We've not seen much of Mile Jedinak in the Palace side, and there's a belief among some fans that he's much missed. Jack Pierce takes a look at the issue for us. 

When Mile Jedinak arrived in SE25, Palace had just avoided relegation to English football's third tier.

Four year on and Palace have begun their third season in the Premier League and are looking upwards.

Since the end to last season, there has been a lot of talk about what's in store for the skipper and whether he has a future in red and blue. As far as I'm concerned, 'Jedi' remains one of the club's most important players and figures.

Competition for places in Alan Pardew's preferred three man midfield has never been fiercer and with the likes of Yohan Cabaye walking through the door, the calibre of midfielder has never been higher.

Joe Ledley , James McArthur, Jordon Mutch and Jason Puncheon along with Jedinak and Cabaye are all looking for a starting berth in Palace's engine room and all have their merits. Unfortunately for them, seven doesn't go into three. While Mutch, Cabaye and Puncheon can play further up the field, at this moment in time it seems the Australian is in direct competition with McArthur and Ledley for starts.

Ledley, a player of huge worth since signing 18 months ago, hasn’t even made the bench for the first two games of the season.

Jedinak himself has been on the bench against Norwich and Arsenal but will have known that his starting place now isn't as secure as it had been during the past two campaigns. Pardew's clearly looking for a more pleasing style on the eye - a style in which the likes of Cabaye, Puncheon and McArthur should and hopefully will excel in. Jedinak's approach, despite being very effective, isn't based upon neat passing and hitting teams on the break, the team's most impressive features of Pardew's 21 league games in charge.

Pardew’s given the impression that he rates the Aussie skipper; he's spoken very highly of Jedinak in the past. That said, Pardew has recently stated that Cabaye will be the player he speaks to most during games; a role that the Aussie undoubtedly had under Messrs Holloway, Pulis and Warnock.

The defensive midfielder’s stats for the last two seasons have been outstanding. He's often topped Premier League lists regarding most successful tackles and interceptions. He's done what many don't and won plaudits for doing the uglier side of the game very well. Under Pulis, he was exceptional and provided a vital cog in the well driven machine that the baseball capped one turned Palace into.

A key turning point came last January. While the form his club showed while he was away captaining his country at The Asia Cup pleased all Palace fans, it did highlight that Palace could win top flight games without Jedi's presence at the base of midfield. Ever since that run of games, there has been an air around the club that Jedi's role isn't as vital now as it was when we first came up.

Cabaye's signing has signalled the next stage of the club's evolution but that isn't to say Jedinak shouldn't and doesn't have a role in and around the squad.

During his time in South London, Jedinak has become highly regarded both domestically and internationally. As his national side's captain, he's led his country at a World Cup as well as to victory in this year's Asia Cup. Such experience and leadership can only help a changing room of players on the verge of doing something very special. If managed well and with a little luck, this Palace side could become the most heralded in the club's history.

A character like Jedinak will remain vital in a squad in which expectation will be heightened and that's without contemplating the impact he can still have on the pitch. There aren't many better defensive midfielders in the league.

On Sunday, against a quick passing Arsenal side, we could’ve benefitted from Jedi’s presence in front of the back four. If not from the start, when Yannick Bolasie was withdrawn at half time, the Aussie would’ve tightened things up with the impressive Cabaye slotting in behind Connor Wickham. Instead, the introduction of Jordon Mutch did nothing to add any steel to the Palace midfield and Arsenal continued to move the ball at will.

Whether it's from the start of games or coming on later and shoring things up in matches we're ahead in, our captain can still play an instrumental role in any success we might have ahead of us.

Nobody will believe that more than the man himself.

Follow Jack on Twitter. 

When you talk about the Premier League, there's always some chat about the modern game, and the competition's far-flung appeal. The United States are a key market for the league, with NBC agreeing a new $1bn deal this week, and clubs like Palace pick up supporters near and far because of our noise, colour and character. And yet, there are some fans in the States who have been fans for longer.

More than ten years ago, when the appeal wasn't as great and the finances involved were far less, Bryan Garcia happened upon a live Palace match - and became hooked. Here's the tale of his initial infatuation, which resulted in his first trip to Selhurst Park last season.

My favourite Palace/Arsenal match is the one I remember the least about.

No, I didn’t consume too many adult beverages before the match. It was November 2004 and I was just a teenager in Florida channel surfing until I wandered onto some new TV station called Fox Soccer Channel.

Soccer — sorry, football — beamed on to the screen. It was the first time I saw football since the 2002 World Cup. And because this was a time before smartphones were easily accessible, I couldn’t run back to the desktop to search — on Yahoo!, obviously — for the full names of the scoreboard abbreviations found on the top left corner of the TV. The only thing that looked vaguely familiar was the “O2” shirt; I occasionally saw that “O2” when I passed fellow students when walking to class.

