The 3 key battles as Crystal Palace host Arsenal this evening

Relegation-threatened Crystal Palace host Premier League top four chasers Arsenal this evening (8pm kick-off) at Selhurst Park.

Sam Allardyce’s Eagles won four games in a row prior to a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Southampton on Wednesday night, a result which leaves them just three points clear of the relegation zone going into tonight’s clash.

However, with back-to-back victories at home in the league, it is sure to be a tough evening for Arsene Wenger’s Gunners, who saw Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United all win over the weekend to open up a gap in the race for Champions League qualification.

The North London outfit are sixth in the table and seven points adrift of fourth place City going into tonight’s encounter, but after beating West Ham 3-0 in midweek, they’ll be confident of beginning a run of form which could see them record a 21st consecutive top four finish come the end of the season.

Clearly, this a huge game that will have repercussions at both ends of the table, with victory for Palace taking them a step closer to safety, while victory for the visitors would put them right in the mix for a top four place.

So, with the build-up well underway ahead of tonight’s clash, we at Shoot! have identified the THREE key battles which could determine the outcome at Selhurst Park this evening…