Friday marks the start of the 2022/23 English Premier League season, with Crystal Palace welcoming Arsenal to Selhurst Park for the opening clash of the campaign.

The Gunners looked destined to secure Champions League football last term but ended up finishing fifth two points behind fourth-place Tottenham.

Meanwhile, Palace finished twelfth, 13 points clear of the relegation zone and three points shy of the top half.

Crystal Palace registered 11 wins, 15 draws and 12 losses last term. No team in the league recorded more draws, while only five sides suffered fewer defeats.

If Vieira’s boys can turn a few more draws into victories in 2022/23, they will give themselves an excellent chance of breaking into the top half.

It is worth noting that Palace finished the previous campaign on a high note, avoiding defeat in each of their final six home games.

Better still, they kept a clean sheet in each of their final five home games last season. For that reason, they will fancy their chances of frustrating Arsenal in front of the Selhurst Park.

As for the Gunners, they recorded 22 wins, three draws and 13 losses last term. Only Manchester City and Liverpool claimed more victories, while no side picked up fewer draws.

Between December and March, Arsenal suffered a solitary defeat in 11 Premier League games – securing nine wins and one draw in the process.

However, they ended up losing six of their final 12 games and failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their final ten.

Crystal Palace and Arsenal

That said, the recent arrival of high-profile stars such as Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko will only enhance Arsenal’s chances of breaking into the top four this season.

Head-to-head: Crystal Palace avoided defeat against Arsenal last term. Following a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium, the Eagles won 3-0 on home soil.

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