The shirts on the other team intrigued me, though. A number of Major League Baseball teams in the States use pinstripes in their uniforms, including my hometown Chicago Cubs, but the thick red and blue stripes on these football shirts were a novelty for me. The combination of red and blue, which I already loved because of my Cubs, looked great as stripes. As I quickly found out, the stripes were just the bait.

It was the name “Churchill,” printed in white letters at the heart of the shirt, which snagged my attention. This was personal; it was never about the Prime Minister or (what I would later learn was) the insurance company. Before my family and I moved to Florida, I grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois, a suburb about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. The Bolingbrook street I lived on: Churchill Drive.

A few minutes after that discovery, the team in red and blue equalizes. I had no idea who the blond “Riihilahti” was, but I was happy the team with the cool colors scored. After the team in red and blue hung on for a draw, the TV flashed “Crystal Palace: 1 – Arsenal: 1,” a bald eagle — America! — for Palace, and something about a “Premier League.”

That all looked and sounded exciting. So on that fateful day, after stumbling upon my first Premier League match and watching Crystal Palace draw with Arsenal, I chose to support Palace. The red and blue, Churchill, the eagle badge — as symbols for something so far away, they made Crystal Palace already feel like a home for me.

Palace line-up: Kiraly, Boyce, Sorondo (Leigertwood 24), Popovic, Granville, Routledge (Lakis 52), Riihilahti, Hughes, Watson, Kolkka (Freedman 80), Johnson. Subs Not Used: Speroni, Torghelle.

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Jason Puncheon is a player that Palace fans absolutely adore, but also a character that few other clubs or pundits seem to pay much attention to. Sunday's game against Arsenal could be the game to really show how the Croydon-born midfielder has progressed, says Robert Sutherland. 

Palace fans have been calling for Jason Puncheon to get more recognition. A player with a delightful first touch, a keen eye for a great pass, a wicked shot when he uses it, and a sensibility about his play that belies his reputation, there have been times when the fans have chanted for him to get an England call-up. 

His performances have changed over the course of his time at Crystal Palace. Signed initially as a winger, Puncheon has excelled in a midfield system where, on occassion, Alan Pardew plays him in a central role. As his central role has become more prominent, so has his understanding of how to use the ball when in possession - gone are the stray passes or mistimed through-balls; here is a player who holds on to the ball when needed, and passes when ready. 

A performance that didn't get the credit it deserved was in the oustanding, surprise win over Manchester City - a game in which he pulled the strings and, with an astounding free-kick, won the match. His goal won the plaudits, but it was his control in the attacking third of the field that really deserved credit. He outshone Yaya Toure, David Silva and Fernandinho with his control, temprament and accuracy. 

His set-pieces are also worthy of mention - his free-kick against City deserved more credit, when much of the focus was on the way in which Toure ducked out of its path. He showed in the Liverpool game however that there is a stealthy intelligence to the way he executes his free-kicks - his work with Scott Dann proved that even an event as routine as a free-kick can be open to creativity. 

It is, with these elements in mind, that Puncheon deserves to be highlighted as one of the key threats to Arsenal on Sunday. One of Palace's main strengths is set-pieces, and with Puncheon in the position to take them, there's a decent chance of them causing Arsenal considerable difficulty. Combined with his attacking prowess, Puncheon is a match-winner, and a good performance for him will be key to a great performance from the team. 

Follow Rob on Twitter. 

Crystal Palace face a talented Arsenal side at Selhurst Park hot on the heels of a win against Norwich City, while the Gooners are smarting after a defeat to West Ham. We asked Gooner Ramble some quick questions about Sunday's fixture.

You won the FA Cup last season, but that was your only trophy - do you feel you're ready to mount a serious title challenge this time round?

If we can sign one or two class players in the striking or midfield department then I'd be very confident of mounting a challenge.

Is there still a lot of support for Wenger, or do you feel it's time for a change?

I still believe the majority of the fanbase is still behind the manager. However, there must be tangible progress from last season. Failure to do so may see a swing in that support.

What do you expect from Palace on Sunday?

A very tough encounter. AFC have gained hard fought victories over the last two years at Selhurst Park and I expect it'll be more of the same.

Are you surprised by the signing of Yohan Cabaye?

I must say I was pleasantly surprised. You've gone from Derry to McArthur to Cabaye marshalling your midfield

Who is your biggest threat?

Aside from Alexis (not yet match fit) right now I'd opt for either Oxlade-Chamberlain or Ozil.

Who are you most concerned about on Palace's side?

Your wingmen; Bolasie and Zaha are a troublesome pair!

What is your lineup likely to be on Sunday?

Cech; Bellerin (if fit), Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott; Giroud.

Follow Gooner Ramble on Twitter.