Crystal Palace v Arsenal - what the stats say

Crystal Palace have lost just one of their last eight Premier League meetings with Arsenal (W2 D5).

Following a 3-0 win in April, the Eagles are looking to win consecutive league games against the Gunners for the first time in their history.

This is the third consecutive season Arsenal are starting their Premier League campaign with a London derby. They won 3-0 at Fulham in 2020-21, before losing 2-0 at Brentford in 2021-22’s season opener.

Crystal Palace v Arsenal will be the fifth time in top-flight history the season has kicked off on a Friday night, with the home side winning on each of the previous four occasions – Arsenal 4-3 Leicester in 2017- 18, Man Utd 2-1 Leicester in 2018-19, Liverpool 4-1 Norwich in 2019-20 and Brentford 2-0 Arsenal last season.

Crystal Palace have won their opening top-flight league match in only five of their previous 22 seasons (D7 L10), although they have won two of their last four (D1 L1), beating Fulham in 2018-19 and Southampton in 2020-21.

Arsenal have lost their opening Premier League match in five of their last nine seasons (W4) after losing their first match in just one of their 19 campaigns prior to this run; the Gunners lost 2-0 to Brentford last term.

Arsenal have had more players sent off in their opening game of a Premier League campaign than any other side (6), most recently Laurent Koscielny against Aston Villa in 2013-14. Crystal Palace have had just one such red card, though this did come against Arsenal on the opening day of the 2014-15 campaign.

Crystal Palace ended the 2021-22 Premier League campaign unbeaten in six home games (W3 D3), while keeping a clean sheet in each of the last five. The Eagles last had a longer unbeaten home run in the top flight between March-August 1992, while they’ve never kept six consecutive home clean sheets in the top division.

None of Arsenal’s last 17 Premier League games has ended level (W11 L6). It’s the longest ongoing run without a draw in the competition among the 20 current sides, while only once have the Gunners had a longer such run (25 between January and October 2018).

Gabriel Jesus could make his Premier League debut for Arsenal in this game – the Gunners have had more different Brazilian goalscorers than any other side in the competition (11). Meanwhile, the former Man City man has been involved in seven goals in his last seven league games (6 goals, 1 assist).

Gabriel Magalhães is the only current Arsenal player to have scored for the club in their opening game of a Premier League campaign, netting on his debut at Fulham in 2020-21.