Arsenal fans chant the name of Patrick Vieira in the opening seconds of Crystal Palace clash after the club legend was sacked by the Eagles

Arsenal fans have thrown their support behind Patrick Vieira by chanting his name minutes into their clash with Crystal Palace.

The Gunners legend made headlines this week after being sacked as Eagles manager, replaced by Paddy McCarthy on an interim basis.

Vieira’s side had endured torrid form which saw them win just one Premier League game in their last 14 games.

As a result, Palace had found themselves dragged into the relegation mix with just a three-point buffer on the drop zone.

While some had suggested Vieira’s sacking was harsh, the search has now begun for his successor.

Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Michael Carrick have all been linked with the vacancy, while Roy Hodgson has also emerged as an interim option.

The 75-year-old left Selhurst Park before Vieira’s appointment but could be tempted to return to help the club avoid relegation before a longer-term solution is found.

Following Vieira’s sacking, McCarthy opted to make three changes to Palace’s starting XI in a bid to reignite a run of positive form.

Luka Milivojevic, Joel Ward and James Tomkins have all joined the squad, replacing Nathaniel Clyne, Sambi Lokonga and Joachim Andersen.

They will be hoping to secure a result to ease the pressure they face in the relegation battle, while Arsenal are hoping to extend their lead at the top of the table to eight points.