How Arsenal Will Line Up Against Crystal Palace

After capitulating to Borussia Dortmund in midweek, Arsenal will attempt to keep their Premier League form on track against newly-promoted Crystal Palace.

The Gunners have been in scintillating form in the League, but they will need to avoid the perils of fatigue and a drop in morale following a disheartening Champions League loss.

That will surely play a part in Arsene Wenge's team selection.

Let's look at who the manager might select.

Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szczesny

There's absolutely no reason for Arsene Wenger to drop Wojciech Szczesny, who has really matured and become consistent after some brief early-season struggles.

The Pole has played every minute of Arsenal's Premier League and Champions League campaigns because he is quite simply the most effective option for the Gunners in the short and long term.

Wenger brought in Lukasz Fabianski for his first start of the season against Bayern Munich in March, but don't count on that happening again.

Right Back: Bacary Sagna

The Frenchman has returned to his consistently excellent self this season after a significant hiccup last campaign. The defensive stability is present as ever, but Sagna has recently displayed an ability to pick a cross that has taken his game to a different level.

His performance against Borussia Dortmund raised no serious concerns, although Robert Lewandowski did score the winner from the flank that Sagna controls.

Center Back: Per Mertesacker

A healthy Per Mertesacker will almost always be included in Arsenal's starting XI because there is simply no other player like him in the team.

He is the only one who is willing to stay back and play the role of calm distributor, letting his more pugnacious partner (whomever that may be) pursue the current attacking threat.

Mertesacker's presence has helped form the bedrock of Arsenal's defensive revival, and his inclusion in matchday squads is now not even a matter of debate.

Center Back: Laurent Koscielny

Thomas Vermaelen might get a charitable nod from Arsene Wenger in Arsenal's Capital One Cup clash with Chelsea. However, Laurent Koscielny's exclusion from the lineup would simply not be merited by the quality of his recent performances.

The Frenchman is a thoroughly dynamic defender who can roam within a large area on the left side to harry and press encroaching midfielders and forwards. He possesses enough pace to recover lost ground and a very unusual leaping ability that allows him to be competitive on set-pieces.

Koscielny was particularly impressive when Borussia Dortmund were in their most swashbuckling attacking rhythm.

He prevents potential threats from materializing.

Left Back: Kieran Gibbs

Gibbs is the best option Arsenal have at the moment in all facets of left-back play.

His training as a winger is often apparent when he marauds down the flank to support the attack, and he has developed a defensive discipline that was not present earlier in his career.

In a way, the situation with Gibbs and Nacho Monreal is similar to that of Koscielny and Vermaelen. Wenger could justify selecting either man, but one clearly merits his picking based on current form.

He will definitely be tired from his exertions against Dortmund and Norwich City last weekend, but he likely won't play on short rest against Chelsea.

Midfielder: Mikel Arteta

After singlehandedly shielding Arsenal's back line from Borussia Dortmund's attack, Arteta is a virtual certainty to anchor Arsenal's midfield unless he injures himself before the match starts.

As he has been for the last season, Arteta is the metronome that allows Arsenal to successfully execute their tiki-taka style to such great effect. Attacks and counterattacks are sustained largely because players like him keep the ball moving and allow the forwards to work their magic.

A disciplined player, he will sit in front of the defense to eliminate any threats his teammates can't deal with. In the absence of Vermaelen, he'll lead the team out of the tunnel.

Midfielder: Mathieu Flamini

Flamini was fit to participate in the Dortmund game in the usual sense, but had sustained a concussion against Norwich that doctors said should keep him out for five days.

Well, that time has passed, and it's time for the Frenchman to return to the starting XI.

He plays a role that no one else in this Arsenal team does. He is a master of the dark arts, sticking in front of the defense and physically muscling opponents off the ball while his teammates do the flashier technical work.

Such a skill set makes him an invaluable squad member.

Midfielder: Jack Wilshere

Assuming Aaron Ramsey is rested, as Arsene Wenger attempted to do against Norwich last weekend, Wilshere will probably assume the Welshman's spot in midfield.

With both Flamini and Arteta backing him up, he will have the opportunity to operate in the box-to-box role that so suits him and push forward with great effect.

However, Wilshere must overcome the ankle knock that he sustained against Borussia Dortmund that eventually landed him on the bench with a bag of ice over the affected area. He is not listed as injured on the club's official website, though, so he should be healthy enough to participate.

Left Winger: Santi Cazorla

Arsene Wenger did the wise thing by benching Cazorla against Dortmund to give him some extra rest. After Cazorla was introduced, he changed the game.

Cazorla might still be a little rusty but there is simply no better option on the left than him.

Even a mostly fit Cazorla is preferable to a fully fit Lukas Podolski in most instances. Wenger will certainly not want to take the risk of starting either of Ryo Miyaichi or Serge Gnabry.

Cazorla it shall be, then.

It will be interesting to see whether he is allowed to—or capable of—completing an entire match. Particularly against an opponent that is not very daunting compared to the others that Arsenal are about to face in a hellish stretch.

It would be advisable to keep him on the pitch for as long as possible.

Right Winger: Mesut Ozil

Ozil was severely disappointing against Dortmund—just the type of opponent that he was purchased to give Arsenal an edge against.

Crystal Palace, however, is a different proposition.

Arsene Wenger might not play Ozil for the entire match if Arsenal are clearly dominating, as the German has played a lot of high-intensity football recently. But he will be necessary for as long as the Gunners need to create chances.

Look for Ozil to rebound significantly ahead of a stretch when Arsenal will really need him.

Striker: Olivier Giroud

There would not have been any doubt about who was going to start up top for Arsenal regardless of Olivier Giroud's performance against Dortmund. But his dynamic display was further proof that he is a world-class striker.

Though he is not quite Robert Lewandowski's level, who is a similarly physical striker at a club with like-minded tactics, Giroud is a physical force, and can impose his will on almost any defense.

Giroud is therefore integral to the other forwards' and midfielders' ability to find space in and around the box.

And when the opportunity arises, he is more clinical in his finishing than ever.

If Giroud continues to render insignificant Arsenal's inability to purchase a striker last summer, Crystal Palace will find it very difficult to contain the Gunners' lethal attack.

Follow @charliemelman