Crystal Palace vs Leicester City
Date: 03/11/2019
K/O: 14:00
Venue: Selhurst Park
TV: Sky Sports
Referee: Paul Tierney
In one of the more unorthodox top-six clashes, Crystal Palace welcome last week’s record-breakers Leicester City to their fortress in south London.
Despite an average ladder position of 16 (15.75), Palace have won the last four games, on aggregate, by an inconceivable 13-1 despite Leicester having an average ladder position of 9 (9.25) at the time of the games, in comparison.
Leicester’s atrocious form against Palace was prevalent only before Brendan Rodgers took charge and it also coincidentally coincided with the arrival (July 2017) and departure (July 2019) of £85 million Harry Maguire.
Since Rodgers’ arrival on the 26th of February, both teams have remained entrenched in the top-six, proving their hot starts to this season are no fluke.
On talent, it would not be untoward to state that Leicester’s current squad is superior to the title-winning wonder-men of 2015-16. Sitting third in the table, just two points shy of their ‘City’ compatriots hailing from Manchester, Leicester now have the goal records and a goal difference to compete with the two behemoths above them.
They also have the two highest non-Manchester City rated players based on their form so far this season (WhoScored). Ricardo Pereira and Wilfried Ndidi have been adjudged the best players in their positions thus far this season and for good reason.
The way Leicester defend, it doesn’t allow for much personal triumph as a defender. However, Pereira has still managed to make the second-most tackles (4.7) and blocked the most passes (1.8) per game of any full back with more than three appearances.
He’s also scored two goals for good measure – the equal-most of any defender – and completed the equal-second most dribbles of all full-backs (Adama Traoré, the winger, discounted).
Ndidi’s numbers are all the more emphatic. He’s made the most tackles of any midfielder (5 per game), with the second highest success rate of the top 30 midfielders for tackles attempted (behind Norwich’s Kenny McLean).
Unassumingly, he’s also made the most interceptions (3.6 per game), blocked the equal-second most passes (2) and equal-fourth most clearances (2) of all midfielders with more than 3 appearances. His position in the team of the season up to this point is his (sorry Liverpool fans). That much we know.
Coincidentally, these two players may also be the most important on the pitch in dictating the outcome of this upcoming fixture. Pereira’s potential direct opponent is the mercurial Wilfried Zaha who, on his lonesome, can put an entire team on notice. You’d have to look no much further than last week’s game against Arsenal to come to that conclusion.
He was involved in the build-up play for both Palace goals – winning the penalty and sending James McCarthur through who then assisted Jordan Ayew for the second. He would have most likely scored the winner – and Palace’s third – had it not been for cynical Matteo Guendouzi foul in the 96th minute. James Milner – a 17-year Premier League veteran who has seen them all in England – also named Zaha as his toughest ever opponent.
“I’ve been sent off for tackles on him twice. He’s a talent. Unpredictable. You see how difficult it is to deal with him when you’re watching him. And when you play against Zaha he’s tricky and very tough to face.” This much he revealed in a portion of his newly-released book, Ask A Footballer.
Zaha has yet again been imperative to helping Palace to earn their sixth-place standing, for the time being, having already faced four ‘big six’ teams.
Their struggles at home last season were well-documented, winning the third least amount of points in the Premier League at home, but it seems they’ve added ‘another string to their bow’ earning eight of their 15 points at Selhurst Park this season.
Ndidi’s role is also vital, partly due to Zaha’s presence as well. Against Palace (except if you’re Manchester City), the centre back’s will often lie quite deeply loitering around the same level as the centre circle in their own half. In cohesion, the defensive midfielder will have to linger just inside his own attacking half.
This is because Palace, so rapidly, are able to muster a three-strong counter-attack. Whether it consists of the front three, a midfielder (like with their second goal at the Emirates last week) or even a full-back like when Patrick van Aanholt championed forward before scoring the decider at Old Trafford earlier this season.
The counter-attacking three often organise themselves with two players leaping down one flank, isolating the other attacker on the opposite flank who they can arrow into the penalty box and bamboozle their defender.
The defensive midfielder – in this case, Ndidi – will have to pursue the pair of attackers on the counter, supporting one of the centre-backs. So often this season, the midfielder tracking back has been at fault, or the most-questioned, when Palace score on the counter.
Jack Grealish fumbled a tackle that led to Palace’s winner in game-week four, Leandro Dendoncker watched on as Jeffrey Schlupp skipped past him in the lead up Joel Ward’s opener against Wolves in game-week six and Granit Xhaka failed to contain James McCarthur on the break and he went on to assist Jordan Ayew just last week.
Ndidi’s importance can not be understated. Palace are a counterattacking team and if you don’t contain them, they will punish you. Repeatedly.
Finding a natural, selfless striker has also helped. Jordan Ayew, who with only seven shots on target all season, has scored four goals which have won Palace a whopping seven points singlehandedly (the winner against both Manchester United and Aston Villa, then the equaliser last week versus Arsenal).
This is already the highest tally of goals by a striker under a permanent contract with Palace since Christian Benteke’s 17 in 2016/17.
Team News
Crystal Palace
After reportedly carrying around a groin injury (although it didn’t inhibit his performances), Guaita has been ‘managed’ over the last two match weeks. Will he be fit for Sunday’s game? This remains to be seen and Roy Hodgson is keeping his cards close to his chest. Expect him to return.
After being named amongst the substitutes against Arsenal, Martin Kelly must be fit enough to return to the starting XI if he is deemed a part of it by Hodgson. His performances before his injury certainly validate a spot in Palace’s current best XI, but James Tomkins’ form at centre-back last season was crucial and he is still fit as well.
Palace have conceded just three goals in the five league games Kelly has started this season, compared to nine without him (admittedly all nine came in games against Tottenham, Manchester City and Arsenal).
Andros Townsend hasn’t trained all week up until Friday the first of November and Hodgson has all but confirmed the ‘starman’ is set to miss out after feeling a “muscle strain against Arsenal.” Jeffrey Schlupp should return to the line-up in his place.
However, Vincente Guaita has “trained all week” according to Hodgson’s Friday press conference and looks likely to reclaim his spot this Sunday.
In promising news, both Mamadou Sakho and Conor Wickham have taken part in some first-team training over the past week but are still on limited duties and are, thus, still unavailable.
Leicester City
No fresh injury concerns for Leicester after their record-breaking performance last week is exactly the news Rodgers would want as he looks to propel his side even further upwards with another win this weekend.
Predicted Starting XI’s
Crystal Palace (4-5-1): Guaita; Ward, Kelly, Cahill, van Aanholt; Zaha, McCarthur, Milivojevic, Kouyaté, Schlupp; Ayew
Leicester City (4-1-4-1): Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Söyüncü, Chilwell; Ndidi; Perez, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy
Score Prediction: Crystal Palace 2 – 2 Leicester City
Two consecutive ‘high-scoring’ affairs are rare for a Palace-governed Hodgson side, but if Leicester open the scoring (which is highly likely considering their goal-scoring form) then the Eagles will have no choice but to respond which could allow for a more open affair.
A 1-1 result at half-time and predictable late drama in a Palace fixture is not too far beyond the imagination.
