Crystal Palace host Burnley at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday, with the visitors looking to continue their timely resurgence.
Patrick Vieira would have been relieved to see his side end their dismal six-game winless run and collect three points away at Watford in midweek. It was a comprehensive performance from Wilfried Zaha in particular, who hit his stride again to net a brace. The victory also boosted the Eagles’ hopes of finishing in the top half of the table.
Ending the season among the top ten remains at the forefront of Vieira’s plan for the campaign, and more positive results on the bounce will certainly aid their cause. However, the next five games on the calendar will make or break their season, as some tough encounters await Crystal Palace.
They also have a tricky FA Cup tie against Stoke City – a competition Vieira would like to make a mark upon. For now, Crystal Palace’s focus remains on getting more points on the board in the league as they welcome an in-form Burnley side to Selhurst Park, hoping for three points on Saturday.
Despite Burnley’s terrible start to the season and continued mishaps along the way, Dyche’s charges are finding form. Some of the credit should go to January arrival Wout Weghorst, who has transformed their style in an attacking sense and proved critical during their midweek win over Tottenham.
The Clarets have lost just once in their last six Premier League games and have won five points in the process against top-six opposition. Burnley remain 18th in the league, two points behind nearest rivals Newcastle United, but with a game in hand over the Magpies.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Back to Selhurst tomorrow ✊
Another big one ?#CPFC
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 25, 2022
It would not be surprising if Patrick Vieira fields the same side that beat Watford in the midweek clash. While there are no fresh injury concerns or suspensions reported, those who missed the win over the Hornets are likely to remain out of contention.
Nathan Ferguson and Joel Ward are definitely out, although there are suggestions that there could be a late assessment of the latter. Vicente Guaita is also a major doubt as he is yet to recover from a knee problem sustained against Chelsea, which saw him miss the Watford clash. As things stand, Jack Butland is set for an extended run and will likely start against Burnley.
While Palace scored four goals in the midweek tie, there is still the question of robustness and attacking output from central midfield. There is the threat of Conor Gallagher on one side, but Will Hughes proved ineffective on the other in the last game.
Vieira could look to play Cheikhou Kouyate in the anchor role and bring back Jeffrey Schlupp on the left side of the midfield. Otherwise, there may not be any more changes, although Jordan Ayew keeps pushing for a place to displace Michael Olise on the right side of the Crystal Palace attack.
In defence, Nathaniel Clyne is likely to continue in the potential absence of Ward, while the other members of the back four should remain intact. Wilfried Zaha certainly keeps his place in the attack from the left-hand side.
Vieira may have a decision to make on the striker front. Odsonne Edouard, Christian Benteke and Jean-Philippe Mateta are all in contention, but the Crystal Palace manager might pick Mateta to help continue the momentum upfront. On the right side, Olise could feature ahead of potential competitors.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Butland; Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Gallagher, Kouyate, Schlupp; Olise, Mateta, Zaha
Burnley
After Burnley’s midweek exploits, Sean Dyche will assess his squad to determine who remains available. There are considerable problems for the side already, with many key members missing from action.
Matej Vydra and Johann Berg Gudmundsson are out of contention. At the same time, there is a chance for Ashley Westwood to feature in some capacity after recovering from COVID-19 and subsequently returning to training. Charlie Taylor, however, could be back in the squad for the Palace clash.
? Reflection on back-to-back PL wins
? Update on player returnsSean Dyche is feeling positive ahead of #CRYBUR on Saturday ?#UTC pic.twitter.com/2VyM9jWdfr
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) February 24, 2022
Dyche could potentially make two key changes to his lineup from the Tottenham win. Despite missing the last two games, if Westwood is deemed match fit, he could start in place of Jack Cork. However, the manager will be wary of disrupting his midfield’s momentum and could continue with the current pairing, including Josh Brownhill.
The other change could also hinge on Maxwel Cornet’s availability. Dyche did mention a late assessment for the Ivorian, but he would certainly start ahead of Jay Rodriguez if deemed match fit. Otherwise, the Englishman could continue his partnership with Weghorst in a front two.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Pope; Roberts, Tarkowski, Ben Mee, Pieters; Lennon, Cork, Brownhill, McNeil; Weghorst, Rodriguez
Key Stats
- After four straight Premier League victories against Burnley between January 2018 and November 2019, Crystal Palace are now winless in their last four against the Clarets in the competition (D1 L3).
- Burnley have won five of their last 10 Premier League games in London (D2 L3), having won just 10% of their first 30 visits to the capital in the competition (W3 D4 L23). The Clarets have kept six clean sheets in these 10 games, double the amount they had in their first 30.
- Having lost just one of their first 10 home league games under Patrick Vieira, Crystal Palace have now lost each of their last three at Selhurst Park. The Eagles last lost more consecutive home league games between December 2016-February 2017 (5).
- Burnley picked up their first away league win of the season in their last game on the road, beating Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 at the Amex Stadium. The Clarets last won back-to-back away league games in May.
- Odsonne Edouard has scored in each of his last three Premier League home games for Crystal Palace – no player has ever scored in four in a row at Selhurst Park for the Eagles in the competition.
Player To Watch
Conor Gallagher
Getting back on the scoresheet boosts a player’s confidence and builds a mentality to perform better in the next game. For Gallagher, this test comes in the form of Burnley, who have shown they are experts of the low block.
The Chelsea loanee will have to be at his best and become the key to unlocking the Clarets’ defence. While there are many able players ahead of him on the field, Gallagher’s creative skills should come in handy, and the midfielder will be the player Burnley need to keep an eye out for.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 1-1 Burnley
Burnley’s consecutive wins in the Premier League are no coincidence. Sean Dyche has finally found the usual rhythm this season and will be keen to keep it going on Saturday. However, Crystal Palace will have enough momentum to create problems for Burnley’s low-block defence.
Since the arrival of Weghorst, Burnley have stood a chance to create something out of nothing and get crucial strikes away. The Dutchman will be key to their chances of getting a positive result, and The Hard Tackle tips the sides to share the points at Selhurst Park.
