Crystal Palace round off their 2024 campaign on Sunday afternoon by welcoming a potentially rejuvenated Southampton to Selhurst Park.
It’s been a terrible campaign for the Saints so far, but new manager Ivan Jurić has offered a glimmer of hope. Juric oversaw a 1-0 defeat at West Ham on his managerial bow, but there was plenty to admire about the Saints’ performance and they should have taken at least a point.
“Watching the Fulham game today too, I think our team can compete,” the new boss said after Thursday’s game.
The shift towards pragmatism will undoubtedly help the Premier League’s bottom players, who have amassed a paltry six points this season.
Palace started the season in the trenches with Southamptonbut Oliver Glasner has stumbled upon stability in recent months. The Eagles may not be the high-flying unit we saw earlier this year, but they again seem well-balanced and capable of a mid-table push.
Having lost twice to Arsenal last week, they would be more than happy with a point at in-form Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
Here 90 minutes guide for sunday Premier League conflict.
Crystal Palace vs Southampton H2H record (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
The Crystal Palace |
Southampton |
|---|---|
|
Bournemouth 0-0 Crystal Palace – 26.12.24 |
Southampton 0-1 West Ham – 26.12.24 |
|
Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal – 21.12.24 |
Fulham 0-0 Southampton – 22.12.24 |
|
Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace – 18.12.24 |
Southampton 1-2 Liverpool – 18.12.24 |
|
Brighton 1-3 Crystal Palace – 15.12.24 |
Southampton 0-5 Tottenham – 15.12.24 |
|
Crystal Palace 2-2 Man City – 12.7.24 |
Aston Villa 1-0 Southampton – 7.12.24 |
|
Earth |
TV channel/live broadcast |
|---|---|
|
Great Britain |
It was not televised |
|
United States |
Peacock |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 5 Canada |
The Eagles will be without captain Marco Guehi after he picked up his fifth booking of the Premier League season at Bournemouth. As a result, Chris Richards will likely make Glasner’s final three.
Eberechi Eze returned from a minor foot injury to feature on Thursday and should be back in the XI this weekend. However, Palace are still without midfielder Adam Wharton, summer arrival Chadi Riad and Matheus Franco.
Cheick Doucoure could come into the Palace midfield to replace the impressive Will Hughes, who has played plenty of football in recent weeks.
Predicted line-up of Crystal Palace against Southampton (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Richards; Munoz, Lerma, Doucoure, Mitchell; Eze, Sarr; Mateta.
As expected, there was no major systematic overhaul from Jurić in his managerial arc, and the former Serie A boss kept the back three.
It will be the same on Sunday and there will hardly be any major personnel changes.
Paul Onuachu was a nuisance against Hammers without entry in the minutes and deserves to keep his place. There could also be a recall to the XI for youngster Tyler Dibling after appearing off the bench on Boxing Day, with the teenager potentially coming in for Mateus Fernandes behind the two forwards.
Gavin Bazunu, Juan Larios, Ross Stewart and Will Smallbone are all out.
Predicted line-up of Southampton against Crystal Palace (3-4-1-2): Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Bednarek; Sugawara, Downes, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters; Dibling; Archer, Onuachu.
On Sunday, we should not expect the excitement and overflow of South London. There is room for these two sides to cancel each other out.
Southampton will be a much tougher test for opponents with the crafty Juric at the helm, but they will struggle for goals, so the hosts may need to be fired up and pumped through Sunday’s clash. Their defense – performances against Arsenal nevertheless – it has improved immeasurably over the past six weeks and they should be able to shut down their wayward visitors.
Perhaps one moment of magic from Palace’s dynamic front three will swing the contest in their favour.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-0 Southampton
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