Crystal Palace vs Arsenal - as it happened: Eagles storm past lifeless Gunners at Selhurst Park

Good evening and welcome to the Independent's live coverage of tonight's Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Arsenal.

The Eagles head into tonight's match on the back of a 3-1 defeat by Southampton but remain in good stead following a four-match winning run which has seen them climb up the league.

As for Arsenal, Arsene Wenger's men sit seven points off Manchester City in fourth but, with three games in hand, the side will feel confident that they can secure yet another season of Champions League.

Team news to follow...

Selhurst Park is looking particularly ominous ahead of this evening's 8pm kick-off...

But Big Sam isn't letting a few grey clouds darken his mood. He knows that a win tonight would take his side six points clear of the drop zone.

And here's the team news for all you traditionalists:

Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Kelly, Sakho, Schlupp, Milivojevic, Cabaye, Zaha, Puncheon, Townsend, Christian Benteke.

Subs: Speroni, Flamini, McArthur, Fryers, KaiKai, Sako, Delaney. 

Arsenal: Martinez, Bellerin, Mustafi, Gabriel, Monreal, Xhaka, Elneny, Walcott, Ozil, Welbeck, Sanchez.

Subs: Gibbs, Mertesacker, Ramsey, Giroud, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Coquelin, Macey. 

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland) 

Claudio Ranieri is in the Sky Sports studio for this evening's game!

Here's some Ranieri #banter to whet your appetite:

Will the affable Italian go to town on the players who helped bring his Leicester reign to an ignoble end? Or will he maintain a dignified silence?

We're willing to bet it'll be the latter.  

As you were, then

No changes to either team, with Emiliano Martinez continuing in goal for Arsenal. The home side are just as they were for their 3-1 defeat to Southampton, the away side are just as they were for their 3-0 victory over West Ham.

That doesn't bode particularly well for the Selhurst faithful. 

Parish's programme notes

Palace won their last home match 1-0 against Watford - not that their chairman, Steve Parish, was particularly pleased. He describes the game as a "turgid affair" in his programme notes this evening, and urges his team to pull something out the bag this evening.

So back to the football, the last home game against Watford was a turgid affair but we managed to get the all-important goal to secure the win, and tonight I'm sure will be a much more exciting game.

Let's hope we can come away with a result against what is a very good Arsenal team, despite what people are saying. 

Claudio Ranieri has insisted he can't believe that the players turned on him: "No, I can't believe it. I can't believe that my players killed me. No. No. No."

He did hint, though, that someone behind the scenes was to blame for his dismissal.

"Maybe, could be somebody behind me, maybe this people this year they push a little more. 

"I don't want to say [who]. I'm a serious man."

Uh oh

Here's a killer stat: Arsene Wenger has never lost a Premier League game against Crystal Palace, winning eight and drawing three.

#WengerIn?