Palace play an Arsenal side that appear to have found their groove, can their former captain come back to haunt them? Here are our areas of interest for tonight's fixture.

Statistically, Arsenal Aren't That Convincing

We love looking at xG stats -- they provide insight through data that you might otherwise just leave to perception. A pundit prior to tonight's game might highlight that Arsenal are unbeaten in four games and that, as a result, they have turned their form around and the fans should finally have some faith in Mikael Arteta.

However, if you look at their xG stats in the last four games, only the Norwich win was a convincing one with chances that matched the goals they scored.

Their draw against Brighton and wins against Burnley and Tottenham show an underlying issue with how many key chances they create. 
Football at the top level tends to be a balancing act with two sides equalling each other out, only for one side to have the rub of the green. Arsenal appear to have been the benefactors of such luck in recent weeks.

International Break offers Opportunity for Olise Rethink

The topic of who starts on Palace's right hand side has been up for debate ever since Jordan Ayew missed a golden opportunity to put Palace 2-0 up against Brighton, and it will continue to promote discussion prior to tonight's fixture.

Michael Olise, Palace's £8m summer signing from Reading, is chomping at the bit to get into the starting 11, and having produced in his cameo versus Leicester City, the pressure on Patrick Vieira to include him is only going to keep building. 

I wrote a piece just a few weeks ago about why Vieria persists with Ayew -- and given Arsenal's pace down the flanks, we're likely to see Ayew once again chosen to start the game in that position. 

However, considering the impact he's had in limited outings so far, Olise can't be far off a start. Perhaps Vieira will surprise us tonight after all. 

Edouard's Growing Role must soon Deliver

Having made a dream debut for Palace against Tottenham, there was some unrealistic expectation that he's continue to contribute in a similar fashion. Not every team will defend like Spurs did, and nor will chances be as easily executed as they were in that game. 

That isn't to say that he hasn't contributed so far. A player that was labelled as being lazy for Celtic has made some difference by being active in the high press. The striker has applied pressure 61 times this season, with nearly 25% of those successful. Comparatively, Christian Benteke has applied pressure 41 times this season, of which 26% were successful. For a side that defend from the front now, Edouard is delivering some of the end product he needs to. 

But it is ultimately up front that this really matters; Palace haven't created a significant number of clear chances for the striker. While his xG (bar the Spurs game) hasn't been great, his statistics for carries (the number of times a player controls the ball with his feet) was nearly doubled, and for shot creating actions was also significantly improved during the Leicester game. He's also attempting and completing more passes, all of which suggests that Edouard is growing more comfortable in the system he's playing in. 

Now we just need to see a few more chances created for him, and for him to take a few more shots when they become available.  

Luka Milivojevic is Palace's club captain, but to a significant number of Palace fans feel he hasn't been as influential on the pitch. Here's Alex Pewter to make a case for the player's inclusion in the first team, and to offer a defence for his contribution in recent seasons. 

The Return of the Captain

Crystal Palace's fixture against Brighton gave the fans and manager a first proper sighting of Luka Milivojević. With only 95 minutes under his belt, having missed a large part of pre-season due to personal reasons, he has begun to show what he can bring to Patrick Vieira's new system. 

The narrative surrounding Milivojević had begun to sour over the last season and a half, with fans citing a decline in his performances. Luka played his first complete season alongside Cabaye, McArthur and Loftus-Cheek, in addition to the wing talents of Zaha and Townsend, and it seems forgivable if his best outfield season may have been in 2017-18. 

As he morphed into a deadly penalty taker in both the 2017-18 & 2018-19 seasons, his 22 goals saw him top Palace's scoring on both occasions. Whilst the strikers at the club faltered, his goals kept the club in the division whilst becoming the club captain.

Has he Even Declined?

As the Crystal Palace team continued to age, without fresh reinforcements, the tactics became increasingly negative. The club's passing volume dropped off substantially, 6.9% on the average of Luka's previous three full seasons.

Yet within that midfield, the idea that Milivojević had become a wasteful player hasn't rung true. Season upon season, not only did he remain one of the highest volume passers in the team as it declined, but his completion percentages also remained largely the same. His willingness to attempt long passes from midfield adds variation to his overall figures but was also double the volume of the nearest midfielder in the team last season.

