Luke's Football blog

This is a key game, as both teams are still not fully safe from relegation. Crystal Palace are more of a safe team at the moment, but they are still not fully out of it yet. A win could do that for them while Everton are close to the relegation zone, and a win could give them a better chance of staying up.

Recent Form:

The recent form shows the Eagles as the more likely team to get a result after 3 impressive wins, while Everton have lost their last 2 games and have scored 1 goal out of those 2 games, which shows the team is looking pathetic in front of goal, while it’s been the opposite for their opponents, who have scored 9 goals in 3 games under new manager Roy Hodgson, who has transformed their team.

Strengths of Both Teams:

The strengths of Crystal Palace are in the midfield, as they have been on form recently, with Eze and Schlupp looking like good players under Roy as they have helped run the midfield in recent games, something you wouldn’t be saying whilst they were playing under Vieira. The centre backs are also a huge strength, as Guehi and Andersen have formed a formidable partnership that has been hard for most teams to get past as they complement each other well and know each other’s game to a T. Everton have had a poor season, but their saving grace is their midfield, as Onana Doucoure and Iwobi have been bright sparks for them recently as they have been able to control the middle of the park for the toffees. While their defence and attack have been lacklustre, the control in the middle of the park allows them to stay in most games and is the key reason they aren’t in as much trouble as they are already.

Weaknesses of Both Teams:

The weakness of Everton is their attack, as they can’t hit a barn door, but it doesn’t help when their lack of quality in that department is very worrying, as they have only scored 24 goals this season, with their top scorers being Dwight McNeil and Demarai Grey with 4 goals each. If they want to stay up in the league, they will have to improve their scoring stats. Crystal Palace, however, haven’t had many weaknesses recently, but the right back position is one of the weaknesses as they have two ageing players fighting for that spot, which is not ideal as they both struggle against fast wingers. With them coming up against Grey and McNeil, it will be a hard job for Joel Ward, who will need help from Olise when out of possession as the pace and power of the Everton wingers will be a problem for Ward as he might have his work cut out.

Predicted Line Ups:

Here’s how I think both teams will line up: Everton have a few players back from injury, which is good for Sean Dyche, as Onana and Calvert-Lewin could be the difference against Palace as they are both key players. I reckon Calvert Lewin will start on the bench though, as he hasn’t been fit enough to play many games, so I don’t reckon he’s ready to start, while I reckon Onana will get the nod next to Iwobi in the heart of the Everton midfield, which will strengthen the Toffees. Crystal Palace, however, will name an unchanged squad as it’s been working so far and has produced amazing results, so there is no reason to change anything yet as everyone is playing their hearts out right now.

Players To Watch:

One player to watch for Crystal Palace is Eberechi Eze, as he’s been electric recently for the eagles, with three goals in the past three games for his club, making him one of the most in-form players in the league currently. I reckon he will have a huge influence on this game as he’s been playing with confidence and more freedom recently, which he thrives on and plays well under, and you can see it as well as he looks like a fish out of water under Vieira, but now he’s looking like a top player who is on the radar of an England call-up, and if he can keep up these performances, I reckon he will get one soon.

One player to watch for Everton is Demarai Grey, as his pace and precision will give Joel Ward problems down the right side, which will be key if Everton want to cause problems for the eagles, and he will be the key man to do the damage for the Toffees as he’s their joint leading scorer with 4 goals, which is quite low, but he’s been one of the only ones who’s been providing a good attacking outlet.

My Prediction:

I reckon it will be a 3-1 win for Crystal Palace as they are playing with so much confidence and freedom under Roy, and I feel they have so much quality to beat this Everton side. I feel Eze will steal the show again with 2 goals and Edouard will get one, with Demarai Grey getting a consolation goal for the Toffees. If this result does end 3-1 to the home side, it will keep the Eagles safe while plunging the Toffees closer to the relegation zone.

Overall, it will be a tense game with both clubs going for it, so it could go either way yet. We don’t know, but I feel the quality of Crystal Palace will shine through and will get them the win they need to fully stay up and possibly make a late top-half run while Everton stay in the relegation dogfight.