Best Odds: 17/20
Bookmaker:
Hoping to find a route back into the top-half of the Premier League table, Chelsea will travel to Selhurst Park on Monday night when they meet Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace
Starting with the hosts, making an immediate return to winning ways last week as they slumped to a 4-1 drumming at the hands of bitter rivals Brighton, Crystal Palace find themselves at the heart of a real struggle. With it no secret that Roy Hodgson has a huge amount of pressure on his shoulders in south London, the Eagles are still looking over their shoulder at a potential relegation scrap. Crashing out of the FA Cup last month following a 1-0 loss against Everton, the one-time England boss has seen his side win just a pair of their previous 14 appearances across all competitions. With that extended struggle stemming all the way back to November 4th, Crystal Palace have also gained a reputation for their glaring defensive issues. Including a 5-0 drumming against Arsenal last month, Hodgson’s downbeat squad have shipped 11 strikes in their previous three top-flight showdowns.
Team News
In what is a huge blow for Crystal Palace, the Eagles have confirmed that French star Michael Olise faces two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. Likewise, fellow attacking talisman Eberechi Eze will not feature here after sustaining a thigh strain.
Bagging a consolation strike against Brighton last week and drawing a line under a seven-match drought, Jean-Philippe Mateta will spearhead Hodgson’s charge here. Former Manchester United shot-stopper Dean Henderson will keep his spot between the sticks.
Chelsea
As for the visitors, extending on their FA Cup adventure earlier in the week following a shock 3-1 romp away at Aston Villa, Chelsea will be desperate to use that performance as a platform to build on. However, enduring what has been a public struggle since appointing Mauricio Pochettino last summer, the Blues are still battling it out in the bottom-half of the Premier League table. However, picking up a 2-1 victory when they welcomed Crystal Palace to west London for their reverse showdown on December 27th, the former Tottenham boss could be smelling a potential opportunity here. In fact, on what has become a remarkably rampant record, Chelsea have won all of their previous 13 straight meetings against Sunday’s hosts a run that stems all the way back to October 2017. Although Pochettino might still have some real scrutiny over his position, the Blues should be excited by a trip across the capital here.
Team News
All still dealing with respective injury issues, Chelsea will travel to Stamford Bridge without the likes of Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez and England international Reece James. veteran defender Thiago Silva will be hoping for a full recall on Monday night.
Finding the net against Aston Villa in midweek following his return from this month’s AFCON, Senegal international Nicolas Jackson will spearhead Chelsea’s charge here. Recording 10 Premier League goals this season, ex-Manchester City star Cole Palmer will have a leading role to play.
Key Factors to Consider
