Crystal Palace will be eyeing their first win of the season as they welcome Swansea City to the Selhurst Park in the third round of the Premier League. The Eagles have had a difficult start under their new manager Frank de Boer.
The Dutch gaffer, however, brought some stability to the side after he recorded his first competitive win when they got the better of Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup. This will be Palace’s second home match since Huddersfield Town shocked them by pumping in three goals.
Expectations will be high following their impressive display against Ipswich and De Boer would be hoping to bank on the momentum. Both Palace and Swansea kept themselves submerged in the relegation zone throughout the last season but managed to hold their head high following a late flurry of form.
Had it not been for the stewardship of Paul Clement, Swansea would surely have been competing in the Championship now. There were initial doubts over his capabilities but the subsequent results have helped ease those fears.
Injury News and Predicted Lineups
Crystal Palace
Ruben Loftus-Cheek picked up a groin injury in training and is set to miss the match. Wilfried Zaha has made rapid progress since injuring his knee but this match could be too soon for him.
Jairo Riedewald is carrying an injury but he should get match fit before this crucial encounter.
Hennessey; Tomkins, Dann, Fosu-Mensah; Aanholt, McArthur, Milivojevic, Schulpp; Townsend, Puncheon, Benteke.
Swansea City
It remains to be seen how Clement deals with the departure of Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Icelandic playmaker was a key man for the Welsh side as they successfully escaped the drop last term.
Sam Clucas could be unleashed straight to the starting lineup after he moved to the Liberty Stadium from Hull. Captain Leon Britton is also in the contention to feature against the Eagles.
Fabianski; Olsson, Mawson, Fernandez, Naughton; Mesa, Clucas, Fer; Ayew, Abraham, Routledge.
Key Players
Swansea City
Alfie Mawson has been an undisputed leader in the backline and he needs to be at the top of his game to nullify any danger that comes his way. Palace do have a very exciting bunch of attackers and Mawson should tighten himself up for this match.
Christian Benteke
The Belgian forward has been the centrifugal force for the Eagles and his physical attributes could come in handy against the Swans.
Odds
Crystal Palace- 19/20
Draw- 5/2
Swansea City- 10/3
