After Wednesday's five-goal extravaganza in the EFL Cup quarter-finals, Saturday's Premier League London derby between midweek foes Crystal Palace and Arsenal has a lot to live up to.
The two capital counterparts reunite at Selhurst Park after Mikel Arteta's men prevailed 3-2 in the last eight of the League Cup, reaching the semi-finals thanks to a born-again Brazilian.
Match preview
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Forget waiting for a London bus and two coming at once, Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus waited over a year for his next goal at the Emirates Stadium before three arrived in Wednesday's visit of Palace in the EFL Cup, prior to which he had not made the net ripple on his own patch since December 17, 2023.
The hitherto misfiring South American cancelled out Jean-Philippe Mateta's opener and ensured that Eddie Nketiah's late intervention against his former team would prove meaningless, although Palace had every right to feel hard done by; Jesus's second goal would have surely been chalked off for offside had the VAR been in operation.
However, with the Stockley Park doors closed for the EFL Cup, Arteta's men secured safe passage into the last four of a competition they have not won in over 30 years, while also responding to disappointing stalemates with Everton and Fulham in ideal fashion.
Arsenal have failed to capitalise on Liverpool's own setbacks thanks to their two toothless Premier League displays - the gap to the league-leading Reds, who have a game in hand, is still six points - but the visitors are now just 90 minutes away from stretching their unbeaten run in all tournaments to 10 matches.
Speaking of 10-game sequences, Arsenal could enter double figures for Premier League London derbies without defeat - having won seven and drawn two of their nine such games in 2024 - and no top-flight team since Chelsea in 2005 has navigated an entire calendar year without losing an all-capital Premier League clash.
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A near full-strength Palace unit initially kept Arteta's fringe players at arm's length on Wednesday evening, but as Glasner withdrew some of his big-hitters while Arteta called upon his most prized assets, the tide inevitably turned in the second 45 minutes.
Nevertheless, the Eagles gave a terrific account of themselves in North London, and even though the quarter-final will go down as another loss on Glasner's record, the green shoots of recovery were still evident as Palace atone for their dismal start to the campaign.
Saturday's hosts had strung together a five-game unbeaten sequence before being conquered by the Gunners, a streak that includes last weekend's hugely deserved 3-1 win away to M23 derby rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, which saw them solidify a 15th-placed standing in the Premier League table.
A couple of dissatisfactory results could plunge Palace right back into danger, though - they are just four points clear of the relegation zone - and they still have just the one Premier League home win to their name this season, which came against Arsenal's nemesis Tottenham Hotspur.
Selhurst Park was the venue of Crystal Palace's last triumph over Arsenal, a 3-0 beatdown in the 2021-22 campaign, but Wednesday's cup defeat marked the hosts' fifth straight loss to Arteta's team, who have done the double over the Eagles in each of the last two Premier League seasons.
Team News
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After he requested to be taken off in the Everton stalemate with a knock, Declan Rice was not involved in the beating of Palace in midweek, but the Englishman was simply being rested and is expected to make a swift return to action on Saturday.
However, the same cannot be said for Ben White (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and the Selhurst Park stopover is also expected to come too soon for Oleksandr Zinchenko (muscle) and Riccardo Calafiori (knee), who represent two of three left-back concerns for Arteta.
Kieran Tierney made his first Arsenal appearance in over a year on Wednesday before being taken off with suspected cramp, but he was never expected to start two games in quick succession after his lengthy absence; Myles Lewis-Skelly should now be promoted back to the XI.
As for Palace, Glasner's men came out of Wednesday's loss without any more concerns on the fitness front, but the hosts have lost Daniel Munoz to suspension; the Colombian picked up his fifth Premier League yellow card of the season at the Amex.
Eighteen-year-old Caleb Kporha was a surprise starter in the EFL Cup, but he only made it to half time, and Glasner will surely side with the more experienced Nathaniel Clyne to deal with Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard.
Joel Ward could also return from a calf problem to give Glasner another option on the right-hand side, but Adam Wharton (groin), Matheus Franca (groin), Rob Holding (disciplinary) and Chadi Riad (fitness) should all miss out again.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi; Clyne, Hughes, Doucoure, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
We say: Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal
Both Crystal Palace and Arsenal should only be too familiar with how the other sets up after Wednesday's affair, but while the Eagles' first-teamers may be a little leggy, Arsenal's regular starters will not be battling similar levels of fatigue.
Glasner's men can still trouble a Gunners backline that has conceded in six straight Premier League away games, but Arteta's men still have our vote to make London derby lightning strike twice and ensure that the gap to Liverpool does not expand any more.
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Ben Knapton
