Free-falling Crystal Palace will be looking to get their first Premier League win of 2016 when they take on 16th placed Bournemouth on Tuesday night at Selhurst Park.
The Eagles were defeated 3-1 in their last outing against Tottenham, also their fourth successive loss in the league. There was one shining light from the game though, as they finally scored a goal in 2016, albeit off the boot of Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen after he steered a Wilfried Zaha cross into his own net.
Bournemouth come in on a two game unbeaten run, taking a point against Sunderland away from home in a game they may feel they should have been able to win after dominating for large periods.
With both sides claiming wins in the FA Cup over the weekend, they are coming into the midweek with some form behind them and that should ensure an entertaining match.
WIN: A £50 voucher from Classic Football Shirts up for grabs!
Key Battle – Wilfried Zaha vs Charlie Daniels
After a strong showing in the FA Cup clash with Stoke City, Zaha will be going into the game with confidence after scoring a goal. This came after his teammates in the midfield were able to be more threatening as a whole, something that was missing since Yannick Bolasie got injured. This will again be a key for success in the game because of the way they set up, relying on speed from out wide which will be coming from Zaha. This is where Daniels will have to be alert to any threats that the energetic winger may be looking to create.
POPULAR ARTICLES
La Liga – What We Learned – FC Barcelona 2 Atlético Madrid 1
La Liga – Tactical Analysis – Villarreal 1 Granada 0
Eder a decent signing, but not the man to return Inter to Champions League
Team News
Crystal Palace have the potential to make some changes that will really impact the way they play. Bolasie is a chance to return after over a month out, while new signing Emmanuel Adebayor could make his debut for the Eagles, with the side hoping the Togolese striker will end their goal woes. There is a cloud over Yohan Cabaye who picked up an ankle injury in the FA Cup clash with Stoke City and Connor Wickham is also unavailable after receiving a three game suspension for elbowing Vertonghen.
Bournemouth are able to name an unchanged lineup from the 1-1 draw with Sunderland, with no new injuries or suspensions to deal with. Matt Ritchie is still unavailable with a thigh issue and striker Callum Wilson is still at least two months away from returning after picking up an ACL injury.
Head-to-head
There has only been one meeting between the two sides in top flight football, which ended in a 0-0 draw in a game where Crystal Palace failed to register a shot on goal and Bournemouth were by far the better side for much of the match.
[interaction id=”56aedfba8b03d1a947e6dd67″]
Prediction
Both need the three point from this game for different reasons. Bournemouth are currently siting in 16th place just four points outside the relegation zone, so a win would give them space depending on other results and could rise as high as 14th. The Eagles are still without a Premier League victory since before Christmas and have fallen from European contenders to fighting for a top 10 position, however, a positive result would see them rise as high as seventh.
With so much at stake it seems unlikely that another 0-0 score line will be seen again in this match.
Crystal Palace 2 Bournemouth 1
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
