MY ACCOUNT
– Crystal Palace have won all three games under Roy Hodgson
– Everton have collected only nine points in 15 Premier League away games
– Recommended bet: Crystal Palace to win
Roy Hodgson has worked his magic at Crystal Palace, winning all three matches since returning to the south London club, to take the Eagles to within touching distance of safety ahead of Saturday’s home game with Everton.
The job is not quite done — albeit 36 points may yet prove enough to stay up in the mass-relegation scrap — but another couple of home wins will surely confirm their top-flight status.
The picture for visiting Everton is far less rosy, however. The revival under Sean Dyche took a hit last weekend with a hugely disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Fulham and the Toffees manager will know that he cannot afford many more off days if his side are to avoid a calamitous drop into the Championship.
Team news
Crystal Palace star man Wilfried Zaha remains out with a groin strain and full-back Nathaniel Clyne and goalkeeper Vicente Guaita are unavailable with respective knee and calf injuries.
Long-term absentee Nathan Ferguson has an outside chance of returning after missing most of the last two seasons.
Everton are without the suspended Abdoulaye Doucoure, while fellow midfielder Amadou Onana is also out with a groin strain.
Wing-back Ruben Vinagre is a doubt with a tight Achilles and striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is rated no better than 50/50 to feature as he recovers from a thigh injury.
Full-back Seamus Coleman and winger Andros Townsend remain out with thigh and knee injuries respectively.
The stats
The Eagles have lost 11, drawn eight and won only one of 20 games against teams placed 11th or higher in the table but have won eight of 11 games against teams below them, losing only twice.
While Hodgson’s arrival saw a 12-match winless streak become a three-match winning run, that turnaround may be more down to a quirk of the fixture list than a new manager bounce.
All 12 matches in the winless run came against teams sitting above Palace, while all three victories came against teams in the bottom five.
Everton have won only one of their 15 Premier League away games this season and the victory was a narrow 2-1 success at struggling Southampton.
The Toffees have picked up just four draws and no wins in their last 11 road trips, conceding two or more goals in seven of the last eight.
Prediction
Everton’s home defeat to Fulham last weekend could prove very costly as their form at Goodison Park is all that has given them hope of beating the drop. Away from home they have been dreadful, with only Nottingham Forest harbouring a worse road record.
And while the Toffees’ points-per-game average has risen from 0.75 to 1.09 since Dyche entered the dugout, their away record remains stubbornly poor with three defeats and two draws from five games.
It is hard to see them getting anything at Selhurst Park, either, with the Eagles suddenly playing with freedom and flair while Everton have conceded at least twice in all five away trips under Dyche.
However, the best bet may well be to go for a straight home win given both Palace’s renewed confidence and their excellent record of eight wins from 11 matches against teams below them in the league — including victories in all four of those staged at Selhurst Park.
Back Crystal Palace, available at 11/10 with LiveScore Bet.
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