Plymouth Argyle vs Crystal Palace Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Crystal Palace will travel to take on Plymouth Argyle and get their EFL Cup campaign underway, as Roy Hodgson’s men expect to go through.

Steven Schumacher, the Plymouth manager, has come under some pressure of late following his team’s abject performances. The Championship club started the season well, with a resounding win over Huddersfield Town. However, they have not managed a win in the three games since.

They did get their EFL Cup campaign off to a winning start with a commanding performance against League One side Leyton Orient after a first-half brace from New Zealand international Ben Waine. They now face a formidable task of taking on Premier League side Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace have had a decent start to the season after a win, draw and defeat in their opening three games of the campaign. At the weekend, they faced Brentford and managed to take a point from an away London Derby.

Roy Hodgson must keep up the challenge of playing multiple games this week as they take on Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup. This fixture has seen a lot of mixed results in the past, with Crystal Palace not holding the best record against the Championship side.

Yet, the Eagles will enter this match-up as favourites to go through as they possess a strong squad compared to their Championship counterparts. It will undoubtedly prove to be an exciting clash, as Palace will want to book their place in the next round of this competition.

Team News & Tactics

Plymouth Argyle

Schumacher’s side will be without some key players. English duo Michael Cooper and defender Macaulay Gillesphey will remain absent through injury. Brendan Galloway, who has missed action since April, remains out of contention for this clash.

The manager will likely keep fielding his attacking set up in a 4-3-3 shape despite the threat Palace carry in this clash. Conor Hazard will keep his place in goal and continue deputising for Cooper. Schumacher could make one change to the back four, with Saxon Earley coming in for Kaine Kesler-Hayden at left-back.

Captain Joe Edwards will continue at right back, while Dan Scarr and Lewis Gibson will keep their central defensive partnership. Callum Wright could also come into the lineup for Finn Azaz on the right side of midfield. Jordan Houghton will sit at the base of the midfield, with Adam Randal providing support from the left-hand side.

Schumacher will keep the same front three from the Birmingham City game in the attack, with Ryan Hardie leading the line. Morgan Whittaker will provide the support from the right-hand side, while Bali Mumba will keep his place on the left wing.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3) – Hazard; Edwards, Scarr, Gibson, Earley; Wright, Houghton, Randal; Whittaker, Hardie, Mumba

Crystal Palace

Hodgson will tinker between making wholesale changes to his lineup and fielding some of his fringe stars into the setup. For instance, he may not risk taking Matheus Franca, as the Brazilian is not entirely fit from his recent injury.

Similarly, there are other notable absentees like Michael Olise, Will Hughes and Nathan Ferguson. Moreover, there’s no resolution for wantaway goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, as Sam Johnstone will continue his role between the sticks for the cup game.

Hence, Hodgson will not pull up any surprises if he starts the same lineup that faced Brentford at the weekend. Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen are in the central defensive partnership, while Tyrick Mitchell and Joel Ward are marshalling the full-back positions.

Cheick Doucoure continues to attract the interest of big clubs, but until he’s here, Hodgson will keep starting him alongside summer arrival Jefferson Lerma. Eberechi Eze will remain in the attacking midfield role, with Jordan Ayew and Jeffrey Schlupp providing support from wide zones for striker Odsonne Edouard.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1) – Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Lerma, Doucoure; Ayew, Eze, Schlupp; Edouard

Key Stats

• Crystal Palace and Plymouth Argyle have not faced since October 2010.
• This game will be the 50th meeting between the two sides.
• Plymouth have not kept a clean sheet in their last five meetings with Crystal Palace.
• Crystal Palace has been eliminated from this competition at this stage in three of their last four seasons.
• Crystal Palace have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last two competitive games.

Player to Watch

Eberechi Eze

Eze will probably be the most high-profile player when the two sides meet on Tuesday night. The attacking midfielder has started the season brightly but is yet to come into full force. Games like this against Plymouth could open the door for the playmaker to make his mark and kickstart his season.

Having Eze on their side makes Palace the overwhelming favourites in this clash, and the playmaker will undoubtedly provide the threat going forward. All eyes will be on the 25-year-old as he looks to score his first goal of the season.

Prediction

Plymouth Argyle 0-2 Crystal Palace

If Palace come into this game with their strongest lineup, then Plymouth barely has a chance to get something out of this clash. However, the home side have shown they can perform better, but the last three games have not resulted in anything.

Having started the season decently, Palace will aim for a comfortable win over the Championship side and flex their muscles. Hodgson hopes to wrap up this game as early as possible to give some of his crucial players some valuable rest.