Palace and their skipper Guehi face a tough task against the Gunners tomorrow. -- Reuters
ENGLAND'S five teams in the UEFA Champions League all won in midweek, and will be keen as ever to transition that form into this weekend's Premier League round of matches.
League leaders Arsenal will host Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium, aiming to retain their three-point cushion at the top of the table, if not extend it.
The Gunners were good value for money in their 4-0 demolition of Atletico Madrid - always difficult opponents to beat, especially with Diego Simeone's defensive tactics deeply embedded in the Spanish giant's philosophy.
Arsenal further consolidated their terrific start to the season with that ruthlessly efficient performance.
And even though it came at home, they still had to deliver - and they did so in style.
Based on their recent form, particularly after the drawn fixture with Manchester City, they will start as overwhelming favourites to see off their London rivals tomorrow.
There is little, or nothing, to suggest that they cannot or should not do it.
Mikel Arteta's side will be targeting a seventh straight victory in all competitions, the sort of form that leads to silverware.
It was also their 10th win in the dozen matches played so far.
They have conceded only three goals so far this season - the fewest in the club's history at this stage. It also continued their perfect record in the Champions League to date.
Their outlay in excess of £200mil (RM1.124bil) in the summer transfer window will have brought pressure for Arteta to shed the "bridesmaid" tag and capture the Gunners' first league crown in more than two decades, and perhaps a first Champions League title as well.
His squad has been considerably strengthened, something he has pleaded for, especially after finishing the last three league campaigns as runners-up.
Now that the Spaniard has a formidable unit at his disposal, there will be no excuses entertained - by the boardroom or the fans.
The arrival of Viktor Gyokeres has certainly made a difference up front, and it has not gone unnoticed by Arteta, who singled out the Stockholm-born striker for special mention after the Atletico triumph in which the Swede scored twice.
Lavishing praise on his star forward, Arteta said the striker had brought a new dimension to their attack, and called the contribution of the £64mil (RM360mil) signing from Sporting CP "phenomenal".
Goalkeeper David Raya has also highlighted the competition for starting places at the Emirates, adding that the "incredible" depth of their squad now puts them in a position to challenge for both the league title and Champions League crown.
With the way things stand, Palace would not mind just picking up a point and dashing home after.
They started the campaign well enough but seem to have gone off the boil somewhat.
They drew and lost their last two league fixtures, meaning they will be more than fired up to get back to winning ways.
The defeat at Everton was particularly painful, after they took the lead only to see their ambitions falter.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, skipper Marc Guehi and Daniel Munoz have been Palace's outstanding players thus far, and Oliver Glasner's approach to toppling the Gunners will likely be built around this trio.
Mateta is more than capable of posing the greatest goal threat, and the home team might do well to curtail his movements.
The 193cm-tall striker from Seine-Saint-Denis in France is Palace's top scorer at the moment.
He has seven goals across all competitions, five of those in the Premier League.
A player with a distinct physical and tactical presence up front, Mateta is always good to watch, especially when in full flight.
But as Arsenal endeavour to continue their fine start to the season, Palace could find the pace a bit stretched for them.
All the same, it could turn out to be a rather fiery event - as opposed to the one-sided affair many are predicting.