England Premier League
Tuesday 30th January 2024
Kick off at 8pm GMT
Venue: Selhurst Park
Match Preview:
There will be a lot of focus on this game because it could end up being manager Roy Hodgson’s last ever if Crystal Palace were to lose. Hodgson is set to retire at 76 at the end of the season but he could be picking up his P45 much sooner than that. There can be no room for sympathy it seems in this game and Hodgson’s Palace side could well get themselves into a relegation battle if they do not find form. Currently the Eagles are in 15th place with 21 points and are only five points clear of the bottom three. They have only been able to earn 5 points from their last 15 on offer and in their last game they were beaten 5-0 by Arsenal. Palace’s last home game finished in a good 3-1 win over Brentford and even though Hodgson has faced immense pressure it would have looked perhaps odd to have sacked him for losing away even though it was heavy against a side like Arsenal. There can be no excuses here though as Palace take on the side in bottom place.
Sheffield United have 10 points and are seven from safety. The Blades drew 2-2 against West Ham in their last league game, but that looked to be heading for what would have been their 16th loss of the season before the club were awarded a penalty in the very final minute of injury time. It’s been almost two months since the club last won a game and Chris Wilder’s reappointment seems like a long time ago now and the new manager's honeymoon period seems well over. It’s not going to help that the club has the worst away record in the league with a stunning 2 points won from a possible 30, they have also only scored 5 goals so far on the road. The club's last away game ended in a 2-0 defeat against Manchester City.
Team News:
Crystal Palace: Jordan Ayew is on international duty, Michael Olise remains a major doubt with a hamstring injury. Rob Holding has an ankle injury and isn’t expected to make this game. Joel Ward is out long term with a hamstring injury and Chieck Doucoure is out for the season with an Achilles injury
Sheffield United: Rhian Brewster is suspended and not due back for 10 days. George Baldock is struggling with a muscle injury, Chris Basham remains sidelined for an extended period with a leg injury. Tom Davies is only 50/50 to return because of a lack of match fitness, John Egan is out with a leg injury, Daniel Jebbison looks set to miss out again with illness and Max Lowe is only 50/50 to return due to a muscle injury but may be assessed
Crystal Palace vs Sheffield Utd Head to Head:
The last time the clubs played here was in 2021 and Crystal Palace won 2-0.
Crystal Palace have won the last 3 meetings.
The last six meetings have all seen under 2.5 goals.
Crystal Palace vs Sheffield Utd Prediction:
Crystal Palace have had the better of their opponents recently and with this being an evening home game we only see one winner here. The players will give everything as everyone knows that fail here and most probably Hodgson will be sacked. It might of course just be a stay of execution for the veteran manager but these things have to be taken one game at a time. Palace have the quality to win and being at home will be a huge advantage for them.
Sheffield United really needed this type of game to be Chris Wilder’s first in charge because already they seemed to have lost that spark. Still these games have been close recently and we expect the Blades to have their chances, can they take them? That is the big question. We believe they will come up short and will be backing the home side.
Crystal Palace vs Sheffield Utd Betting Tips:
Crystal Palace to beat Sheffield United at 1.57
Anytime goalscorer: Odsonne Edouard at 2.50
Correct Score: Crystal Palace to win 1-0 or 2-0 at 6.00 and 7.00
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