A small gap separates Palace from visitors Everton and a win for the hosts will take them above the Toffees in the Premier League table.
Both teams will know this and due to their almost identical poor run of form, will want the three points more than ever. With this in mind, the game is destined to be tight and opportunities are likely to be at a premium. Palace and Everton were tipped for high finishes at the beginning of the season but, with teams like Leicester City, West Ham United, Southampton and Stoke City having exceptional campaigns, finishing in the bottom half soon became a reality for both sides.
Everton appear to have an issue in their defence this season which will undoubtedly work in Palace’s favour with Yannick Bolaise and Wilfried Zaha on the flanks. Romelu Lukaku will be testing on the Palace back line with his strength, pace and eye for goal. Following their frustrating draw at Watford, the Toffees will be keen to get back to winning ways.
After beating Norwich City on Saturday the Palace spirits are high and boss Alan Pardew will aim to create a run of wins to overtake teams into the mid-table positions. Both teams have something to play for and with this being said, it is hard to see a winner prevailing.
Team News
Crystal Palace – James McArthur is not expected to return until later this month while Emmanuel Adebayor (knock) is doubtful for this one. No return dates set for Marouane Chamakh (groin), Brede Hangeland (knock) or Kwesi Appiah (knee)
Everton – Both Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman are doubts after picking up knocks while Phil Jagielka (hamstring) and Ross Barkley (knee) and expected to miss out.
Action Replay
The previous fixture took place at Goodison Park in December and ended with the two teams sharing the points. After some excellent rear guard action the visiting Eagles took the lead through Liverpool born defender Scott Dann with just fourteen minutes left to play. The hosts got back level courtesy of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku just five minutes later.
Form Guide
Last six games between the two sides;
- 7th December 2015: Everton 1-1 Crystal Palace
- 31st January 2015: Crystal Palace 0-1 Everton
- 21st September 2014: Everton 2-3 Crystal Palace
- 16th April 2014: Everton 2-3 Crystal Palace
- 9th November 2013: Crystal Palace 0-0 Everton
- 4th August 2007: Crystal Palace 0-0 Everton
Everton won one, drawn one and lost four in the last six Premier League games compared with Palace who have managed one win, two draws and three losses.
Form Players
Ross Barkley (7.45), Yohan Cabaye (7.27), Romelu Lukaku (7.26), Ramiro Funes Mori (7.21), Yannick Bolasie (7.14),
One To Watch
Romelu Lukaku
Perhaps an easy choice but the big Belgian will be the focus point during the game in SE25 after scoring in the last three meetings between the two sides. The striker has netted eighteen goals this season, the third highest in the league (joint with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero) and will be determined to keep that going to match Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane before the season ends. As it turns out, Chelsea made a mistake letting the twenty-two year old leave Stamford Bridge in 2014 and are rumoured to be after his signature this summer with Diego Costa destined to leave for Madrid. Chelsea are not the only club after Lukaku, he has a long list of admirers after stating publicly that he wants to play Champions League football.
It will be a surprise to see the Antwerp born player remain at Goodison Park for start of next season but nevertheless he will be a real threat in this fixture.
Predictions
Final league position – 11th
Everton have a handful of winnable matches in their sights as the season comes to a close. They are likely to finish mid-table and a place in the FA Cup final may not be enough to save Roberto Martinez from the sack after coming under a lot of criticism this season. The real feeling is that he has taken the club as far as he can.
- TEB prediction – draw
- Charlie Magee-Wood prediction (see link below) – draw
- Who Scored prediction – away win
Betting Odds (courtesy of Paddy Power)
- Home 15/8
- Draw 23/10
- Away 6/4
- Both teams to score 4/6
Find our what Toffees fan Charlie Magee-Wood told TEB this week in The Everton View.
