The Eagles ended a run of fixtures without a win with victory at Anfield in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening which was incredibly the third time this season we have seen off reigning champions Liverpool.
The reward for that result, even if it was against a side that contained more youth players than first teamers, is a return to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal, a repeat of the draw for the quarter finals last season.
That does present a potentially problematic run of fixtures in December with the EFL Cup squeezing an already tight calendar, but that is what you have to endure being successful, right?
It was an impressive performance against Liverpool once again as Ismaila Sarr continued to be the Reds nemesis with a brace, and wonderful to see Yeremy Pino open his Palace account with a good all round game.
A downside to the game was another hamstring injury for Eddie Nketiah who was taken off at the break for Jean-Philippe Mateta. That will add to the workload for the Frenchman over the coming weeks at a time where the games come thicker and faster.
Off the back of defeats to Everton and Arsenal in the Premier League and AEK Larnaca in the Conference League, it was an important win on the road heading into the fixtures against Brentford, AZ Alkmaar, and Brighton heading into the next international break.
This weekends opponents have enjoyed a good run off, a demolition of Grimsby in the EFL Cup after wins over Liverpool and West Ham. That has the Bees on the same points as Palace in the Premier League, and facing Manchester City in the EFL Cup.
New boss Keith Andrews has his side playing good football this season which has seen them pick up several good results. Many thought the club would face a struggle after Thomas Franck left for Spurs in the summer, but there have been no signs of that just yet.
Oliver Glasner will be hoping that the Eagles can build up some momentum off the back of the Liverpool result, and heading into their third Conference league fixture at home to the AZ next week.
🦅 Crystal Palace
- Form: Mixed. Wins over Liverpool and West Ham show attacking promise, but losses to Arsenal and Everton highlight defensive vulnerabilities.
- Recent Results:
- ✅ 2-1 vs Liverpool (H)
- ✅ 2-1 vs West Ham (A)
- ❌ 0-1 vs Arsenal (A)
- ❌ 1-2 vs Everton (A)
- ⚖️ 3-3 vs Bournemouth (H)
- Key Players:
- Jean-Philippe Mateta – 3 goals recently, strong presence up front.
- Ismaïla Sarr – pace and creativity on the break.
- Yéremi Pino – adds flair in attack.
- Injuries: Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad, Caleb Kporha all out. Chris Richards, and Eddie Nketiah are questionable.
🐝 Brentford
- Form: Strong. Wins over Liverpool, West Ham, and Manchester United show they can compete with top sides.
- Recent Results:
- ✅ 3-2 vs Liverpool (H)
- ✅ 2-0 vs West Ham (A)
- ❌ 1-3 vs Fulham (A)
- ❌ 0-1 vs Man City (A)
- ✅ 3-1 vs Man United (H)
- Key Players:
- Igor Thiago – clinical finisher, especially from the spot.
- Injuries: Antoni Milambo, and Josh Dasilva out. Yehor Yarmolyuk and Aaron Hickey are questionable.
🔍 Tactical Outlook
- Crystal Palace: Likely to use a 3-4-2-1 formation. Expect high pressing and quick transitions, especially exploiting Brentford’s high defensive line.
- Brentford: Expected to stick with a 4-2-3-1 setup, focusing on counter-attacks and compact defensive shape.
📊 Prediction
- Most common prediction: Crystal Palace 2-1 Brentford
- Palace’s home form and attacking edge could give them the slight advantage, but Brentford’s resilience and recent form make this a tight contest.
