Crystal Palace vs Everton – Analysis, Prediction, Team News

As part of our weekend Premier League predictions, we take a look at Everton’s visit to Selhurst Park. Palace are on a roll at the moment, and Everton have managed just 4 points away from home since 1st October. Home win? Read on with our Crystal Palace vs Everton prediction.

Crystal Palace vs Everton Match Preview

Crystal Palace come into this match on the back of three consecutive home victories, which wasn’t a likely scenario before the return of their former manager and club favourite Roy Hodgson. While it’s true that Palace were perhaps unable to hit the heights of their 5-1 away victory at Leeds or even their 2-1 home victory over Leicester City which flattered the visitors that day, they put in what would has historically been termed as a ‘professional’ performance in dispatching Southampton 2-0 away from home last weekend.

Palace offered little during the first half; on the other hand, they didn’t give much away. Their second-half display was much improved and not simply because they scored twice – they were able to move the ball quicker and more decisively in that second half and were subsequently able to put Southampton to the sword without the home side posing any serious threat.

Crystal Palace’s run of form has come at an opportune time, and in fairness to outgoing coach Patrick Vieira, a significant number of observers were keen to point out that Palace would have a relatively easy run in and recover. They face five sides in the bottom eight during their Premier League run-in, including this game; Wolves away, West Ham at home and Nottingham Forest at home.

Everton have now failed to win an away Premier League fixture since the 1st of October. Previously, they had shown some signs of being able to change that unwanted record with consecutive 2-2 away draws to Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, but ultimately this is now 13 away games in all competitions without a win, with nine defeats during the same period.

It was, until recently, Everton’s improved home form that was keeping them competitive at the wrong end of the table as one of eight relegation-threatened clubs. However, with two points from their last four Premier League matches, Sean Dyche’s men now find themselves level on points with Nottingham Forest in 18th position and just four points ahead of Southampton who are currently propping up the table.

The Merseysiders have a run-in that can best be described as mixed in difficulty. While they have the opportunity to get a leg up on their relegation rivals with matches against Leicester and then Wolves and Bournemouth in the final two games of the season, they also face Newcastle at home, Brighton away and Manchester City at home. Picking up some away results would seem to be of paramount importance to their Premier League survival.

Team News

Injuries and Suspensions

Crystal Palace:

Might Not Play: Clyne, Ferguson

Will Not Play: Guaita, Zaha

Everton:

Might Not Play: Calvert-Lewin, Vinagre

Will Not Play: Coleman, Doucoure, Townsend

Crystal Palace vs Everton Lineups (Predicted)

Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Guaita; Mtichell, Guehi, Andersen, Ward; Doucoure, Schlupp, Eze; Ayew, Olise, Edouard

Everton (4-5-1): Pickford; Godfrey, Tarkowski, Keane, Coleman; Gueye, Onana, Davies; Iwobi, McNeil, Gray

Crystal Palace vs Everton Analysis

Crystal Palace are Looking Solid

Some might say that Palace’s opponents last weekend, Southampton, aren’t exactly the most dangerous team in the Premier League, and they’d be absolutely correct in their assessment. However, it was a clean sheet away from home and now they’ve conceded twice in three matches against their relegation rivals. With Palace seemingly pulling clear of the rest of the pack, Hodgson’s men, along with perhaps Wolves and West Ham, look to be the most competent teams defensively which is hugely important in a relegation battle.

With Everton having missed their main goal threat in Dominic Calvert-Lewin – who is in line for a return to action for this fixture but will likely come off the bench, and missing the driving box-to-box presence of the suspended Doucoure, it’s unlikely that they will consistently pose an attacking threat from open play.

Sean Dyche teams are normally competent in getting the ball to the wide men and looking to create from there, but they’ve lacked a reliable focal point for their attack. Without meaning to make them sound like mere grafters, Palace have a rather workmanlike midfield that are difficult to play against and full-backs who work tirelessly to cut out crosses.

Everton are Neither Clinical Nor Solid

In the last couple of games against Manchester United and Fulham – both two-goal losses – Everton have perhaps been guilty of trying to play a more aggressive attacking game than they’re currently capable of implementing. It seems incredibly harsh to be criticising Sean Dyche – a coach who has been (unfairly in our opinion) criticised for a negative approach.

Everton tried to assert themselves high up the pitch and take the game to their opponents in both matches, only to be brutally undone by superior attacking units who were afforded far too much space. Perhaps we’re at the stage of the season where Everton need to go for it – they were the better team in the first half in the game against Fulham.

It’s possible that they’re mindful that the imminent return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin will give them an extra dimension to their attack, and they’re implementing a more adventurous style of play in anticipation of that fact. However, this is the business end of the season and the only reason that Everton aren’t currently occupying a relegation place is due to the fact that there are three teams ever so slightly worse than them.

Our Prediction

Crystal Palace are now a team full of confidence and they appear to be hard to beat at the moment, which is the first cardinal rule of surviving any relegation battle. With a nine-point cushion between themselves and their opponents on this occasion, we expect that they’ll carry plenty of momentum in this encounter and they’re playing like a well-drilled unit.

Everton, on the other hand, have effectively been caught between two disparate tactical approaches, and as such don’t appear to be doing anything particularly well at the moment. Although we acknowledge that previous matches don’t always have a bearing on subsequent ones, and it’s hardly beyond a Premier League manager to instigate tactical changes to alter their prospects, we can’t say a way for Everton to play on the front foot without a proper Premier League level striker.

Crystal Palace 2-0 Everton

Crystal Palace vs Everton Betting Tip – Crystal Palace Odds: