Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match in the Premier League between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

After a morning (and afternoon...) spent dealing with a hangover, it's time for the second installment of Premier League action on New Year's Day as Arsenal and Crystal Palace look to give you a distraction from feeling on the rough side after last night's shenanigans. We'd like to guarantee you a competitive encounter between the two London sides but given their respective efforts in the league this season, we will have to see whether Palace can rise to the occasion.

LATEST! It's all over bar the shouting at Vicarage Road but don't let that stop you taking a look at our live coverage of the game between Watford and Tottenham Hotspur. I'm assuming more Palace supporters will be inclined to take a look at the current scoreline rather than Arsenal followers...

Anyway, without further ado, let's get cracking with the team news which has been revealed at the Emirates Stadium. Wenger has made a couple of surprise inclusions...

ARSENAL XI: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Elneny, Xhaka, Iwobi, Alexis, Lucas, Giroud

ARSENAL SUBSTITUTES: Ospina, Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Coquelin, Reine-Adelaide, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain

CRYSTAL PALACE XI: Hennessey; Kelly, Dann, Tomkins, Ward; Cabaye, Flamini, Puncheon; Townsend, Zaha; Benteke

CRYSTAL PALACE SUBSTITUTES: Speroni, Phillips, Husin, Mutch, Sako, Lee, Campbell

First of all, let's take a look at the Arsenal starting lineup, which sees Wenger make three alterations from the team which began the game against West Bromwich Albion. At the back, Nacho Monreal comes in for Keiran Gibbs, but it's further forward where the big news comes as Mesut Ozil sits out the match through illness. It means that Lucas Perez is given a rare start as part of an attacking-midfield three, while in the centre of the park, Mohamed Elneny replaces Francois Coquelin. Theo Walcott is absent through injury.

As for Palace, Sam Allardyce makes just the one change from the team which started at Watford on Boxing Day with James Tomkins coming in for the suspended Damien Delaney. Bakary Sako makes an appearance on the substitutes' bench, despite reports linking him with a loan switch to former club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

RESULT! The full-time whistle goes at Vicarage Road and Tottenham Hotspur have moved into third place in the Premier League table with a 4-1 victory over Watford. It gives Arsenal further incentive to come through this game with maximum points with Spurs moving ahead of them for one of the few times this season. Catch our on-the-whistle report by clicking here.

HEAD TO HEAD! Today's match represents just the 40th time in which these two clubs have played each other - I must admit, I'm surprised by that! It makes for dismal reading if you are a Palace fan, with the Eagles winning just three of the previous 39 games, with Arsenal emerging victorious on 25 occasions. It's also been 13 matches since Palace got the better of the Gunners, a period spanning over 22 years.

There's been criticism of Crystal Palace throughout the season and it wasn't a huge surprise that they sacked Alan Pardew but while they are struggling at the back, they have been excellent in the final third with 29 goals being scored in 18 games - the sixth best in the division. That's just one of the stats you can view with Sports Mole's Stat Centre.

There will be a sense of excitement among Arsenal supporters after seeing Lucas Perez named in the side. While he has netted a hat-trick in the Champions League, the summer signing has not made a Premier League start since September and he is still awaiting his first goal in the top flight. It will surely come sooner rather than later but the Spaniard will be eager to get off the mark, or at least a positive contribution in the absence of both Ozil and Walcott.

The same can be said of Alex Iwobi, who has only netted twice from 22 games in all competitions this season. They both came in December so he has some form in the final third heading into this game, but he still only has four goals from 43 games since making his first-team debut for the Gunners. Wenger shows patience with his younger players but he will feel that isn't a good enough return from the 20-year-old.

In the Palace ranks, Andros Townsend faces a similar kind of pressure to impress after generally performing below par since joining the club from Newcastle United in the summer. That said, he was arguably Palace's best player on Boxing Day and there was a suggestion that Allardyce could get the best out of the winger, who featured in Allardyce's squad during his brief time with England.

