Crystal Palace vs Burnley
Date: 13/02/2021
K/O: 15:00
Venue: Selhurst Park
Referee: Michael Oliver
TV: Sky Sports
It’s a rare occurrence in the modern game, but this weekend we’ll see two English managers face-off, both of whom opting for the classic 4-4-2 formation.
Burnley travel to south London this weekend, looking to end a three-game winless streak in the league. Palace on the other hand have won two of their previous three matches, though were outclassed against Leeds last weekend.
A timid performance from the Eagles showed just how important Wilfred Zaha is to Roy Hodgson’s team. Palace have lost seventeen of the previous nineteen games without their talisman and they need to find a solution quickly, with Zaha now injured in fear of being dragged into the relegation dog fight. With no return date set for the once England international, someone will need to fill the void, with Eberechi Eze being the obvious choice, who has been one of the signings of the season so far.
As for Burnley, they’ll be hoping one of their own most influential players can make a return. Chris Wood has missed the previous three fixtures in all competitions and in truth, Burnley have lacked a cutting edge in attack during this time. Though he only has four goals to his name this season, this is a greater tally than Matej Vydra, Jay Rodriguez and Ashley Barnes combined. He scored the winner in a 1-0 victory when these two teams last met earlier on in the season and will be sorely missed this weekend.
Team News
Crystal Palace
As already mentioned, Zaha is still unavailable for selection with a hamstring injury. This injury took Palace to ten players missing for the previous fixture, which meant they could only field six subs. All ten players still remain a doubt for the visit of Burnley which includes, Ferguson, Hennessey, McArthur, McCarthy, Sakho, Schlupp, Tomkins, Ward, Wickham and Zaha.
Van Aanholt was pushed forward into left midfield for the previous fixture and will likely keep his place unless Roy Hodgson opts to play Townsend in an unfamiliar position. Mateta partnered Ayew in attack for the trip to Leeds for his club debut, but his place in the team may be in contention with the manager opting for a greater physical presence from Batshuayi or Benteke.
Burnley
There’s nothing new on the injury front for Burnley this weekend, with Brady, Taylor, Brownhill and Wood all doubts for the visit of Leeds. The Clarets made eight changes for the FA Cup loss against Bournemouth in the week, so should be fresh for the upcoming fixture. The back four and goalkeeper were all rested, who may be in for a physical battle this weekend if Palace opt for Benteke and Batshuayi in attack. Burnley’s best hope, in my eyes, comes from the counter who can expose a lack of pace in the Palace backline. I believe we’ll see the same starting XI who faced Brighton last weekend, with the only exception being who will partner Barnes in attack?
Predicted Starting XIs
Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Guaita, Clyne, Dann, Cahil, Mitchell, Townsend, Milivojevic, Reidewald, Eze, Ayew, Benteke
Burnley (4-4-2): Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Gudmundsson, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Barnes, Vydra
Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-0 Burnley
Palace will be looking for an instant response from their lacklustre performance against Leeds. They couldn’t cope with the constant attack and pressure from Bielsa’s team and offered little in attack themselves. Burnley on the other hand, are the polar opposite to Leeds, who get their plaudits for being difficult to beat from astute defensive performances.
Palace will more than likely dominate the possession, but will they have the creative spark to breach the stubborn Burnley defence without the club’s talisman? I’ve already mentioned the host’s dismal record without Zaha in the team and I can’t see this improving with the visit of Burnley. I believe it’s a game that screams 0-0, with Burnley forcing the hosts into the wider areas of the pitch. From here, the central defensive pairing of Mee and Tarkowski will more than happily be ready to head away any crosses into their penalty area; the type of players who start the day by head butting their alarm clocks. A bore draw is what I’m expecting.
