Crystal Palace have only ever won their opening two top-flight matches once in the club's history; this occurred in the 2020/21 season while managed by none other than Roy Hodgson. The 76-year-old will be hoping for a repeat of fortune, but it will not come easy for the Eagles as they host last season's runners up Arsenal.
Arsenal themselves have lost just twice away to Crystal Palace since 1995, a record which they will hope to extend. Following Manchester City's win against Newcastle United on Saturday, the Gunners will be keen to take all three points and keep level with the reigning champions.
Last time out, Crystal Palace came out as 1-0 victors against newly-promoted Sheffield United, though the score fails to reflect their dominance in the game. Their opponents, on the other hand, survived a late scare to beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 at home.
The Eagles have been smart in the transfer window, with Matheus França and Jefferson Lerma coming through the door, although there will be obvious concerns over the departure of Wilfried Zaha. North of the River Thames, their opponents have spent big money on numerous players as they look to engage in another title fight.
This creates an interesting dynamic for both clubs. The game will be far from easy for Mikel Arteta's side who will need to be on the top of their game to get a result.
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Team news
Crystal Palace
The hosts received a big boost this week after the club confirmed that Michael Olise had signed a new four-year contract at the club, amid strong speculation that he was Chelsea-bound.
While this is great news for the club in the long-term, the Frenchman remains sidelined with a thigh injury for the time being.
Eagles boss Hodgson also gave some updates on other team news at the club ahead of their opening home game of the season:
He assured fans that star centre-back Marc Guehi is fine to play after being forced off late in the last game with cramp.
He also confirmed that he will be without Will Hughes (knee) and Malcom due to the 19-year-old being away from the squad. New signing Matheus França also continues to recover from a lower back injury.
The veteran manager was pleased to report that, aside from these absences, he has a fit squad - the same that travelled to Sheffield United last weekend.
Arsenal
The Gunners will continue to be without star striker Gabriel Jesus, who is recovering from a knee injury. Mikel Arteta will be without Jurriën Timber following reports that the 22-year-old has anterior cruciate ligament.
Mohamed Elneny continues to be out of action with a knee injury, while Albert Sambi Lokonga will miss the game too due to a muscular issue. Folarin Balogun is unlikely to feature as he recovers from an injury on his ankle.
Ukrainian left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko is back in first-team training following his calf injury, but the game against Crystal Palace comes too soon for him. New goalkeeper David Raya is in contention to make his debut, having signed on loan (with an option to buy) from Brentford.
Besides the new absence of Timber, there are no fresh injury concerns for Arteta's side.
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Likely line-ups
Crystal Palace: Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guéhi, Mitchell; Lerma, Doucouré; Ayew, Eze, Schlupp, Édouard
Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Rice, Ødegaard; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
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Key players
Crystal Palace - Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze has long been one of the most exciting young talents in the Premier League and proved that last season, when he scored 10 goals and contributed four assists. Now, as a 25-year-old, it is time for him to step up in the absence of Zaha, who has joined Turkish giants Galatasaray on a free transfer.
Last week against Sheffield United, the England international put in a top-class performance, including 7 key passes, a 100% dribble success rate and having drawn 5 fouls too. With that in mind, if the Eagles are to have any success on Monday night, it will likely be heavily contributed to by Eze.
Arsenal - Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka is undoubtedly one of the most exciting young talents in world football.
The PFA Young Player of the Year nominee netted an impressive 14 goals for his side with an equally great tally of 11 assists in the league last season. Over the season he consolidated his place in the England team, and started four out of five games for the Three Lions at the 2022 World Cup.
Having scored an audacious goal last weekend, as well as creating a number of threatening chances, Saka will definitely be the player to watch for the Gunners.
Crystal Palace will need to be careful as it does not take much for the Englishman to create moments of brilliance, and he scored twice the last time these sides met back in March.
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Match details
Where is the match being played?
The game will be contested at Crystal Palace's home stadium, Selhurst Park.
When is the match?
The game will be played on Monday 21st August 2023, and will kick-off at 8pm BST.
How can I watch?
For viewers in the United Kingdom, the game will be televised on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Alternatively, highlights will be posted shortly after full-time by both clubs and Sky Sports via their respective YouTube channels.
