Oh wow! Almost the opener for Palace! Aaron Ramsdale is a lucky boy too.

Wilfried Zaha cuts inside from the left and fires a low shot that hits the post and deflects on to the back of the diving Ramsdale before trickling behind.

That would have been an early deviation from the expected script.

Danny Gabbidon
Former Wales defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's a big blow with Saliba being out for Arsenal. He has helped to transform the way Arsenal play, particularly defensively.

Rob Holding is slightly different to him in terms of his characteristics so that might be an area that Palace look to exploit this left hand side, with Zaha.

Image source, Getty Images

Shouts for a penalty as Gabriel Martinelli breaks and then threads a pass into the box for Martin Odegaard. Luka Milivojevic tackles and sends the Dane down but the referee makes it clear he won the ball.

Danny Gabbidon
Former Wales defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Never ideal, particularly when Palace have a solid defensive partnership of Guehi and Anderson. It's a quick mindset change for Tomkins who has to make sure that he is up to speed right from the get go.

Rob Holding's first big action of the game is to win a big header to stop a Palace attack. The defender has had to be patient for a chance to impress this season, with Gabriel and William Saliba in such good form.

Thumbs up from Paddy McCarthy as Tyrick Mitchell pressurises Arsenal into a mistake. Is this a bit of an audition for the caretaker boss to get the gig for the rest of the season? There aren't going to be a huge amount of options available to Palace at this time of year.

Image source, Getty Images

Danny Gabbidon
Former Wales defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Big game. Arsenal will be smarting after the disappointment of going out of the Europa League on Thursday. They were big favourites in that competition.

Arteta will be looking for a reaction from his side.

It has been a whirlwind few days for Crystal Palace with Patrick Vieira being sacked and Paddy McCarthy taking over. Can they get their first win in 2023?

Arsenal already looking a threat. Granit Xhaka floats a pass over the top that Gabriel Martinelli can't bring down to hit in time before Marc Guehi intercepts.

You'd imagine teenage keeper Joe Whitworth is in for one of the busiest days of his very young career.

Arsenal try to get Bukayo Saka in but the forward has just wandered offside.

It will be all about keeping Arsenal quiet in these early stages for Palace. There has to be some signs of stability. You fear for them if they concede early.

How will Arsenal respond to their Europa League exit?

What impact will Patrick Vieira's sacking have on Palace?

It's under way, so we're going to find out very shortly.

Alfie: There has been a noticeable dip in the quality of Palace's performances since the World Cup. Whilst the investment from the board has been meagre, Vieira deserves some of the blame for failing to get results with roughly the same set of players as last season. That being said, adequate replacements weren't found for lynchpins such as Gallagher and Kouyate.

For this week's Premier League and FA Cup predictions Chris Sutton faces Black Honey guitarist Chris Ostler.

Image source, BBC Sport

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

On paper you might look at this and think a straightforward home win but it rarely works out that way when Arsenal play Palace.

The Eagles have not been beaten at the Emirates on any of their past four visits, drawing three and winning one.

Palace are on a long winless run and have not even managed a shot on target for a while but I am not so worried about them going down.

They still have to play all eight of the teams below them in the table, and they picked up 16 points out of a possible 24 against them earlier in the season.

The question here is whether Palace can hold out and they showed against Manchester City last weekend that they are not easy to break down - it took until the 78th minute for City to score with a penalty.

So, it is not going to be easy for the Gunners - they will have to watch out for counter-attacks too - but I am still expecting them to win.

Win this, and Arsenal go into April eight points clear with 10 games to go. That would be enormous for them as they go into the home straight, and I think at least one of their players will step up again to make sure it happens.

Chris Ostler's prediction: 3-1

Every ounce of my body wants to say a Palace win, but that's not going to happen. Mikel Arteta has done an incredible job at Arsenal by the way - they are young, hungry, playing good football and they don't seem to be scared of the position they are in. It actually remind me of Spurs in the early days under Pochettino - they are doing what we should have done, and that's why it hurts even more.

Find out what Sutton and Ostler predicted for the rest of the weekend's games and cast your vote

Here come the teams.

Time to throw a bit of Premier League action into the football mix on offer today.

Arsenal have won eight of their nine London derbies in the Premier League this season (D1); in English Football League history, no side has ever won nine all-London match-ups in a single season.

Crystal Palace have won just one of their eight London derby matches in the Premier League this season (D2 L5), winning 2-1 at West Ham in November. The Eagles have scored the fewest goals (5) and have the worst goal difference (-10) in such games this term, while Arsenal have the fewest goals conceded (4) and best goal difference (+16).

Gabriel Martinelli is Arsenal's highest goalscorer in the Premier League this season with 12 goals, including five in his last five appearances.

It's the most goals a player has scored for the Gunners in a single campaign while aged 21 or under since Nicolas Anelka's 17 in 1998-99.

Image source, Gett

• Arsenal are looking to complete their first league double over Crystal Palace since 2017-18, following their 2-0 win at Selhurst Park on the opening day of the season.
• Crystal Palace have kept just one clean sheet in 22 away league games against Arsenal (49 goals conceded), a goalless draw in January 2021.
• Arsenal have won eight of their nine London derbies in the Premier League this season (D1). In English Football League history, no side has ever won nine all-London match-ups in a single season.
• Against no side has Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew scored more Premier League goals than he has against Arsenal (four).

Alex Howell
Football reporter at Emirates Stadium

I've now had it confirmed. The Palace team sheet is being changed. James Tomkins starts in defence. The Eagles aren't having any luck with injuries at the moment.