Vieira banks on Eze, says Arsenal “are much stronger” than last season

The Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira saw Arsenal only take one point from the Eagles last season, including a 3-0 demolition of Arteta’s young side in this fixture, that just about ended Arsenal’s Top Four hopes, but he fully expects a much tougher test than they faced in April.

Palace are actually a bit of a bogey side for Arsenal and they have only lost one of their last 8 meetings with the Gunners, but you can be sure that he is not expecting an easy game today.

The Eagles also have the amazing record of not conceding a goal at home since April, which gives you an idea of the tough task Mikel Arteta’s revamped team will be facing.

“It will be a completely different game,” Vieira said in his pre-match press conference. “I think with the new players they have in the squad of course they are a better team. They had really good games during the pre-season.

“I think they’re in a better place than last year. The new players they’ve brought in, they are much stronger. They have the squad to challenge and be closer to the title.

“We know that it is going to be challenging but I believe that we have the tools to make it difficult for them, to make it challenging for them. Last year at home with the support we had we had some really good matches, and it will be important to keep it that way.”

 “I believe we can be even more competitive than we were last year,” he continued. “The game tomorrow will be important for us to start as well as we can.”

To be fair, Palace away would be a real test for Arteta’s side to start the season, and it promises to be a real cracker.

Meanwhile. Vieira believes Nigeria-born playmaker  Eberechi Eze is benefitting from a full pre-season and can become a crucial part of his Crystal Palace side, as he prepares for a second campaign at the helm in south London.

"Ebs last year went through a really difficult period with injury,” the manager said at his pre-Arsenal press conference. “But he finished the season quite well because he was training every day and playing.

“In pre-season, he has been training every day and playing a lot of games. I believe he is getting to his best. I believe Ebs will be an important player for us.

“We play in a different way, we have different strengths and it will be important for those players to play with their qualities. I believe we can be as good as we were last year.

“We will have to give him time to get to his best. We don’t have any doubt about how good he can be for us. He had a big injury.

“Of course, he’s in a really good place and when he has the ball at his feet he can create something or score goals. It’s not just about him, it’s about the other players around him – they can help him to be a better player.

“He will be really important and a really good player for us, because of the ability with the ball at his feet.”

There is added expectation not just for Eze but for the squad as a whole after a promising first season under Vieira, when they finished 12th and reached the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

“It’s the expectation from the way we were performing last year,” Vieira said. “People will expect more from Palace, so this is something as a football club we have to manage.

“At the same time, we have to deal with this kind of expectations, the pressure on our shoulders.

“We had a good season last year, and it will be important for us to maintain those kinds of performances, the qualities that we showed but on a more consistent basis which will allow us to be more competitive.”