Crystal Palaces season has the potential to get worse before it gets better when the managerless strugglers take on Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday. Ian Holloway left Palace on Wednesday after conceding he was tired and he called for an impetus of energy to be injected into a squad which has been massively overhauled since winning promotion from the Championship. Former Stoke boss Tony Pulis is the odds-on favourite to succeed Holloway, but Keith Millen is in caretaker charge for the visit of Arsenal. Palace have lost seven of their eight league games since securing a return to the top flight and their only bright spot was a 3-1 win over bottom club Sunderland. Monday nights 4-1 derby hammering by Fulham was a fifth successive loss and Palace have not suffered six straight defeats in the league since 2001. The club have also won only two out of 26 previous league meetings against Arsenal, with their only victory in the Premier League era coming when John Salako scored both goals in a 2-1 triumph at Highbury in October 1994. Arsenal head across London with a two-point lead at the top of the table after winning six games and drawing once since losing 3-1 at home to Aston Villa on the opening day of the season. The Gunners are also unbeaten in 13 competitive away games, a run which has brought 11 wins, including one in a London derby already this season when Fulham were beaten 3-1 at Craven Cottage. However, Arsenal do go into the game on the back of a 2-1 home defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League in midweek when Robert Lewandowski scored a late winner. And, with Liverpool and Manchester United next up in the Premier League, Arsene Wenger will be hoping his players offer a positive response to a first defeat in two months. Paul Mersons prediction Crystal Palace have got no chance here. The only good thing about them at the moment is their fans, who I thought were outstanding in the 4-1 defeat to Fulham, but I dont rate the team one bit. Arsenals defeat to Borussia Dortmund was their first big test since the defeat to a Tottenham side who were gelling in September. I thought they were a bit naïve and should have settled for 1-1 instead of all bombing forward. That was a disappointing result, but I expect them to bounce back. PAUL PREDICTS: 0-4 skysports
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 03:24:42 +0000
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