England Premier League
Monday 12th February 2024
Kick off at 8pm GMT
Venue: Selhurst Park
Match Preview:
Roy Hodgson’s job and possible career hang on a thread as his side will take on Chelsea in what looks on paper at least to be a very tricky tie. Hodgson was under threat a few weeks ago but his players came rallying round as they came from behind to beat Sheffield United 3-2, that felt like a job saver. However in Palace’s following match it felt like business as usual as they were hammered 4-1 against Brighton. The heat is on then for Hodgson and his side who come into this game in 15th place with 24 points but are just five shy of the bottom three. Recent form has seen 3 defeats from their last five games and at home the Eagles have lost 5 times and won just three games. There is some light at the end of the tunnel perhaps because although overall form has not been good enough home form has improved and has seen not only two wins in a row but they have gone unbeaten at home for the past three games and their last loss here came back at the beginning of December and that was against Liverpool. Palace could also move up to 13th with victory and that would start to paint a very different picture all of a sudden.
Chelsea were heavily criticised last weekend as they were soundly beaten 4-2 at home to Wolves this followed a 4-1 battering at Liverpool and has led some to believe that manager Mauricio Pochettino’s job could be on the line. However in midweek the Blues pulled off a fantastic 3-1 victory in the FA Cup away to Aston Villa, a game that the Blues were expected to struggle in. For this season they may as well be dubbed the ‘cup team’ following their upcoming appearance in the EFL Cup final where they will play Liverpool. Chelsea have lost two games on the spin but they had won their last 3 games before that and the Villa victory one would think would have put them back on course and focused to win in this clash.
With a win Chelsea would go past Wolves and into 10th place and that could then put them in the mix for a strong finish and to try and be in the hunt for a final European place so there is much to play for in the league even if the Blues come into this game a huge 23 points behind the league leaders Liverpool. Chelsea’s recent away form has been dreadful with 4 defeats from their last five and they have managed to lose 6 games from 11 played. Their only recent away win came against Luton in a match that was close and finished 3-2.
Team News:
Crystal Palace: Joel Ward will be assessed for fitness issues, Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Marc Guehi and Rob Holding are all out with no fixed return dates.
Chelsea: Levi Colwill is being tipped to be included in the squad following a tendon injury. Trevoh Chabolah could be assessed for fitness issues, Benoit Badiashile is a major doubt with a muscle injury. Robert Sanchez is recovering well from a knee injury but this game will come too soon for him. Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Lesley Ugochukwu, Romeo Lavia and Marc Cucurella all remain sidelined.
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea Head to Head:
Last season Chelsea won this fixture 2-1.
Chelsea have won the last 13 meetings in a row and it’s been over six years since Crystal Palace beat them.
There is a 60% chance to see over 2.5 goals.
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea Prediction:
We will be backing Chelsea to get the win and they are decent value even if odds on to win. Chelsea can be unpredictable and losing at home to Wolves felt like a real shock because they were starting to stabilise. There are many problems at the club but they still have the players and are set up to have a strong finish to the season. Chelsea will be in good spirits after beating Aston Villa in their FA Cup game and will surely be taking that momentum into this game.
Crystal Palace will battle at home but if they concede first against the Blues it is hard to see them coming back, let’s also remember that their record over Chelsea is very poor and this game could well spell more misery for the Eagles.
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea Betting Tips:
Chelsea to beat Crystal Palace at 1.72
Anytime goalscorer: Nicolas Jackson at 2.75
Anytime goalscorer: Mykhaylo Mudryk at 4.00
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