The Battle for Holding Midfield

Where Roy Hodgson struggled for options, Patrick Vieira is fortunate enough to have multiple contenders across the squad. With every spot in the defence and the box-to-box midfielders having preferred starters, for now, the question mark remaining is in the holding midfielder.

Marc Guéhi and Joachim Andersen have entirely changed the dynamic at the back for Palace. They appear more capable on the ball, and their added mobility allows the team to push further up the pitch in possession without fearing retribution on the counter. 

The puzzle for Vieira to solve is what he wants from his holding midfielder, or if it will become an interchangeable piece? The three, potentially four, options offer very different skill sets. 

In a game where Palace are the underdogs, does Vieira opt for his defensive option? When expected to control possession, is a more dynamic one needed? Or now the club has invested so heavily in their central defenders, is it best to suit their style of play at all times?

The Contenders

•  Jaïro Riedewald, the pre-season incumbent, shone against lower-league opposition, displaying his touch passing. However, Chelsea and Liverpool exposed his occasionally passive defensive tendencies. If the manager sees him as unsuitable for a central role, his versatility could help back up Mitchell at left-back.

• Cheikhou Kouyaté, a roadblock at the base of midfield, is the most physically imposing card Vieira can play. His passing speed has improved slightly but is still awkward when he gets the ball under pressure. 

• Luka Milivojević, adept at shielding a back pairing rather than being a dominant ball-winning midfielder, should suit the formation more than when he played in a 4-4-2. With the widest range of passing of the options available, 

• Will Hughes remains a complete unknown for Palace, as he is yet to debut. His last role for Watford did feature him dropping deeper to collect the ball from the defence. It is equally as likely that he will cover McArthur and Gallagher in a more advanced role. He is another option to play as a deeper playmaker. 
  
  

Luka's Passing Advantage

In the 95 minutes Milivojević has played this season, he showed a passing ability beyond what Kouyaté has been able to bring. In a progressive passing team, we are specifically interested in quickly "progressing" the ball forward where possible. 

Whether on the counter-attack or in recycling the ball from the front to the back, breaking midfield lines is a key for Vieira's team. While Kouyaté had some success against Brentford as a midfielder, he didn't get the ball forward against West Ham, Tottenham or Liverpool.

Another home game, another draw for Patrick Vieira's team. Coming back from two goals behind left the fans relieved but possibly disappointed not to have come away with more. Here are our takeaways from Sunday's game:

Defensive Errors Hamper Palace

The Palace fans at Selhurst Park got a rude reminder that Joachim Andersen is human, after all. Having rapidly built a strong partnership with Marc Guéhi in defence, the pair have at least been a good match against every forward line they've faced to date. 

His calm nature on the ball still feels a little alien for a "Palace defender", especially as Andersen allows an attacker to close down more before playing his pass. While this often helps drag a player further out of position, the first goal was an uncharacteristic error.

Receiving the ball from Guéhi, either Andersen needed to let the ball continue to run to open up the easy pass out to Ward, or Guéhi ought to have played the safer pass back to Guaita. Either way, the touch was poor and duly punished. In an otherwise excellent game carrying and playing the ball forward, an error leading to a goal will be what is remembered.

The second goal as a classic breakaway highlighted Jamie Vardy's composure but was an avoidable mistake from a Palace perspective. Showing a bit of panic in possession following the first goal, repeated hopeful balls forward were quickly dealt with by Leicester before the ball broke for Harvey Barnes. Unable to deal with his direct pace, Palace were immediately on the backfoot. Andersen's lunge couldn't intercept the pass to Vardy, and Vicente Guaita will be disappointed with his effort to stop the shot.

Substitutes Come to the Rescue 

With Patrick Vieira turning to Michael Olise, Jeffrey Schlupp and Christian Benteke as his three substitutes showed the difference depth could make. Palace will be aggrieved even to be 2-0 down at the half-time break, but that deficit forced the manager's hand to introduce Olise early into the second half. 

It's easy to forget he is younger than many of the players in the U23 side for Paddy McCarthy. Such is his maturity on the ball. 

With the skill-set of a central attacking midfielder out wide, Olise was happy to drift inside with the ball as he did at Reading, but more importantly, showed intent to get into the area. The goal, which we will break down in more depth this week, was a lovely piece of anticipation not only to get open in the first place but to react on the rebound. 

