August 5, 2022 at 3:15 PM EDT
Catch him if you can!
14′ Crystal Palace 0-0 Arsenal
It has been an electric start to this new Premier League campaign for Arsenal. There is a brief pause as Granit Xhaka is treated by the referee after hitting a ball to the head.
Jesus has looked scary in his debut. No wonder it is owned by so many FPL managers!
(Photo: Getty Images)
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 3:10 PM EDT
Guaita walks away with Zinchenko’s strike
10′ Crystal Palace 0-0 Arsenal
So far, this is seriously one-way traffic. The Gunners can do whatever they want with the ball and Vicente Guaita was forced into his first save of the season.
The ball rolled to Zinchenko just outside Palace’s 18-yard box, but his fine strike, even after a deflection, was effectively dealt with by the Spaniard.
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 3:07 PM EDT
Palace under increasing pressure at first
7′ Crystal Palace 0-0 Arsenal
If the first six minutes are anything to go by, this could be a very long afternoon for the Palau defence. Arsenal look in good spirits and could easily have been a couple of goals ahead had it not been for a couple of lapses in concentration in the opposition penalty area, notably from Martinelli.
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 3:05 PM EDT
Martinelli cuts wide from a few meters!
4′ Crystal Palace 0-0 Arsenal
That’s incredible from Jesus, but his compatriot Martinelli should do much better. The former Manchester City striker danced his way through the Palace defense before the ball fell to his team-mate, who could only parry his effort from a few yards out.
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 3:00 PM EDT
The 2022/23 Premier League season is underway!
1′ Crystal Palace 0-0 Arsenal
Premier League football is back and what a great feeling it is! The players take a knee and Eze rolls on for Palace in front of a sold-out south London crowd.
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 2:56 PM EDT
Both sets of players are on the pitch
Here come the players and officials at Selhurst Park, led by Anthony Taylor.
The curtain is just minutes away from rising on the start of the 31st season of the Premier League.
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 2:50 PM EDT
10 minutes notice
We’re just 10 minutes away from the start of the 2022/23 Premier League season and the mood is building nicely in South London. It will be absolutely bouncing when the players come out of the tunnel, as will the other nine stadiums welcoming supporters this weekend.
A quick reminder that neither side can start this campaign any worse than they did 12 months ago. Arsenal were famously beaten 2-0 in the first leg at the Brentford Community Stadium, while Palace were demolished by Chelsea in a 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge.
By the time last season ended, however, both teams had turned their fortunes around with two final day wins. The Eagles signed off with a narrow win at home to Manchester United, while the Gunners outscored Everton to five in a 5-1 win at the Emirates.
(Photo; Getty Images)
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 2:40 PM EDT
Pressure on the shoulders of Jesus
It’s a massive night for Jesus tonight as he makes his first Premier League appearance for Arsenal following his move from Manchester City last month. After the departures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, the burden of goals will fall on the shoulders of the Brazilian.
Not only will Jesus have the pressure of his own fan base to deal with, he also has the pressure of being FPL’s most owned asset of all time. 76.9 per cent of all managers have opted to include the 25-year-old in their squads and will be desperate for him to take to the court tonight.
For those of you wondering how he can earn points, here’s how the points system works for a striker.
- Playing 60 minutes or more: 2 points
- Objective: 4 points
- Assist: 3 points
- Missed penalty: -2 points
- Yellow card: -1 point
- Red card: -3 points
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 2:30 PM EDT
Five subscribers available tonight
One of the key rule changes to affect the Premier League this season is the return of five substitutions. The maniacal demand from top-flight players, especially those playing for their countries, led to plenty of debate over whether or not managers should be allowed to make two extra substitutions.
The decision was, of course, to allow these additional changes over the course of a match and the first example of their re-implementation will be seen tonight. It remains to be seen whether Vieira or Arteta will opt to make four or five substitutes, but both will be pleased to have this opportunity.
Supporters of the so-called smaller clubs are hoping that the big teams will be the only ones to benefit, but with a mid-season World Cup on the horizon, it certainly doesn’t seem far-fetched to allow all 20 teams to make up to five substitutions.
Mark Carey has explained the effect it will have on the English top flight.
Ed Mackey
GO FURTHER
What impact will the five-subs rule have on the Premier League?
