It might seem obvious how Arsenal will approach the match against Crystal Palace. All the signs have pointed towards a repeat of the last two matches against Chelsea and Sevilla.
Arsenal had a very successful preseason where they won six matches and scored 25 goals. New boy Gabriel Jesus became a superstar over a summer and has given a massive level of optimism to the fan base.
The aforementioned final two matches of the summer preparations though gave the clearest insight into what Mikel Arteta will choose. It made sense that he gave so many minutes in a game that felt everything like a competitive fixture for the Gunners despite the obvious absences.
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Line-up 1: Ramsdale; White; Saliba; Gabriel; Zinchenko; Partey; Xhaka; Odegaard; Saka; Martinelli; Jesus
This is the side that started against both Chelsea and Sevilla. In both games, the team looked energised and ready.
The front-line pressed the opposition rigorously and forced them into mistakes. Arsenal won the ball high up the field and profited as a result.
Crystal Palace will be a far more intense environment for the side, but the presence of the likes of Jesus and Zinchenko should add much more composure and confidence to the team. Saliba and White on the right of defence will have to deal with Wilfried Zaha and this will be the greatest challenge on the night.
Line-up 2: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu; Saliba; Gabriel; Zinchenko; Partey; Xhaka; Odegaard; Saka; Martinelli; Jesus
Just the one change but an important one. Takehiro Tomiyasu, if fully fit, can be a brilliant right-back and is more suited to the role than Ben White naturally. If he is fully fit, there is potentially a temptation to bring the Japanese international back in.
Saliba is a must for his recovery pace and one-on-one ability. It would be fair to say that Saliba comes into the Premier League as the best one-on-one defenders in the division. Tomiyasu too has shown strengths in this situation although lacks the pace of Saliba.
Line-up 3: Ramsdale; White; Saliba; Gabriel; Zinchenko; Partey; Xhaka; Odegaard; Saka; Nketiah; Jesus
An unlikely feature, granted, but Eddie Nketiah partnered brilliantly with Gabriel Jesus throughout the preseason and the pair racked up the most goal contributions between them. Martinelli came off the bench to score in Arsenal’s last win at Selhurst Park and has been good from the bench.
Ultimately, it is almost assured that the first line-up will be the eleven on the day. But Nketiah from the bench is an increasingly more potent option. The five-substitution rule is a feature that will be of intrigue as to how Mikel Arteta uses it. Squad depth has never been more important.
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