The second hero from the bench was the former Leicester man Jeffrey Schlupp. Schlupp's most significant weakness has always been his fitness rather than his talents on the pitch. Roy Hodgson relied on his versatility, and he had a good pre-season as a central midfield under Vieira. If anyone needed reminding of his potential value this season, his impact a minute after coming on was all he needed to do. 

Competition often gets the best out of a team, and Schlupp's desire to get the equaliser showed he isn't content with a spot on the bench.
 

Zaha & Édouard Link-Up Shows Promise

Wilfried Zaha's renaissance back on the wing in Patrick Vieira's 4-3-3 formation continued against Leicester. He still leads the league as the most fouled player, showing the league is at least consistent in their approach to try and stop his skill on the ball. 

Sunday's fixture also gave fans another look at Odsonne Édouard up-front, and more importantly, the relationship he is starting to develop with the senior player to his left. As he got to display his own dribbling ability whilst cutting inside, the link-up between the two players could be an interesting dynamic in the future. 

At OGC Nice, many of Patrick Vieira's forwards have had a relatively low number of touches compared to other players in attacking areas. In an attempt to rectify this, or at least to stay involved in build-up play, Édouard dropped deeper. With his turn of pace, allowing him to then get forward into the area and with the capability to carry the ball forward himself, he does draw attention away from Zaha, allowing him to get into dangerous areas in turn.

It is still early days, but as a productive player, often lacking comparable players on the ball around him, Zaha must look around the training ground now and see the difference. Eze, Olise, Édouard and Gallagher can offer more support in that department, and Mitchell is looking more threatening behind him at left-back. The days of Townsend and Zaha against the world may be a distant memory now, and the future may be more enticing for him to be a part of long-term.

The xG Battle

The picture painted by the numbers follows the experience of the game on this occasion. One team, dominant in possession, amassed the most shots but failed to create clear-cut chances. The other, otherwise restricted, capitalised on two errors to take the lead from good opportunities. 

Whilst it is far from ideal to gift opponents chances, at least it is an area of the game Palace can cut out themselves. On the attacking side of play, generating 1.17 xG from 18 shots is poor, despite two goals on the scoresheet. 

The result raises questions about how Palace can convert their periods in possession into big chances without needing to force a penalty. While ending with very different results, the Tottenham and Brighton fixtures relied on a defensive error to deliver the breakthrough by this method.

Whilst Palace may have had a lot of "penalty luck" in the two seasons that saw Luka Milivojević score 20+ penalties, it dried up dramatically in 2018-19 when the team only won three. Whether that was a subconscious overcorrection from referees or fewer players made runs into the area, it's possible Palace won't be quite as fortunate to continue winning them this season.

Olise's goal, in particular, showed excellent technical ability to react to his blocked first effort, to mount a courageous comeback followed up by Schlupp's reaction header from a distance. Despite the draw, Vieira won't want to see his team in this position often.
 

Next Up: (Another) International Break

First and foremost, the goal of the international break is for every player travelling to games to return in good condition. But jinxes aside, this extra time gives the coaching staff a chance to breathe and assess the team and performances. 

The senior players in the team, such as James McArthur and Joel Ward, will have the ability to re-charge their legs. Still, given the volume of fixtures heading into the winter period, their deputies will need to see some minutes sooner rather than later.

The prolonged managerial search and heavy re-build of the squad haven't hampered Palace's chances despite being a relegation favourite of the bookmakers. Seven points from the seven fixtures may even seem ahead of schedule given the strength of fixtures on paper, but the team ought to have secured a victory from one of the last two games. 

Two weeks away from fixtures also means Eberechi Eze will be two weeks closer to his return, a wildcard a lot of teams aren't fortunate to have waiting in the wings. 

To the ten brave folks willing to read about Crystal Palace's heartbreaking draw against Brighton, here are our key takeaways from the game.

A Tale of Two Kicks

It is harsh to boil down an entire game into two moments, but two kicks shone brightest in fans' minds leaving the stadium. 

