This has been the slowest hour of build-up to a match all season. The players disappear back inside for their final preparations.

Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored three goals and received one red card in his four Premier League appearances against Crystal Palace.

He did not finish on the winning team in any of those four matches (W0-D3-L1).

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Back to matters closer to home as Granit Xhaka laces in a strike during the warm-ups. Arsenal playing a back four tonight with Ainsley Maitland-Niles at left-back.

Can you see the Euros taking place as planned, in 12 host cities? Seems far-fetched to me at this stage.

Either cancelled or all played in one place, I reckon. Eddie Hearn's back garden.

We'll be rolling the Euros straight into the World Cup next. Not that I'd be opposed to that.

Wellll, this doesn't look good does it?

Speaking of clean sheets, in their 2-0 victory against Sheffield United last time out, Crystal Palace kept their first clean sheet of the season since their opening day victory against Southampton.

The Eagles last recorded back-to-back Premier League shutouts between February-June 2020 (4).

I was going to make a Gus Caesar joke but that's actually just before his era.

Arsenal

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Arsenal have conceded at least once in each of their last 11 Premier League home games – they last had a longer run without a home clean sheet between October 1983 and August 1984 (18 games).

The 14th day of 2021 is the 13th to contain a match featuring a Premier League side. Exhausting.

But Friday night is not football night - after Fulham's scheduled home match against Chelsea was moved to Saturday.

While we're at it, Aston Villa's Premier League game at home to Everton on Sunday has been postponed because of the ongoing Covid-19 issues at the club.

Got that?

FA Cup

The mouth-watering FA Cup fourth-round clash between bitter rivals Manchester United and Liverpool will be shown live on the BBC.

The teams, who have lifted the trophy 19 times between them, face each other on Sunday, 24 January (17:00 GMT).

There is the prospect of shocks in the BBC's two other ties.

Manchester City are at League Two side Cheltenham Town (23 January, 17:30 GMT) and Chelsea host Championship side Luton Town (24 January, 12:00 GMT).

Plenty of snoods and gloves on display in the warm-ups, and who can blame them. Absolutely freezing outdoors at the moment. It is winter, after all.

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

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Arsenal cannot stop winning now - they needed extra time to beat Newcastle in the FA Cup but that is four wins in a row in all competitions.

In contrast, Crystal Palace are not on a great run - their win over Sheffield United on 2 January is their only success in their past seven games.

But, for many reasons, I don't think they need to worry about being dragged into the relegation fight - chiefly their manager Roy Hodgson and their exciting front three.

Prediction: 2-0

Lawro's full predictions v Shame drummer Charlie Forbes

"The past is the past, what's been has gone."

Sage advice from Roy Hodgson, who entered the Emirates clutching a well-thumbed book under his arm.

I make 2021 his 45th year in club management. Remarkable.

Mikel Arteta says tonight "is a great opportunity to make it four league wins in a row" and confirms that Kieran Tierney misses out with 'muscle soreness.'

Crystal Palace

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I don't know if anyone has listened to the latest issue of Jamie Carragher's podcast but Wilfried Zaha was the guest and he was pretty candid about how big an Arsenal fan he was/is.

Can he put his favourite side to the sword tonight?

Arsenal make eight changes as they revert back to a more familiar starting XI following FA Cup third-round weekend. Most notably, Emile Smith Rowe starts after scoring the opener against Newcastle as a substitute. Kiernan Tierney is rested, having suffered some muscle tightness, and so Ainsley Maitland-Niles starts in a defence that retains David Luiz. In-form Alexandre Lacazette is back in an attack that also features Bukayo Saka.

Thomas Partey makes the bench having recovered from a thigh injury that has kept him out for a month. Gabriel is alongside him, following a period of self-isolation after testing positive for coronavirus.

Arsenal XI: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Ceballos, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Aubameyang, Lacazette.

Image source, .

Crystal Palace also make eight changes from their FA Cup tie - a defeat to Wolves. Wilfried Zaha returns to an attack that retains Christian Benteke. Tyrick Mitchell and Joel Ward both play in defence, with Cheikhou Kouyate coming in for the injured Mamadou Sakho.

Gary Cahill is fit again and on the bench.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Ward, Mitchell, Tomkins, Kouyate, McArthur, Milivojevic, Townsend, Eze, Zaha, Benteke.

Image source, .

Not even that photo?

Whatever has gone on between Ozil and the club - and you feel there has to be more to it than meets the eye - what a waste of a year. For all concerned.

Arsenal

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Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil says "there have been many ups and downs" at the club but that he does not "regret" joining the Gunners.

The 32-year-old ex-Germany international has not played for Arsenal since 7 March.

His contract runs out in the summer and he has been linked with a move to Turkish side Fenerbahce.

We'll have team news for you shortly - expect plenty of changes from the FA Cup line-ups.

I tell you who won't be playing: