Arteta is concerned about facing Crystal Palace

At the pre-match press conference ahead of the 9th round of the 2025/26 Premier League, Arsenal’s head coach Arteta expressed his worries about going up against Crystal Palace, the team that has previously caused the 'Gunners' to suffer defeats.

Since being managed by coach Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace has become one of the most challenging teams in the Premier League. Last season, although finishing 12th, the club nearly qualified for the Europa League by defeating Man City in the 2025 FA Cup final, but they were disqualified due to multi-club ownership rules. This season, they are also performing well with 13 points from 8 matches, currently sitting 8th in the standings. Premier League.

During the press conference before the match against Crystal Palace in the 9th round of the 2025/26 Premier League, Arsenal’s head coach Mikel Arteta showed concern about facing Oliver Glasner’s squad. Arteta stated:

“This is a big game. Last season, we dropped points against Crystal Palace. Now it’s the fourth consecutive match where we face the team that caused Arsenal to lose points. This year, our goal is to beat them. For Eberechi Eze (a former Crystal Palace player now at Arsenal), this match is definitely special because of the history and what he achieved at Crystal Palace, but we must focus on our own team first.”

Next, Mikel Arteta also praised the opposing coach Oliver Glasner and expressed concern about Mateta (Crystal Palace’s current key striker):

“If we want a different result, we must play differently than last year. Crystal Palace under Oliver Glasner is very disciplined and knows how to produce results, so this will be a tough match. But playing at Emirates, we are confident that if we perform well, Arsenal can win.”

The most important thing is the way Crystal Palace plays as a team. They are well-organized and know when to attack to harm their opponents. The best way to stop Mateta is to cut off the supply to him from the start. Because when Mateta gets a one-on-one chance against the goalkeeper, he is very dangerous.”

From the interview, it’s clear that while aiming for victory, Mikel Arteta has a certain level of caution towards Crystal Palace. This caution is justified since Crystal Palace was the reason Arsenal lost the Premier League title in 2024/25. The upcoming 9th round Premier League clash will be a major challenge for Arsenal to overcome their past trauma.

Related articles

Supercomputer predicts Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: The Gunners roar! The Opta supercomputer forecasts that Arsenal has a strong chance to defeat Crystal Palace at Emirates, further solidifying their top position in the Premier League with consistent form and superior strength. See more