It's a repeat of the opening game of the 2022/23 Premier League season as Arsenal and Crystal Palace lock horns in yet another London derby offering.
However, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta won't be going up against Patrick Vieira - a club legend and the last player to captain the side to a league title win - following Friday morning's announcement regarding the Frenchman's departure from his position as Eagles first-team boss.
"Crystal Palace Football Club can confirm that Patrick Vieira has left his post as First Team Manager," a statement read via the club's official website. "Three members of Patrick’s coaching staff - Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun - have also left the club."
READ MORE: Martin Odegaard and Arsenal stars to return against Crystal Palace with £21m signing on standby
It has since been confirmed that Palace's current U21s Head Coach Paddy McCarthy will be in charge of the senior team against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and will be joined in the dugout by U21s Assistant Coach Darren Powell and goalkeeping coach Dean Kiely.
And the caretaker manager has been handed an immediate double fitness boost with James McArthur and Will Hughes both taking part in Friday's training session meaning they could both return to the Palace squad after missing defeats against Manchester City and Brighton in the past week.
"They both trained this morning but obviously off the back of illnesses, they were just getting back up and running today," McCarthy noted. "They’ve trained this morning and hopefully we can keep getting them up to speed as quickly as possible."
Having both midfielders available for selection comes at the perfect time for Palace especially as Premier League rules state that a player that has been loaned out is prohibited from playing against his parent club which means Albert Sambi Lokonga - who joined the Eagles on transfer deadline day in January - is ineligible on Sunday.
As a result, Lokonga joins Sam Johnstone and Nathan Ferguson as the three senior Crystal Palace players whom McCarthy can't call upon against the Gunners with Premier injuries listing the game after the international break as a potential return date for the goalkeeper.
However, it remains to be seen if Vicente Guaita is able to overcome a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Brighton defeat. If not, then Joe Whitworth, who became the club's youngest-ever Premier League goalkeeper at the Amex Stadium, could start again on Sunday.
"I thought he was excellent in the game, not surprisingly. He’s such a great kid with bags of confidence and bags of quality as well," McCarthy said of the 19-year-old. "He’s an England [youth] international, he’s played in big games throughout the course of his young career, and there are none bigger than Palace against Brighton away from home.
"He showed everybody what he’s capable of, so we were delighted with his performance and delighted that he’s another Academy product playing in our first team."
READ NEXT:
The unlikely scenario that sees Bukayo Saka miss Arsenal double-header vs Man City and Chelsea
Every word Mikel Arteta said on Saliba's injury, Martinelli's miss and bouncing back
Takehiro Tomiyasu, William Saliba: Arsenal injury news and return dates ahead of Crystal Palace
Mikel Arteta's major William Saliba injury boost after Arsenal vs Sporting Europa League tie
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
