football.london reporters pick their Arsenal starting XIs for the final day Premier League trip to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace will give Arsenal a guard of honour on Sunday when they walk out at Selhurst Park.
It will be the first time the Gunners have taken to the field since they were crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta is expected to make plenty of changes as Arsenal gear up for next Saturday’s Champions League final in Budapest against PSG.
With that in mind, football.london reporters Tom Canton and Ryan Taylor select their starting XIs for Palace.
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Tom Canton
What a totally bizarre game to choose a team for, and for the most part, anyone involved in next week’s UEFA Champions League final, I would completely avoid using.
The only exception for me comes in the form of Cristhian Mosquera, Myles Lewis-Skelly and potentially Piero Hincapie.
Mosquera needs more time to practice playing the right-back role, which he is favourite to start in, with both Ben White and Jurrien Timber missing. Lewis-Skelly and Hincapie form the left side of the back line – although I was tempted with Marcell Washington, who is an exciting player from the youth team too, but was not training with the senior squad ahead of the weekend.
Mikel Merino gets an important start in midfield with Christian Norgaard getting his first start of the league season. Max Dowman and Marli Salmon both start alongside league debutant, goalkeeper Tommy Setford, between the sticks.
The forward line is made up of the back-up options for the front three: Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli. Rest the team and get ready for the real test in Budapest.
Canton’s Arsenal XI vs Crystal Palace : Setford; Mosquera, Salmon, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Norgaard, Merino, Dowman; Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli
Ryan Taylor
If I could name Win the dog and Gunnersaurus up top I definitely would. This is a game where Mikel Arteta must take no risks. Zero. I’ve gone for 11 changes.
It is just not worth the bad feeling that would follow if he was to pick up an injury ahead of the Champions League final.
Play the kids, play whoever, just do not risk losing a key star for PSG because it makes no difference if Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 5-0 or lose 5-0.
Yes, ideally you want to finish a great season off in style but Palace are also preparing for a European final on Wednesday and the game should be played at a leisurely tempo.
Kepa deserves to start in goal, Marli Salmon deserves minutes and so does Christian Norgaard on what could be his last appearance for the Gunners.
Piero Hincapie, who could well start against PSG, should get the nod at centre-back with Myles Lewis-Skelly moving back to left-back.
A start for Mikel Merino might be a tough ask but I’ve thrown him in as he needs minutes before PSG and Max Dowman and Kai Havertz complete a makeshift midfield.
In attack, I’ve got Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli on the flanks behind Gabriel Jesus.
Taylor’s Arsenal XI vs Crystal Palace : Kepa; Salmon, Norgaard, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Merino, Dowman, Havertz; Madueke, Martinelli, Jesus
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