Premier League outfit Crystal Palace will be looking to get back to winning ways then they travel across London to take on Chelsea on Saturday. The fixture is scheduled as the first game to kick-off that weekend and is set to be played out at an empty Stamford Bridge. Roy Hodgson’s side will be able to take great motivation from the fact that Chelsea haven’t won any of their last three fixtures across all competitions. Their latest defeat came in the form of a shootout loss to fellow London rivals Tottenham in the Carabao Cup this Tuesday.
Crystal Palace started the season in blistering fashion after picking up two wins from their first two games. Not only did they collect all six points, but they also managed to overcome the challenge of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United. Having lost their most recent outing to Everton though, the Eagles will be eager to get back on track in the league. Chelsea aren’t coming into this tie in the greatest run of form, which means that Hodgson’s side will be hopeful of their chances of picking up a win.
Team News
Michy Batshuayi is one of the few players who will play no part in the game against Chelsea, as he is unable to face his parent club. Jeffrey Schlupp missed the defeat to Everton with a slight strain and was replaced by Eberechi Eze. Expect the winger to make his way back into the squad for this tie though. Central defenders James Tomkins and Gary Cahill are both ruled out of contention, while full-back Patrick Van-Aanholt is also unavailable for selection. Scott Dann is another name that’s unlikely to feature against the Blues this weekend.
Here Is The Predicted 4-4-2 Crystal Palace Lineup Vs Chelsea:
Predicted 4-4-2 Crystal Palace Lineup Vs Chelsea
Defence
Vicente Guaita has started the new league season in sensational form, and the Spaniard is likely to retain his place in between the sticks for this trip to West London. In front of him, considering the number of injuries that Palace are currently facing in this area, the two players who started the last game are expected to continue. Cheikou Kouyate should start as a makeshift centre-half alongside the dominant presence of former Liverpool man Mamadou Sakho. With injuries in the full-back area as well, Joel Ward and Tyrick Mitchell should start down the sides of the defence.
Midfield
Roy Hodgson’s decision to revert to a classic 4-4-2 has yielded positive results for the Eagles. Jeffrey Schlupp started the first couple of games before a leg strain kept him out of the Everton defeat. Despite his return, expect Hodgson to stick with Eze on the flank, and try to give Chelsea the same kind of problems that West Brom did last weekend. James McArthur and James McCarthy are expected to continue in the heart of midfield, with English speedster Andros Townsend over on the opposite flank.
Attack
With Michy Batshuayi unavailable for selection for this tie, picking the Palace front-two is probably the easiest job there is. Ivorian trickster Wilfried Zaha was the star of the show in the win against Manchester United, and he is hence likely to keep his place up front. Alongside Zaha, expect to see Ghanaian striker Jordan Ayew leading the line. The 29-year-old attacker has been a revolution since joining Palace, and Roy Hodgson should retain his trust in the former Swansea City man.
