Crystal Palace will make the short trip across London to face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Day. And new manager Sam Allardyce will be looking to dent the Gunners title ambitions with his Palace charges aiming to move away from the relegation places.
Allardyce aiming for upset
Allardyce, who sensationally left his dream job as England manager in September after just 67 days and one match in charge, will be looking to build on the 1-1 draw his Palace team achieved in his first match in charge against Watford before the Christmas break.
However, it will be a tough ask against Arsene Wenger’s men who have lost only once at home this season, back in August against Liverpool in their season-opener. Six wins and two draws since that defeat for the Gunners will do little to encourage Palace supporters that their team can topple their hosts after five matches without a win on the road.
Yet, encouraging signs were visible against Watford at Vicarage Road in Big Sam’s first match after replacing Alan Pardew at the helm. And the former Bolton, Newcastle and Sunderland boss will concentrate primarily on addressing Palace’s leaky defence which has already conceded 20 goals in just nine away games this season.
Arsenal overwhelming favourites for victory
With Arsenal trailing league leaders Chelsea by nine points already and with fierce rivals Spurs breathing down their necks just a point behind in the table, Wenger will send his team out looking for a convincing win to maintain their challenge for a first title since 2004. There looks to be little value for money in backing Arsenal for the win, however, with odds of just 1/3 on offer across a host of bookmakers. A better return looks to be available from backing an Arsenal win coupled with both teams to score, 9/5 with Coral amongst others.
Alternatively for Palace fans may be unwilling to bet against their team, enticing odds of 19/20 are on offer from bet365 for both to teams to score, a particularly interesting set of odds for punters aware that Arsenal, despite their strong home record, have conceded on average a goal a game thus far at the Emirates this season.
For the overly optimistic, betvictor are offering huge odds of 10/1 for a Palace victory, as unlikely as that may be, while a more realistic proposition comes from bet365, who price Palace in the Double Chance market to win or claim a draw at a very tempting 11/4.
With his record of never having been relegated from the top flight of English football and an injection of fresh enthusiasm sure to have Palace fighting for the cause, a winning bet on Allardyce’s Eagles could mean a very happy and lucrative start to the new year for punters across the country. Big Sam will have to be at his motivational best, however, if Arsenal is to begin 2017 in losing fashion.
