Crystal Palace vs Fulham
Crystal Palace and Fulham will lock horns at Selhurst Park as they try to build consistency here in the Premier League.
The Eagles and the Cottagers are coming off of victories in the last time out, and both are eager to pile up good Premier League 2021 results in order to get out of the situations they’re in as of the moment.
The hosts are more than eager to move up in the table as they are only at the 13th spot with 32 points, which is making the fans grow impatient as the season wears on.
Meanwhile, Fulham are in the relegation zone with 22 points good for the 18th spot. But compared to Sheffield United and West Brom, there’s still enough time to dig themselves out of their predicament.
The reverse fixture of this matchup saw these two clubs go at it hard in what was a hard-fought game.
Crystal Palace may have gotten the best out of Fulham in Craven Cottage, but aiming for double will be easier said than done.
Talking Points
A healthy Wilfried Zaha is key to Crystal Palace’s aspirations
The Eagles outscored the toothless Seagulls 2-1 last weekend thanks to goals from Christian Benteke and Jean-Philippe Mateta in what was an inspired collective effort.
But even if they are fresh from a win, Fulham gaffer Roy Hodgson would prefer having Wilfried Zaha back at full strength for this upcoming contest.
“That was mentioned in the dressing room about winning without Zaha. But I must also add that it would be very, very nice to get him back,” said Hodgson in a recent press conference.
Hodgson knows too well that their team doesn’t look the same without his Ivory Coast-based hitman as Crystal Palace have lost 18 of their last 21 top-flight games without Zaha.
Zaha suffered a hamstring injury during their previous encounter against Newcastle United, and the 28-year-old hasn’t featured in the starting XI since the start of February.
The good news is that Zaha is already seen practicing with his teammates recently, and Roy Hodgson might consider maintaining his previous starting XI while making Wilfried Zaha available off the bench.
Making such move might be met with raised eyebrows, but a cautious approach for a player returning from injury is always the right thing to do.
Can Fulham turn the corner?
The big “if” for Fulham is whether they can maintain their top-flight status at the end of this season.
The Cottagers haven’t been in their best form in quite a while, but their recent performances offer a sliver of hope.
Team manager Scott Parker has done all he can to lead his boys to better heights. And slowly but surely, his work has been bearing fruit as they are now unbeaten in their last four league games.
But for them to continue their momentum, their top scorers need to bring their A-game night in and night out.
Bobby Reid, who is Fulham’s top scorer with seven goals, has yet to add on to his total since the end of January and I am looking for him to re-assert himself alongside his attacking partner in Ademola Lookman.
History
Prior to this game, Crystal Palace and Fulham have faced off in 12 matches since the turn of the century.
In the head-to-heads, Fulham own the slight edge with six wins, whereas Crystal Palace have won four times along with two draws.
The Eagles achieved a double against Fulham last season and they won against them in their first meeting of the season last October.
In the said game, Wilfried Zaha was the Man of the Match while midfielder Jairo Riedewald scored his first-ever Premier League goal after 33 appearances for the Eagles. Fulham were even reduced to 10 men at the 88th minute.
Betting Tip
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Crystal Palace vs Fulham | Crystal Palace Asian Handicap 0.00 @ 2.38 |
| February 28, 20:00 (GMT+8) |
The Premier League 2021 odds here at SBOTOP may be backing the visitors to win this weekend, but I will beg to differ.
Fulham are priced to win at 2.29, while Crystal Palace are pegged at 3.25 and a draw is at 3.10 in the 1X2 market.
But what the odds failed to account for is the impact Wilfried Zaha will bring to the Eagles if ever he will play this Sunday. .
The athletic centre-forward is considered probable for this fixture and his return should make Crystal Palace an stronger attacking team that would give Fulham major headaches.
Fulham may have been undefeated in their last four games, but it is very likely that Crystal Palace will be the team that will stop them on their tracks.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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