At one end, Jordan Ayew, put through by Benteke, left the Holmesdale and himself with their collective heads in their hands. His shot, sprung by a Gallagher challenge on the halfway line, needed to hit the target but sailed harmlessly into the side netting. Ayew has continued his solid form as a defensive winger but needs more confidence to improve in the shooting department. 

The death toll rang for Palace's victory with another kick, this time a long free-kick from Vicente Guaita. His goalkeeping performance was assured, particularly on crosses, but his final contribution to the game will disappoint him. With target man Christian Benteke lining up on the right side of the pitch, Guaita miscued his strike, sending it low and away from the Palace players. Brighton, able to spring an uncontested counter, punished the home team as Maupay levelled up the scoring.

Graham Potter's adjustments going into the second half weren't dealt with by Crystal Palace. The periods of dominance shown early in the game faded away as they retreated further into their shells. The introduction of Benteke and Kouyaté, which could just as quickly been hailed as an intelligent move had the game resulted in victory, only added to the defensive mindset. 

Having stolen a victory from Brighton last season, this last-gasp draw may be a form of unwanted footballing karma. A bitter taste to an otherwise encouraging performance. 

Press Press Press

Over the last four seasons, Palace has averaged 28.4 pressure per game in the attacking 1/3 of the pitch. Against Brighton, they closed down the opposition 81 times over 95 minutes, at more than double the rate of the Liverpool game, in what must be Palace's most aggressive pressing performance in the Premier League. 

Having forced Brighton to work the ball back to their 'keeper and occasionally causing errors from his clearances, the stamina on display was relentless throughout the game. This style, in turn, forced Brighton to alter their passing style, showing more of an emphasis on direct play. 

Conor Gallagher is still the driving force at the heart of the formation, but Odsonne Édouard did make a marked difference at the top of the pitch, with his added mobility over Christian Benteke. 

Credit must go to Patrick Vieira and his coaching staff for drastically changing the team's defensive identity in a short space of time. After years of low-block and defensive football, if nothing else, it added to the entertainment value in an end-to-end contest.

Travelling Fans Laud Zaha

"We're going to party when Wilfried Zaha dies.." sang the Brighton fans in the first half. Showing even a player that embodies the South London side of this rivalry will be celebrated on the South Coast for his brilliance come his final days.

Palace's left flank continues to excite as Tyrick Mitchell develops the attacking side of his game. Wilfried Zaha, re-energised under Vieira's leadership and playing in his natural left-wing role, looks dangerous whenever he receives the ball. A goal in open play still eludes him, even if the creative side of his game has been flourishing. The strength of the left side highlights the potential weaknesses on the right, where neither Ayew nor Ward can pose the same threat. 

A rash challenge on Conor Gallagher gave Zaha a chance to open the scoring before half-time. Now firmly in control of penalty duties, he made it two from two as he sent Robert Sánchez the wrong way. Cupping his ears as he ran towards the Brighton fans, Zaha let the away support know he heard their admiration and appreciated it.

The xG Battle

In a game of few chances for either team, Zaha's penalty swung the balance for Crystal Palace in terms of chances. The team will be aggrieved not to have capitalised on periods of attacking possession when they had the opportunity. 

Wilfried Zaha's penalty and Jordan Ayew's late miss made up 85% of the xG for the fixture. The slow build-up still needs a cutting edge to break through.

Defensively, Guaita's save to prevent Danny Welbeck was an excellent piece of work. If the team removes the freak circumstances of the equaliser, they did well to restrict Brighton to low-percentage chances. The determined defensive effort cut out many potential dangers. 

Next Up - Leicester City (H)

One final home game stands between Patrick Vieira and another international break. Brendon Rodger's team has had a plodding start to their season, compared to their success in recent years, but remain a threat. 

Jamie Vardy remains an evergreen goalscorer, having netted five times already this season. With creative outlets going forward, the midfield, built around the work rate of Youri Tielemans and Wilfred Ndidi, will be a big challenge for Palace's counterparts. 

With Jeffrey Schlupp returning to action against Brighton, Will Hughes still to debut, and Michael Olise waiting in the wings for more minutes, the team has plenty of depth to change up the starting XI. 

With six points on the board, the club will be satisfied with the start, given the difficulty of the fixtures on paper. It can be argued there are weaker teams in the division, but Patrick Vieira needs to back up that early promise.