After the much anticipated first win of the season coming at the Riverside Stadium last weekend, Palace look to build on the three points at home to Stoke City on Sunday.
Stoke have had a very poor opening to the 2016/17 Premier League campaign with their solitary point coming away at Middlesbrough away, leaves the Potters bottom of the table just four games in.
The match on Sunday is likely to be close with Palace looking to build on their two game unbeaten run while Stoke try to find their first win of the season. There will be some that will have this one down as a home banker on their betting slips but Palace have found wins hard to come by at Selhurst Park and face a Stoke side stinging after the big defeat to Spurs.
TEAM NEWS
CRYSTAL PALACE – The Eagles go into the match with Yohan Cabaye, Loïc Rémy, Frazier Campbell and Pape Souaré all unavalible. Bakary Sako resumed full training this week and could well be available for selection come Sunday. Connor Wickham and James Tomkins are both looking for a starting spot.
STOKE CITY – The Potters visit Selhurst Park with a handful of injuries providing Mark Hughes with an major headache this early on in the season. Stephen Ireland, Ibrahim Afellay and Jack Butland are out injured and unavalible for selection with Xherdan Shaqiri, Jakob Haugaard, Mame Biram Diouf and Glen Johnson are all doubtful.
ACTION REPLAY
Last time out Palace managed to come from a goal behind to beat Stoke 2-1 at Selhurst Park in the second to last Premier League game of the season. The visitors took the lead in the twenty-sixth minute when Marko Arnautovic set up Charlie Adam following a well worked team move. Dwight Gayle got on the end of a Yannick Bolaise cross to equalise just after half time and then found the net again in the sixty-eighth minute with a twenty-five yard free kick.
FORM GUIDE
Last FIVE meetings between the two sides;
- 07/05/2016: Palace 2-1 Stoke City
- 30/01/2016: Palace 1-0 Stoke City
- 19/12/2015: Stoke City 1-2 Palace
- 21/03/2015: Stoke City 1-2 Palace
- 13/12/2014: Palace 1-1 Stoke City
The last five meetings between Palace and Stoke appear to have gone one way or the other as the points are rarely shared. Palace have dominated recent meetings having won four out of the five and drawing the other meaning the Potters have some work to do if they want to change their fortunes against the Eagles.
Last FIVE results for Palace;
- 10/9/2016 – Middlesbrough 1-2 Palace
- 27/08/2016 – Palace 1-1 Bournemouth
- 23/08/2016 – Palace 2-0 Blackpool
- 20/08/2016 – Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Palace
- 13/08/2016 – Palace 0-1 West Bromwich Albion
Last FIVE results for Stoke;
- 10/09/2016: Stoke City 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur
- 27/08/2016: Everton 1-0 Stoke City
- 23/08/2016: Stevenage 0-4 Stoke City
- 20/08/2016: Manchester City 4-1 Stoke City
- 13/08/2016: Stoke City 1-1 Middlesbrough
FORM PLAYERS (courtesy of Who Scored)
JASON PUNCHEON (7.62) – Having started all Palace’s matches so far this season, Puncheon has been one of the highlights of the campaign. His role in midfield is crucial for Palace this season if summer signing Christian Benteke is to flourish at Selhurst Park as all the Belgian striker needs is a good delivery to find the net. Part of me was fairly pleased Palace did not complete the loan deal of Jack Wilshere because Puncheon’s place in the team would certainly have been in jeopardy and on form, the former Southampton and Queens Park Rangers midfielder can really knit the team together.
JOE ALLEN (6.86) – After excellent performances at Euro 2016 for Wales, Allen’s transfer from Liverpool to Stoke came as a bit of a surprise to many due to the interest from other clubs, particularly abroad. However, the £13million deal has proven productive for the Potters considering Allen has been their best player so far this season since making his full debut in the second game of the season.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
“They have a real good strike force there – Bony, Arnautovic, Shaqiri and Bojan are all great players. Stoke have had some tough fixtures. Mark Hughes is a great manager, he has done well to change their style. When you have had defeats against a club it makes you that bit more determined, so I am sure they will be motivated.” – ALAN PARDEW
“We have had a good week of training, the lads have been in good spirits and training well. We have not yet been able to produce a really strong ninety minute performance, but that will come, I am sure of it. Obviously, it is early season form and we have a number of players who are not maybe at the level that we know they are capable of.” – MARK HUGHES
ONE TO WATCH
GIANNELLI IMBULA
After arriving at the Bet365 Stadium from Portuguese side Porto in February 2016 for a club record £18.5million, Imbula has yet to prove his steep price tag at Stoke. The Belgian born midfielder has two goals to his name in England but has a lethal shot in his locker which fans of European football will know only too well. If he can add more of a final product to his game the former Marseille regular will go some way to proving that he was worth shelling out that kind of money on.
PREDICTION
Final league position – 10th
With the arrival of a natural goalscorer in the form of Wilfried Bony along with experienced defender Bruno Martins Indi, Stoke have been shrewd in the transfer window. Add to that the arrivals of Joe Allen and Ramadan Sobhi, the Potters squad has been significantly strengthened and I can see them pushing for a solid league finish and a decent cup run.
- TEB prediction – draw
- The Bear Pit TV prediction (see link below) – away win
- Who Scored prediction – home win
BETTING ODDS (courtesy of Paddy Power)
- Home – evens
- Draw – 23/10
- Away – 3/1
- Both teams to score 10/11
Find our what Tom from The Bear Pit TV told TEB this week in The Stoke View.
