Crystal Palace will host Luton Town at Selhurst Park on Saturday, looking to get back to winning ways after the disappointing defeat against Tottenham.
Crystal Palace are 14th in the Premier League table, and they could easily be dragged into the relegation battle if they continue to falter at this stage of the season, meaning a win over Luton Town is tantamount.
Luton Town are 18th in the standings, and they need to start picking up points to beat the drop this season. They have lost four league matches in a row, and the away fans will be expecting a strong reaction from the players here.
Luton Town managed to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in November, and it remains to be seen whether they can complete a league double over the Eagles. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
The Eagles will be without Cheick Doucoure because of a calf injury. Rob Holding has an ankle injury, while Marc Guehi is out with a knee injury. Michael Olise and Jeffrey Schlupp remain on the sidelines because of their respective thigh injuries. Matheus Franca is unlikely to play again this season because of and an adductor strain.
Crystal Palace will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Sam Johnstone in goal. Joel Ward will start alongside Joachim Andersen and Chris Richards in the back three. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will be deployed as the wing-backs. They will look to protect the central defenders and help out during counter-attacking situations.
Adam Wharton will start in central midfield alongside Jefferson Lerma. The two players will look to add creativity and physicality in the middle of the park. Eberechi Eze and Jordan Ayew will be deployed in the wide areas. They will look to open up the Luton defence with their creativity and trickery in the final third. Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line for Crystal Palace against Luton Town.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Richards; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Eze, Ayew; Mateta
Luton Town
The visitors are without Tom Lockyer for the remainder of the season after he suffered a cardiac arrest a few months ago. Marvelous Nakamba misses out with a knee injury, while Dan Potts has a thigh injury. Joe Johnson misses out with illness, while Elijah Adebayo, Jacob Brown, Albert Lokonga, Amari’i Bell and Mads Andersen are long-term absentees.
Luton Town are without a string of key players here, and this will be a difficult challenge for them. They are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Thomas Kaminski in goal. In the back three, Reece Burke will start alongside Teden Mengi and Alfie Doughty.
Issa Kabore and Chiedozie Ogbene will start as the wing-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Jordan Clark will likely start in central midfield alongside Ross Barkley. They will look to add control and defensive cover in the middle of the park.
Andros Townsend and Tahith Chong will start as the wingers. They will look to add creativity, flair and pace in the final third. Finally, Carlton Morris will lead the line for Luton Town against Crystal Palace.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kaminski; Burke, Mengi, Doughty; Kabore, Barkley, Clark, Ogbene; Townsend, Chong; Morris
Key Stats
- Luton Town have lost their last four matches in the Premier League.
- Luton Town have picked up four wins from their last five matches against Crystal Palace.
- 14 goals have been scored in the last five matches between these two teams.
- Crystal Palace have lost four of their last six Premier League matches.
- Luton Town have conceded 22 goals in their last six matches across all competition.
Player to Watch
Eberechi Eze
The 25-year-old has been in impressive form, and he has six goals and and assist in just 14 Premier League starts this season. The creative onus will be on the English midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and open up the Luton Town defence with his flair, technique and vision.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 2-1 Luton Town
Luton Town managed to pick up a win over the Eagles last time out, but this is a completely different scenario. They are without a number of key players, and they are on a losing run right now. The visitors are lacking in form, confidence and momentum. Crystal Palace should be able to grind out a positive result at home. A narrow home win is on the cards.