There will be a number of key battles taking place all over the pitch but the most intriguing one may involve Gunnersauras Rex and Wilfried Zaha after the Watford mascot Harry the Hornet mocked the midfielder for an apparent dive on Boxing Day. I'm sure the Arsenal dinosaur has something up his sleeve if the right moment occurs...

I will attempt to give Palace fans some reason for optimism by reminding you that your team did avoid defeat on their last visit to the Emirates Stadium. After Alexis Sanchez gave Arsenal the lead just before the break, Yannick Bolasie netted a late equaliser to earn a share of the spoils. Take a look back at that game by clicking here.

PREDICTION! I'm afraid that's our last bit of positive talk about Palace, however. Arsenal struggled to see off West Brom in their last match but he think that they will be ruthless today. Sanchez is likely to feel a sense of responsibility with Ozil and Walcott out of the team and we think he will lead his team to a 3-0 win.

The two teams have made their way out at the Emirates Stadium. It's absolutely teaming it down in North London. We will have to see who that benefits.

Crystal Palace get us underway.

It hasn't taken long for Arsenal and Sanchez to go on the offensive. The winger attempted to get down the left-hand side of the penalty area but he was only able to win a corner for his side. It looks like Xhaka is on corners from the left in the absence of Ozil.

There is a huge amount of pace on both flanks today. On one side, you have got Bellerin and Zaha and the other you have Sanchez and Townsend. That would seem to be the most likely source of a goal today.

CHANCE! Arsenal should be ahead. Monreal volleys a pass across the six-yard box and Giroud completely misses his kick from about four yards. The ball almost falls to Perez but he could not react fast enough to apply the finishing touch.

Arsenal have already had three corners in this match but two of those three Xhaka deliveries have gone straight to Hennessey without any pressure from any attackers. The Gunners are warming into this one nicely, though.

SHOT! It feels a matter of when, not if, Arsenal score in this match. Sanchez turns sharply on the edge of the area before lashing a swerving effort marginally wide of the post.

CHANCE! Iwobi and Perez - two of the players we spoke about before this match - link up inside the penalty area but Iwobi's first-time strike is well claimed by Hennessey. Palace are working hard but they are struggling to cope with Arsenal at the moment.

Remember Henrikh Mkhitaryan's scorpion kick from Boxing Day? Well Giroud has just raised the stakes big time. It's an absolutely sensational goal from the forward, who produces an outrageous volley with his heel from 14 yards with the ball hitting the crossbar and going into the net. Sanchez provided the assist and it's a goal which will be replayed time and time again.

Arsenal are pressing for a second but as of yet, Palace are just about surviving. It's going to take some turnaround from Palace to get something from this match. Even at 1-0, that's not an exaggeration. They just aren't doing anything of note in the final third.

SHOT! What will be most pleasing for Wenger is that this performance is coming without both Ozil and Walcott. He hasn't had to play a Premier League game without both of them this season. The next opportunity comes from Elneny, but his long-range strike goes a couple of yards wide.

The goal for Giroud means that he has scored in two successive games for the third time this season. It's what we've come to expect from him, I suppose. He scores his goals in bunches, rather than two every three games.

The target for Allardyce will be trying to ensure that his team reach the break at 1-0 down. He would still have room to manoeuvre if that's the case. If Arsenal score again in the next 15 minutes or so, it will probably be game over.

SHOT! Sanchez is having so much joy when he cuts inside from the left and he tries his luck again from the edge of the box. It's a decent enough effort but his shot is always going wide of the far post.

SHOT! It's not much of one but we have to count this as a shot for Palace - it's getting that desperate. Cabaye works an opportunity for himself just inside the penalty area but he doesn't make a great connection with his curler and Cech makes the easy save.

Jut five minutes to go in the first half and we are still following the same pattern of play. Allardyce is cutting a frustrated figure on the touchline.

