Premier League leaders Arsenal host Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, 26 October 2025, for a London derby that promises fireworks. The Gunners, under Mikel Arteta, have made a blistering start to the campaign, winning six of eight of their opening league matches and extending their dominance in Europe with a 4–0 thrashing of Atlético Madrid in midweek.
In that victory, Gabriel Magalhães opened the scoring, and Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres was again decisive—a performance that led Ole Gunnar Solskjær to hail him as Arsenal’s fox in the box, as reported by Softfootball. That triumph also marked Arsenal’s 100th UEFA Champions League win—a milestone Softfootball described as a statement of power and precision.
Arsenal, via their official YouTube account, posted Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference for their upcoming Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, highlighting his focus on maintaining a defensive record of just three goals conceded in 12 games.
Watch the video below:
Confidence is sky-high in north London, but Arteta will demand focus against a Palace side capable of springing surprises. The Eagles, led by Oliver Glasner, have shown flashes of brilliance — notably Jean-Philippe Mateta’s hat-trick against Bournemouth — yet their form remains inconsistent with just one win from their last five outings.
Team News
For Arsenal, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Noni Madueke remain long-term absentees. Magalhães is a doubt after limping off against Atlético, while Jurriën Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are also under assessment. Arteta admitted while providing the latest injury update as posted on the team’s official X account:
Gabi had to leave the pitch with an issue… We’ll see how it evolves in the next 24 hours.
Crystal Palace are without Chadi Riad (ACL), Cheick Doucouré (knee), and Caleb Kporha, though Tyrick Mitchell is expected to return to the starting XI.
Possible Lineups
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Mosquera, Calafiori; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli.
Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Pino, Sarr; Mateta.
Softfootball’s Prediction
Arsenal 2–1 Crystal Palace.
The Gunners’ defensive solidity and home form—unbeaten in six at the Emirates—should edge them through, though Palace’s pace on transitions could cause a scare or two. Expect a lively clash, a few nervy moments, and probably another Gyökeres goal to keep Arsenal’s perfect start alive.
