding things together in midfield, and an attacking crew led by Martinelli and Raheem Sterling. Losing so many players hurts, but there’s confidence the squad can absorb the shock with its depth.
Palace aren’t exactly coming in at full blast, either. Nathaniel Clyne’s suspension leaves them stretched at the back, and you get the sense their eyes might be half-focused on cup duties elsewhere this month. It hasn’t helped their form away from Selhurst Park. Even so, the London derbies record is oddly impressive—they’ve bagged three derby wins already this season, mostly by digging deep defensively and nicking a goal on the break.
The danger man for Palace is Ismaïla Sarr. He brings speed and unpredictability up front, but the supporting cast hasn’t quite stitched things together on the road. Any Arsenal slip at the back—due to rotating defenders or fatigue—could give Palace an opening, but nothing about their away form screams upset.
Midfield looks set to be a battleground. Expect to see Rice and Partey putting in defensive shifts, breaking up Palace’s transition play and feeding Ødegaard to create from deep. The balance between holding steady and pushing forward might tilt the game in Arsenal’s favor, especially given Palace’s tendency to lose concentration after halftime.
If you love stats, this one’s for you: Arsenal haven’t lost at home in the league this season except for a single blip. In matches where they’ve scored first, they've gone unbeaten in 42 consecutive home games. Easy money, right?
Bookies certainly agree. They have Arsenal at 2/5 to win, with a predicted final score of 2-0 or 3-0 not looking far-fetched. If you like a longer shot, Martinelli getting a goal or assist is attracting attention, with high odds on offer for another standout performance.
If Palace gets any traction, it might come from set pieces or counterattacks. But with Arsenal’s home crowd behind them, and recent history leaning heavily their way, it’ll be a tough ask for the Eagles to take anything back to south London.
This match has all the makings of another routine Arsenal victory, with Martinelli front and center as the man to watch. Injuries or not, their strong home record and attacking form stack the deck heavily in their favor.
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