It's all gone rather quiet at the Emirates. The game is drifting by without any action in either final third, which probably suits Palace for now. None of their attacking quartet have been able to get into the game at all.

SHOT! Arsenal launch what could be the final attack of the first half but the move ends with Sanchez firing straight at Hennessey from the edge of the penalty area. There will be one minute of added-on time.

The half-time whistle goes at the Emirates Stadium and Arsenal lead thanks to Giroud's scorpion kick. They should have doubled their lead with their last kick of the first half but after Palace caused chaos for themselves in their own area, Sanchez was denied by Hennessey from 10 yards. How important could that be?

We are back underway in North London. Neither side has made a change.

CHANCE! The first major chance of the second half falls to Benteke and he really should be doing better. Townsend's cross finds the forward at the back post but despite jumping above Bellerin, he directs his header wide of the far post.

CHANCE! Now Arsenal should have scored! Dann doesn't know much about it but he makes a massive block to stop Sanchez's shot finding the top corner from inside the penalty area.

Lots of possession football from Arsenal but they are having to make do with probing around the Palace box without getting any shots away. Palace are trying to play on the breal but Arsenal are comfortable with that threat.

That should be that, I would have thought. A cross from Monreal is only partially blocked by Dann and Iwobi is able to head the ball over Hennessey and into the net via the head of Ward. The defender gets the final touch but there is no doubting that it is Iwobi's goal.

CHANCES! Palace don't feel that they are out of this. First of all, Benteke sees a header well saved by Cech before moments later, Cabaye's 35-yard volley is parried away by the goalkeeper.

SHOT! A minute later, Townsend gains possession on the edge of the penalty area and after taking on a defender, he forces Cech into a decent stop from 20 yards. Finally, a bit of intent from the Eagles.

SAVE! Palace are really starting to cause problems for the Arsenal defence now. An inswinging cross from Townsend evades everyone and looks to be heading for the far corner before Cech is able to get two hands to the ball.

SUBSTITUTION! The first change of the match sees Allardyce introduce Jordon Mutch for Cabaye.

Arsenal have gone back to looking fairly comfortable. Their wide men have done a lot of running in this game so it's not a huge surprise that they are tiring ever so slightly. That said, they are being given the chance to recuperate by being allowed to remain on the halfway line so that Place can counter-attack.

SUBSTITUTION! Chung-yong Lee has been introduced in place of Townsend.

SUBSTITUTIONS! Wenger follows with a couple of alterations of his own with Coquelin and Ramsey replacing Elneny and Perez.

Arsenal win a free kick on the edge of the area and with Ozil not playing, there is only one man who is taking this. However, Sanchez fires straight into the wall and Palace clear.

SUBSTITUTIONS! Final change for both teams. For Arsenal, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Iwobi and for Palace, Fraizer Campbell is on for Benteke.

There are less than 10 minutes to go in North London and I think this match is as good as over. Palace are still showing a certain amount of ambition but Arsenal are picking them off at the back when the break forward.

BOOKING! The first yellow card of the match goes to Monreal, who pulls down Zaha as he attempted to break towards the penalty area.

There's really not a whole lot happening now. The result is inevitable and everyone is just going through the motions.

SHOT! Better from Arsenal who get Ramsey on the ball on the edge of the penalty area. The substitute bides his time before shooting just wide of the post. I think that would have beaten Hennessey had it been on target.

BOOKING! Tomkins deservedly goes into the book for a wild lunge on Oxlade-Chamberlain.

We are two minutes into an additional three. Palace have the ball but Arsenal look well stocked in defence.

The full-time whistle goes at the Emirates Stadium and Arsenal have seen out what turned out to be a routine 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Giroud and Iwobi got the goals at the Gunners moved into third place in the standings.

That will be all from Sports Mole for this match. Thank you for joining us this afternoon and we hope to see you again over the coming days when there is plenty more action from the Premier League coming up. Goodbye for now.