The biggest news of the last week, as the calendar hurtled towards the return of the Premier League was that Crystal Palace had unthinkably parted company with the manager who had turned them from relegation certainties to the brink of a top half finish. Tony Pulis left the club after a summer of insufficient transfer activity - in his eyes - and took his Manager Of The Year award away from the club just days before his former side faced off against Arsenal in front of Sky Sports' cameras. The game will see the unveiling of new Arsenal signings Mathieu Debuchy, Alexis Sanchez and Calum Chambers, and there's a slightly unexpected start for Yaya Sanogo, and it would have been a tough task for Palace at the best of times. Without Pulis, and even with new signings Martin Kelly and Brede Hangeland bolstering the back-line and Fraizer Campbell up front, Palace will struggle. Can Palace be this year's surprise package again? Team NewsArsenal: Szczesny, Debuchy, Koscielny, Chambers, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Alexis, Cazorla, Sanogo Palace: Speroni, Kelly, Dann, Hangeland, Ward, Puncheon, Jedinak, Ledley, Bolasie, Chamakh, Campbell. Prediction 2-0 It's hard to see anything beyond an Arsenal victory, and Wenger has put out a very confident line-up, especially with Yaya Sanogo up top. He's very much an unfinished product at the minute, and though undoubtedly talented, he doesn't have the same clinical touch as the likes of Olivier Giroud. But then, with Sanchez, Ramsey and Cazorla playing, there are goals and assists in that midfield, and Palace's back-line are going to have to be strong to keep the score-line down. If Palace can get Bolasie on the ball, with Jedinak breaking up play, and try to get Chamakh and Campbell onto the ball early, they could make it a difficult debut for Chambers and Debuchy. But it's a big ask. Who do you think will win? Share your thought below in the comments thread.
