A struggling Crystal Palace side will face the threat of Leeds United at Selhurst Park, with both teams seeking to close in on the top six.
Patrick Vieira has been unhappy for the past few weeks despite some dismal results that have followed his team. Crystal Palace may point towards the tough fixture list handed to them at the start of the season, but Vieira will now look towards reviving their fortunes.
Following the Leeds United game at the weekend, Palace’s next four opponents are Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Southampton. Those clashes are far more favourable than the big teams they already faced: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Speaking of Chelsea, Palace may feel hard done by the outcome of last weekend’s game. The home side had one of their better performances, but Conor Gallagher broke his former club’s hearts with a late winner. Vieira’s men may be languishing in the 17th spot but remain only six points adrift of a top-six place, having also played a game less than most teams ahead of them.
Palace’s visitors Leeds United have their point to prove with this clash. Having started the season brightly, Jesse Marsch’s side have suffered a mini-slump in the last few outings. Since beating Chelsea, the Yorkshire giants have taken just two points in four matches.
Marsch will also be wary of the narratives around his side, who have failed to win away from home this season. Their only point on the road has come against Southampton, where they incidentally held a two-goal advantage before folding.
It may still be early in the season, but from Leeds’s perspective, they have squandered chances to get closer to the top six this term. Moreover, here, there is pressure from Palace, who could leapfrog them with a win and superior goal difference on Sunday.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
From the boss ahead of #CRYLEE ๐#CPFC
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) October 7, 2022
Nathaniel Clyne came into the focus as he was stretchered off against Chelsea with a suspected ankle injury. Patrick Vieira addressed the media with updates and stated the defender visited the hospital to treat a deep laceration. The right-back will be out for a few weeks and certainly misses out against Leeds.
Joel Ward will be perfectly placed to take the right-back spot, while there could be a potential return for Joachim Andersen. The key centre-back missed the Chelsea clash, and his presence boosts Palace’s chances of securing a positive result against Leeds.
If Andersen is not deemed fit, then James Tomkins could line up alongside Marc Guehi at the heart of the Palace defence. Other than that, there may not be room for potential changes. Michael Olise should keep a midfield spot ahead of Jeffrey Schlupp, while Cheick Doucoure and Eberechi Eze retain their spots in the middle.
Jordan Ayew has been impressing in a wide role and is likely to keep his spot. There could be a debate over Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta for the central role, but the former will likely be preferred. Wilfried Zaha will take his place on the left flank, and all the focus will be on the attacker.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3):ย Guaita; Ward, Tomkins, Guehi, Mitchell; Olise, Doucoure, Eze; Ayew, Edouard, Zaha
Leeds United
There are a few absentees for Leeds United ahead of the visit to Crystal Palace. Chief among them is Luis Sinisterra, who was sent off against Aston Villa and will be suspended. In terms of injuries, Stuart Dallas is a long-term absentee, while Archie Gray will also be missing.
๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐น: "I'm focused on the team being effective in the way we want to play. If we manage that, the football can be dynamic, attractive, it can score goals, then everyone has fun." pic.twitter.com/MsKTMb7Kso
— Leeds United (@LUFC) October 7, 2022
There is a slight doubt over the involvement of Adam Forshaw, although he could still be involved in the matchday squad. Despite those missing players, Marsch will have the ability to field his strongest possible team against Crystal Palace.
In defence, a back four of Rasmus Kristensen, Robin Koch, Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk will line up. Marsch may retain his preferred central midfielders this week, with Tyler Adams and Marc Roca being the preferred choices.
Patrick Bamford will lead the line for Leeds. He will have the support of Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo behind him. It will be interesting to see if that will be enough to trouble the Palace backline.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1):ย Meslier; Kristensen, Koch, Cooper, Struijk; Adams, Roca; Aaronson, Rodrigo, Harrison; Bamford
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace are undefeated in their last 7 home matches against Leeds in all competitions.
- Crystal Palace have only one victory in their last five games in the Premier League.
- Crystal Palace are yet to keep a clean sheet at home this season.
- Leeds United are yet to win an away game this season, collecting just a single point so far.
- Leeds United have collected just two points from their last four Premier League games.
Player to Watch
Wilfried Zaha
๐ฅถ#CPFC | @wilfriedzaha pic.twitter.com/hjS9bzNkw8
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) October 7, 2022
Crystal Palace are struggling; but some may feel the results are not justifying their overall performances. No matter how good the stats are, the numbers on the scoreboard matter the most, and the Eagles have not been up to scratch.
They desperately need inspiration from somewhere, and no one other than Wilfried Zaha could inspire these charges. Crystal Palace’s talisman is yet to hit his stride this season, and this home clash against Leeds should be the occasion for him to kick-start his campaign.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 2-1 Leeds United
The clash is poised to become entertaining at Selhurst Park, with both teams looking hungry for relevance. Eventually, the advantage may lie with the home side, as Crystal Palace are looking like a better team solely on form. Leeds United showed resilience against Aston Villa, but Patrick Vieira’s men could break out in this game.
Palace are not known to defend their goal properly at home and might let Leeds in at some stage. However, the need to add relevance to their campaign and climb out of their slump will see the Eagles narrowly trump Jesse Marsch’s men at Selhurst Park.
