Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace: Mikel Arteta offered new Eberechi Eze solution ahead of Premier League reunion

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been offered an alternative Eberechi Eze solution as the Gunners summer signing prepares to face Crystal Palace for the first time since his big-money move to the Emirates this summer.

Arteta's men host the Eagles in Sunday's Premier League encounter searching for a seventh win in a row across all competitions, one that would keep them at least three points clear of closest challengers Manchester City at the summit of the English top-flight table.

Arsenal will once again be without captain Martin Odegaard on account of his knee injury, so Eze is expected to be given the nod alongside Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi in midfield against his old club, but he is yet to make a sustained impact on the right of the trident in red and white.

Eze struggled to weave his magic in last weekend's 1-0 win over Fulham, after which Arteta defended him and insisted that he could occupy multiple positions, raising the prospect of a tactical tweak for the visit of his former side.

Sports Mole recently asked Arsenal expert Charles Watts whether Eze could play as the left eight with Declan Rice over on the right, to which he replied: "There's definitely the option.

"Rice can play there – he’s played there before. I don't think you have to play Eze out-and-out in that Odegaard role. I don't think Eze can play that Odegaard role either, in terms of he can play the position, but he plays it very, very differently to Odegaard.

“You're not going to see Eze constantly being that deep line quarterback, playmaker type player that Odegaard is. More of the free roaming number 10, which against Fulham, there just wasn't that space to be that player. In his days at Palace, he'll never come up against the type of low blocks that he has to at Arsenal. Teams just won't set up against Crystal Palace like that.

'Eberechi Eze has suffered a rude awakening at Arsenal'

“It's been a bit of a rude awakening so far for him, so he's going to have to learn to be able to play like that and still be able to create chances. I'm sure he will. He's a fabulous player. It wasn't his best game against Fulham, but it'll be a different game.

“You know what players are like against their former clubs. I imagine he’ll get a very good reception from the Palace fans. I can't see them giving him the West Ham, Declan Rice-type welcome.

“I don't think he's going to have that drive to prove people wrong, but you always want to score against your old club. So I'm expecting a big performance from him. Fingers crossed he can get that classic goal against his former club, which so many people tend to do especially when they're playing Arsenal.”

Eze showed signs of promise in midweek, though, creating one big chance and hitting the post with a deflected attempt in Arsenal's 4-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates, where Arteta's men kept their fourth straight clean sheet in all tournaments.

The Gunners unsurprisingly boast the meanest defence in the Premier League with just three goals conceded in the 2025-26 season, while they have not even faced a shot on target across either of their last two domestic fixtures against Fulham or West Ham United.

In contrast, Palace have hit a bump in the road under Oliver Glasner, losing two and drawing one of their last three games after previously embarking on a club-record 19-game run across all competitions.

The Eagles have conceded six goals across their most recent three games, most recently suffering a shock 1-0 Conference League loss to AEK Larnaca on Thursday night, and they will therefore head to the Emirates having had two fewer days to recover than the league leaders.

Arsenal 'have the advantage' in title race before Crystal Palace game

“It’s a good time to play them," Watts added. "Those two days extra rest are definitely going to be important. It would be nice from an Arsenal point of view if Palace were away - a classic Conference League away game in Azerbaijan or something - but unfortunately not.

“But they looked defensively shaky against Bournemouth, conceded three goals, could have conceded more. But fair play to them the way they fought back, got a point and probably should have won it given the chance [Jean-Philippe] Mateta missed in the last minute.

“They’re a very, very strong side, full of confidence and belief in themselves. So it's not going to be easy. And Palace are one of the sides, whenever they rock up at the Emirates, I just never feel totally confident. They've had some joy at the Emirates before, and Arsenal will remember that. It was a game they dropped points in last season – they’ll want to bounce back and respond.

“This is their opportunity to really put their foot on the gas and take a firm grasp of this Premier League, because there are issues at Liverpool, I still don't think City are unbelievable. They’ve been dug out of a hole at times by one unbelievable striker, whereas Arsenal just look strong and look like they can get better as well.

“This feels like a time that we've got the advantage. It feels like a really big opportunity for Arsenal, one that they shouldn't let slip. And I don't think they will let slip. They’ll really go out to prove another point against Palace.”

Arsenal were pegged back in a 2-2 home draw with Crystal Palace in this fixture last season, but the Eagles have not prevailed at the Emirates in the Premier League since the 2018-19 campaign, when Roy Hodgson was at the helm.