August 5, 2022 at 2:20 PM EDT
A great evening for new signings
There are several new signings for both sides in south London tonight. Jesus, Zinchenko and Saliba will make their Premier League debuts for Arsenal this evening, while Cheick Doucoure will play his first competitive game for the hosts.
The 22-year-old isn’t necessarily a name most neutral fans will have heard of, but he has significant potential. This explains exactly why his move to Palace from French side Lens cost €21m at the start of the summer.
He may not be a player who will bring the fans to their seats, but he will play a very important role in the middle of the park if he is able to recreate the form he showed in Ligue 1 in the Premier League.
To find out what Doucoure has to offer, read what Matt Woosnam and Mark Carey wrote about him below.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Ed Mackey
GO FURTHER
Cheick Doucoure – A perfect fit for Patrick Vieira’s rebuilding Crystal Palace
August 5, 2022 at 2:10 PM EDT
Will it be all or nothing tonight for Arsenal?
Arsenal have quickly become the Premier League’s most interesting case study. Not only do they have one of the youngest managers in European football, but their squad also lacks genuine experience.
The release of the Amazon Prime documentary All or Nothing earlier this week gave us a behind-the-scenes look at what went on at both London Colney and the Emirates Stadium last season. It was a campaign that, at times, promised a lot, but ultimately felt like a bit of a failure after the Gunners missed out on Champions League football at the eleventh hour.
More episodes of the documentary will be released in due course, but our own Nick Miller has dissected the three episodes we’ve been treated to so far. Read what he thought of the first installment below.
Ed Mackey
GO FURTHER
All or Nothing: Arsenal: what the Amazon documentary about Mikel Arteta tells us
August 5, 2022 at 2:01 PM EDT
Arsenal team news
Arteta has thrown a couple of his new signings straight at the end tonight, as well as French youngster William Saliba. Here is the Gunners starting eleven.
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 2:00 PM EDT
Crystal Palace team news
Here is the starting eleven that Patrick Vieira has chosen to start the season with.
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 1:56 PM EDT
Eagles announce Benteke’s departure
Just over an hour before the start of their Premier League campaign, Crystal Palace have announced that Christian Benteke has joined DC United in the MLS.
It ends the Belgian striker’s six-year stay at Selhurst Park as he agrees to join Wayne Rooney’s side across the Atlantic.
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 1:45 PM EDT
Palace are feeling confident, says Mitchell
Many in attendance tonight will remember the crushing defeat Crystal Palace inflicted on Arsenal the last time the sides met back in April. Tyrick Mitchell has said he and his teammates are in an even better place heading into the new campaign.
“Personally, I feel very confident like the rest of the team,” he told Sky Sport. “It’s been a good season and we’re just trying to start and get better this season.
“From last season until now, I feel like we’re more of a team and we know how the coach wants us to play, so it’s [about] based on that.”
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 1:36 PM EDT
Zinchenko: The Premier League is back!
It could be a very different Gunners line-up tonight to the one we got used to at the end of last season. One of those who will be hoping to make his competitive Arsenal debut at Selhurst Park is four-time Premier League champion Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of tonight’s game, he said: “Honestly, I’m very happy to be here, to be part of this amazing club. My childhood dream came true – ever since I was little, I was a big Arsenal fan.
“Obviously I’d like to say a massive thank you to Manchester City for everything they’ve done for me and now it’s another page, another story, so it’s time to focus on Arsenal. It’s finally starting, the Premier League League is back!”
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 1:30 PM EDT
The FPL deadline has passed!
The first Fantasy Premier League deadline of the season has passed with an hour and a half to go in south London.
Good luck to everyone facing family, friends, colleagues and more before opening weekend!
Ed Mackey
August 5, 2022 at 1:23 PM EDT
“Get your half and half scarves…”
New season, same dubious memories of the game… but we’ll take it – the Premier League curtain raiser is fast approaching!
Kate Burlaga
Staff Editor, News
August 5, 2022 at 12:58 PM EDT
Arteta on new captain Odegaard
Mikel Arteta has selected Martin Odegaard as his new captain and the Arsenal manager admits the Norway international is relishing the new responsibility.
“Martin has been with us for 18 months and, in my opinion, he is a player who perfectly represents the values of this football club.
“That’s all right…