The Eagles head North this weekend to take on newly promoted Sunderland who have impressed many with their performances in this first half of the season.
The hosts have been a surprise this season which included handing Everton a cup exit last weekend in the FA Cup Third Round.
For the Eagles, it is much to do with damage limitation after their cup exit at the hands of Macclesfield.
However, one bonus has been no fixtures for a week heading into this fixture so Oliver Glasner will have had the novelty of being out on the training pitch and spending much needed time with the players.
In terms of personnel, Ismaila Sarr will not return from the AFCON until next week after Senegal reached the final which will be played on Sunday. Chris Richards returned for the cup tie last week but Jefferson Lerma also returns to action after a bout of concussion.
We await the return of Diachi Kamada, Daniel Munoz, and Eddie Nketiah but we can look forward to seeing more of new signing Brennan Johnson, with the expectation of more to come.
Palace are on a horrid run of form and lacking confidence at the moment with no win in nine games. Their last victory was in the Conference League against Shelbourne, the weekend before that was the victory at Fulham in the Premier League on 7 December.
Hopefully much needed time on the training pitch will pay dividends for the players and coaches to discuss the failings and make plans ahead of taking on Sunderland, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest over the next three weeks.
It is clear that fresh blood is needed to boost this talented group of individuals, but that level of class just does not disappear. The injuries have had a distinct effect combined with a very heavy fixture list over a number of weeks.
Obviously, there is a concern that the club will find it hard to hold on to players as well as trying to bring them in with consistent rumours about Marc Guehi with Manchester City apparently heavily interested. The centre back is not the only one creating interest, as Jean-Philippe Mateta has caught the attention of Juventus.
The form has to change at some point, so why not this weekend at the Stadium of Light?
📰 Recent Form & Context
Sunderland (10th in the table)
- Awaiting comeback of AFCON players Diarra and Talbi; Reinildo likely available; Brobbey fit after precautionary sub at Everton.
- They’re defensively solid, drawing 4 of their last 5 league games and unbeaten in 11 of 12 at home.
- Scored just 1 goal per game on average, challenging offensively.
Crystal Palace (13th in the table)
- Struggling: winless in 8–9 matches across all competitions; eliminated from FA Cup by Macclesfield.
- Missing key players: Sarr (AFCON), Lerma (concussion returned), plus Kamada, Doucouré, Clyne, Munoz, Nketiah unavailable or doubtful.
- Scoring woes: only 2 goals in last 5 games; Mateta (8 league goals) remains their main threat.
🔍 Head-to-Head Record
- In their last 9 meetings: Sunderland have 3 wins, Palace 3, and 3 draws.
- Over the last 16 encounters: each side has 6 wins, with 4 draws (across all competitions).
- Most recent Premier League match at Selhurst Park ended 0-0.
📊 Key Stats & Insights
- Both teams are defensively resilient: Sunderland conceded ~1.05 goals/game, Palace ~1.10.
- Under 2.5 goals has featured in 4 of Sunderland’s last 5, and 4 of Palace’s last 5 matches.
- xG models suggest a tight contest:
- 1x probability: ~37%, draw ~32%, Palace win ~31%.
- xGscore predicts a 1.3–1.3 score line — draw favoured.
📋 Team News
Sunderland
- Out: Diarra, Talbi (AFCON); Alese, Abdullahi (long-term).
- Doubts: Traoré (post-AFCON).
- Available: Brobbey, Reinildo.
Crystal Palace
- Out: Sarr (AFCON), Kamada, Doucouré, Clyne, Munoz, Nketiah, Kporha, Cardines.
- Return: Lerma fit to re-join squad.
📈 Predictions & Betting Trends
- Many tipsters expect a low-scoring draw (<2.5 goals) — likely 0-0 or 1-1.
- Bookmakers’ odds reflect the closeness:
- Draw: ~3.12; Sunderland win ~2.67–2.82; Palace win ~2.73–2.84.
- Popular tips:
- Double Chance: 1X (Sunderland win or draw) at ~1.48–1.50.
- Under 2.5 goals due to both sides’ scoring struggles.
- BTTS is disputed—some models say yes (~58%), others think no (~58%).
🏟️ Summary
Expect a tightly contested match, with both defences likely to dominate. Sunderland, hosting, look marginally stronger, but neither side offers much going forward. A low-scoring draw seems the most probable outcome.
Likely Scorelines: 0‑0 or 1‑1
Key Picks: Draw; Under 2.5 goals; Double Chance 1X
Officials
- Referee: Rob Jones
- Assistants: Eddie Smart, Nick Greenhalgh
- Fourth official: Leigh Doughty
- VAR: Peter Bankes
- Assistant VAR: Blake Antrobus
