MY ACCOUNT
– Crystal Palace have kept just one clean sheet in seven PL home games
– Fulham have scored in each of their last six road games
– Recommended bet: Back both teams to score
Crystal Palace will seek their fourth win in a row against Fulham when the two London clubs meet for a Boxing Day clash at Selhurst Park.
Only goal difference separates the two clubs, ninth and 11th in the table respectively, but the Eagles’ form prior to the World Cup was much better than that of the Whites.
Patrick Vieira’s side did lose their last game before the break at Nottingham Forest, but at home they have suffered only one defeat since Arsenal beat them on the opening night of the 2022-23 campaign.
Six weeks off may have softened the blow of losing back-to-back games to last-minute winners against Manchester City and Manchester United, but Marco Silva’s men remain in good shape to achieve what they could not do in either of their last two Premier League campaigns — survival.
Team news
Centre-back Mark Guehi is suspended for the visit of the Whites after collecting his fifth booking of the season in the Eagles’ 1-0 defeat at the City Ground.
James Tomkins is likely to step into the line-up alongside Joachim Andersen at the back, although the Dane has not featured in any of the club’s winter warm-ups.
Vieira switched Wilfried Zaha and Odsonne Edouard’s positions at half-time in last week’s 2-1 friendly win over Real Valladolid and it immediately paid off with the Ivory Coast international bagging a brace from a central role.
They are likely to form two thirds of Palace’s forward line against Fulham with Jordan Ayew and Eberechi Eze in contention for the other wide role.
Long-term absentees James McArthur (groin) and Nathan Ferguson (match fitness) remain under treatment after injury setbacks.
For Fulham, Aleksandar Mitrovic should be ready to return to the starting line-up after featuring from the start in all three of Serbia’s games at the World Cup and benefitting from three weeks’ rest following their exit at the group stage.
Mitrovic, Antonee Robinson and Joao Palhinha missed last Saturday’s 1-1 friendly draw against West Ham, but Fulham’s other World Cup call-ups were involved.
Issa Diop and Tosin Adarabioyo started in central defence with Tim Ream deployed at left-back, but that should change once Robinson is re-integrated to the side.
Neeskens Kebano (Achilles) remains out but fellow winger Manor Solomon has rejoined full team training after a knee problem and could be available to make his first appearance since the opening game of the season.
The stats
Defeat against Forest last time out was the Eagles’ first in their last nine Premier League games against newly-promoted teams.
Only Tottenham (13) have gained more points from losing positions than Palace (12) in the Premier League this campaign.
Five of Fulham’s six top-flight defeats this term have come against the teams currently occupying the top five positions in the table.
Palhinha leads the way in the Premier League for tackles with 65 — 13 more than the next player on the list (Tyler Adams of Leeds).
Prediction
Crystal Palace have conceded eight goals in seven home games in the Premier League while managing to keep just one clean sheet during that run.
The Whites’ cruel losses against Manchester City and United were, in part, down to game-management failures late in the two fixtures.
But they will have a better chance of retaining the ball from clearances and scoring more goals themselves with Mitrovic back in the side.
