A midweek trip up to Turf Moor beckons for the Eagles as they look to end a run of back-to-back losses in games of missed chances and missed opportunities.
Defeats in Strasbourg and again at home to United on Sunday has left plenty of question marks, not least from manager Oliver Glasner.
The Austrian lost his patience and made it clear that the board had not done enough heading into a season of so much promise but with a very small squad.
It is likely that the ankle injury suffered by Ismaila Sarr against United was the last straw which encouraged Glasner to make his feelings clear in the post match interviews, as well as the manner of the defeat at Selhurst.
There really are no excuses, and that is something that we have learnt from the Palace boss, so it is straight into another Premier League game with a third of the season done.
This is the first of three away games in a row, and it looks to be only Sarr will be joining Borna Sosa in the treatment room and miss out with potential ankle ligament damage. It is hoped that he will be fit to join Senegal for the AFCON, so it is unlikely that we will see him play for Palace before then.
The absence of Sarr will be an opportunity for another player with Eddie Nketiah favourite to take the starting spot. However, Glasner has made it clear that a number of different players are in contention, as while Daichi Kamada can also fill the role, Romain Esse, Christantus Uche, and Justin Devenny are in contention.
Having witnessed the last couple of games, it is clear that Palace need to improve on their conversion rate. There is not a problem creating chances, it is converting them has been the problem against both Strasbourg and United. Having done so would have put the pressure back on the opposition, which Glasner and his team will already be very well aware of.
Much has been made by the media on the comments made by Glasner, but his comments in the pre-match press conference is a typical retort from the former Frankfurt boss;
“I will sleep well if the club buy no players. I will sleep well if the club buy five players. I think the chance of playing a fantastic season increases if we add one or two players with the right profile in the right positions.”
Never a truer word spoken.
Current Form & Table Position
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Burnley:
- 19th place, 10 points from 13 games (3W, 1D, 9L).
- Coming off four straight defeats, most recently a 3-1 loss to Brentford.
- Home form: 1 win in last 6 at Turf Moor, only 5 goals scored at home all season.
- Defensive struggles: conceded in five consecutive games, 24 goals allowed overall.
- Key stat: Burnley have not drawn in 19 of their last 20 matches.
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Crystal Palace:
- 9th place, 20 points (5W, 5D, 3L).
- Lost last two matches: 2-1 vs Man United and 2-1 vs Strasbourg in Europe.
- Away form: strong – only Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs have more away points; just 4 goals conceded in 6 away games.
- Overall defensive record: league-low 9 goals conceded, 6 clean sheets.
Head-to-Head
- 55 meetings: Burnley 21 wins, Palace 15, Draws 19.
- Recent trend: Palace unbeaten in last 4 vs Burnley, including a 3-0 win in Feb 2024 and 2-0 win in Nov 2023.
Team News
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Burnley:
- Injuries: Connor Roberts, Jordan Beyer, Zeki Amdouni all out.
- Possible changes: Armando Broja, Marcus Edwards, Lesley Ugochukwu could start.
- Key man: Zian Flemming (4 goals this season).
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Crystal Palace:
- Ismaila Sarr out (ankle injury); Eddie Nketiah likely to start.
- Limited rotation options due to small squad.
- Key man: Jean-Philippe Mateta (penalty vs Man United, 100 career goals).
Predicted Lineups
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Burnley (4-2-3-1):
Dubravka; Walker, Tuanzebe, Estève, Hartman; Florentino, Cullen; Tchaouna, Ugochukwu, Flemming; Foster. -
Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1):
Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi; Muñoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Pino, Nketiah; Mateta.
Key Stats
- Burnley: averages 1.2 goals scored, 2.1 conceded per game.
- Palace: averages 1.3 goals scored, 0.9 conceded per game.
- Burnley have lost 4 in a row, Palace have lost 2 in a row but remain solid defensively.
Prediction
- Most analysts favour Crystal Palace due to their defensive strength and Burnley’s poor form.
- Common predicted score line:
- 1-2 to Crystal Palace (Ladbrokes)
- Some suggest a draw (NBC Sports: 1-1), but Palace are slight favourites.
