A trip to South Wales is the next on the list for Palace to try and get out of this dreaded run or form having lost five Premier League games in a row and not won for seven.
Saving their best form for the FA Cup is one thing but the Eagles simply cannot buy a point in the league since the goalless draw at Selhurst Park at the end of 2015. The mounting injury crisis will not help matters with the news that James McArthur will miss the rest of the season after tearing ankle ligaments and Jason Puncheon will face some time out with a hamstring pull.
The home defeat to Bournemouth puts the South London club under pressure to bring something back from the Liberty Stadium and face a team that are starting to find their form again under their new manager. It has been a tough season for the Swans which saw the end of club favourite Garry Monk in charge. It was a surprise decision by a club that many have looked on fondly with an aim of emulating so their current predicament at the wrong end of the table was not predicted.
Team News
Crystal Palace – Injury concerns mount for Pardew with Jason Puncheon and James McArthur new additions to the treatment room alongside continued absentees Yannick Bolasie, Bakary Sako and Kwesi Appiah. Dwight Gayle and Sulley KaiKai could force their way into contention after injury while Connor Wickham serves the final match of his ban. Yohan Cabaye and Joe Ledley are expected to return.
Swansea City – Only injury worry for the Swans is South Korean Ki Sung-yeung while new signing Alberto Paloschi is pushing for a start.
Action Replay
Not much to write home about from the last meeting which was a goalless draw at Selhurst Park at the end of December which included a rare second half outing for former loan striker Patrick Bamford. The previous meeting in May 2015 was once again in South London where the Eagles ran out winners courtesy of a solitary goal from Marouane Chamakh.
Form Guide
Palace have only managed one point from the last six Premier League games which was when these two sides last met. In contrast, the Swans have performed much better with eight points from six games (two wins and two draws).
In the last six between the two sides, Swansea just have the edge with two wins to just the one for Palace and three draws.
Form Players (courtesy of Who Scored)
It says a lot when the two highest rated players for Palace have had spells out injured lately but Yohan Cabaye (7.30) leads the way from Yannick Bolasie (7.18) and Scott Dann (7.10). For Swansea, big defender Ashley Williams (7.20) tops the list from Andre Ayew (7.00).
One To Watch
Alberto Paloschi
Goals have been a problem or the Swans this season so the addition of the former Chievo player will prove to be a good signing is he can acclimatise to the Premier League. Adding to the Italian theme at the Liberty, Paloschi cored 40 goals in 139 appearances at Chievo after joining from Genoa after previously appearing for Parma and AC Milan where he began his career. The 26 year old has performed at youth level for Italy but has not made an appearance for the senior side to date.
Predictions
Final league position – 15th
It has been an odd season down in South Wales and one that they have not been particularly used to. The departure of Garry Monk was on the cards after a poor run of form. There are signs lately that the Swans are coming out the other side with Italian Francesco Guidolin at the helm. The sixty year old has a wealth of experience having managed over fifteen sides, mostly in Italy including Udinese and Parma. His playing career was mostly at Verona and Venezia in the last seventies and early eighties.
It will be certainly be interesting to see how the experienced manager gets one in the Premier League having only managed one team outside of Italy which was Monaco in 2005/06.
- TEB prediction – draw
- Guto Llewelyn prediction (see link below) – draw
- Who Scored prediction – home win
Betting Odds (courtesy of Paddy Power)
- Home 13/10
- Draw 11/5
- Away 23/10
Find our what Swans fan Guto Llewelyn from The JackCast told TEB this week in The Swansea View.
