Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson is expecting Arsenal to edge a tight contest when his former club take on Crystal Palace at the Emirates tomorrow night.

The ex-Gunners midfielder believes Patrick Vieira has got the Eagles well organised but he believes the home side will come out on top and continue their recent good form:

“It’s a hard game, but I still fancy Arsenal to edge this one out. I’ve always said that if Arsenal keep their main XI fit, they’ll have a chance of finishing in the top four. If they win their next two games, they are suddenly at the top end of the Premier League standings, so this is a game they should look to win at all costs.”

Merson has gone with a 2-1 win for Arsenal, which seems a very fair prediction, considering what we have seen from the two teams over recent weeks.

Palace haven’t had too many good results recently but, as Merson rightly points out, they have been playing pretty well and the Gunners will need to be at their best to secure the three points.

Mikel Arteta’s side put in a rather disappointing display against Brighton last time out, especially off the back of their impressive win over North London rivals Spurs, but they have shown already that they can put in the type of performances needed to overcome the likes of Palace.