Having just ended their winless run, Crystal Palace will be eyeing consecutive wins in the Premier League when they host Burnley on Wednesday.
Relegation-threatened Burnley will be hoping to bring an end to their winless run when they hit the road to square up against Crystal Palace. Neither team has been in the best of form, but the Eagles are heading into this one on the back of a win, and they have an impressive track record against the Clarets.
The home team are 13th on the table with 32 points in their 25 games, with eight wins, eight draws and nine defeats. Oliver Glasner’s team have been going through a very rough patch, but they did manage to bring an end to their nine-match winless run in the league last time out.
The Eagles secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in their last outing. Despite not having much of the ball, they were compact at the back and made the most out of the limited opportunities they created. Now, they will be hoping to build on that result against Burnley.
On the other hand, the visitors are 19th on the table with just 15 points in their 25 outings. The Claret have only secured three wins so far and are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats. Scott Parker’s men are already 11 points off safety, and survival certainly looks very difficult for them.
After hard-fought draws against Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham, Burnley have suffered defeats at the hands of Sunderland and West Ham. In the game against the Hammers, they had a decent amount of the ball and did create a lot of chances, but they were not clinical enough on either end of the pitch.
Burnley will certainly have to do much better to take down Crystal Palace. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
The home team will be without the services of Eddie Nketiah (thigh), Cheick Doucoure (knee), Jean-Philippe Mateta (knee), Rio Cardines, and Caleb Kporha (back). Meanwhile, Justin Devenny (foot) will be assessed before kick-off.
The Eagles will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Dean Henderson will be in goal. Jefferson Lerma, Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards will form the back three. They will look to keep things tight at the back and will receive significant support from Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell, who will feature as the wing-backs
As for the midfield unit, Adam Wharton will start alongside Will Hughes in the centre of the park. The duo will look to control the tempo of the game. Yeremy Pino and Ismaila Sarr will be the two attacking midfielders for the Eagles, while Jorgen Strand Larsen will continue to lead the line for Crystal Palace against Burnley on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Lerma, Lacroix, Richards; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Larsen
Burnley
The visitors will be without the services of Mike Tresor (ankle), Zeki Amdouni (knee), Jordan Beyer (thigh), Connor Roberts (groin) and John Cullen (knee). Meanwhile, Axel Tuanzebe (achilles) will undergo a late fitness test to determine his availability.
Burnley will line up in a 4-5-1 formation, where Martin Dubravka will take charge in goal. Kyle Walker and Lucas Pires will feature as the full-backs, while Bashir Humphreys could pair up with Maxime Esteve in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Marcus Edwards and Jaidon Anthony will feature out wide on the flanks. They will look to support the full-backs and add width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Hannibal Mejbri, Florentino Luis, and Lesley Ugochukwu will take charge of a more central area in the centre of the park. Finally, Zian Flemming will take charge in the final third as the lone forward for Burnley against Crystal Palace.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Dubravka; Walker, Humphreys, Esteve, Pires; Edwards, Mejbri, Luis, Ugochukwu, Anthony; Flemming
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace ended their nine-match winless run in the Premier League last time out.
- Burnley have lost their last three matches against Crystal Palace.
- The Eagles are seeking consecutive wins in the league for the first time since December.
- Crystal Palace have been unbeaten in 11 out of their last 12 midweek Premier League games.
- Only bottom placed Wolves (19) have lost more games than Burnley (16) this season.
Player to Watch
Zian Flemming
Flemming will be the player to watch when Burnley take on Crystal Palace, given his knack for delivering in away fixtures this season. The Dutch forward has featured in 17 league matches, racking up 760 minutes and scoring five goals, all of which have come on the road.
In fact, Flemming has been directly responsible for 38.5% of Burnley’s 13 away league goals, underlining his importance when the Clarets play away from home. That said, Flemming will be eager to rediscover his scoring touch after a brief dry spell on his travels.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 2-2 Burnley
Crystal Palace will head into this midweek clash with Burnley with renewed confidence after ending their lengthy winless run, and they will fancy their chances of building some momentum at Selhurst Park. Oliver Glasner’s side were disciplined and resilient against Brighton & Hove Albion, and if they can show a similar level of organisation while being more assertive in possession, they should be able to trouble a Burnley side low on confidence.
That said, Burnley have shown they can be competitive despite their league position, especially away from home, where they have often raised their level against stronger opposition. If the Clarets can improve their efficiency in the final third and stay compact defensively, they could frustrate Palace and nick something from the game. The Hard Tackle predicts an entertaining 2-2 draw in this fixture.