We take on Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, with both clubs also looking forward to huge semi-finals on the horizon.
Our next game after facing Palace will be the first leg of our Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain next Tuesday, while our opponents head to Wembley this weekend, to meet Aston Villa in the last four of the FA Cup.
It could yet be a hugely memorable season for Palace, who go into the game in 12th place in the Premier League, but with ambitions of reaching the FA Cup final for only the second time in their history.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta praised Palace manager Oliver Glasner for the impact he’s had since taking over just over a year ago.
“He has done an unbelievable job,” Arteta said. “Where he's taken the team and the club to be in the position they are in right now, I think they fully deserve it. He’s given the team a very clear identity.
“He’s maximised the squad and the ability of that squad, and they are a really tough opponent. They are really well coached. I think he's got a very clear mentality, how he wants to approach games, and they are very competitive to reach their position in the table and where they are in the FA Cup. Certainly, it's not a coincidence, I think they deserve it.”
Palace’s Carabao Cup campaign was ended by us, at Emirates Stadium in December, and the following week we dispatched the Eagles 5-1 in the league at Selhurst Park.
“To get a result like this in the Premier League, you have to do a lot of things right,” Arteta added. “We have to try to replicate those. But again, as I said, it's a really difficult opponent. When you look at the games and what they've done away from home, especially as well against certain opposition, it’s impressive. So tomorrow we're going to have to be really good.”
This fixture has been brought forward from the original date at the weekend, due to Palace’s involvement in the FA Cup, giving us six days without a game before resuming our Champions League campaign. Arteta said that the gap could play into his team selection on Wednesday.
“Yeah, we have more days. The amount of options that we have is not that many, especially because of where some of the players are coming in and the amount of minutes they can play. But it's good to have a little gap because we are really short in numbers.
“It's what we have. Let's take the opportunity. First of all, earn the right to win the game tomorrow against a really good side that have a really good record away from home as well. After that we'll have time to prepare the game really well.
“We cannot think in those terms (of resting everyone). I think when the players are fit and they are available and they want to play, they have to play. They are at their best when they are playing and they have consistency in their performances. Physically they are good, emotionally they are good, their understanding and their rhythm and the way they make decisions is at their best.
“That's why we need the players. If they are not available, there's no discussion. And if they are not in good condition to perform, we're not going to play them. And if they are, we are going to play them.”
A selection of tickets remain available via the Ticket Exchange. Find out more below.
Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.