The Premier League is back!
Crystal Palace come to the new WHL on Sat as the Premier League cranks back in to action following the international break. Don’t get too comfy though, there’s another round of Euro 2020 qualifiers due in October. And November.
And so are Palace!
Having been the opponents in our first competitive fixture in our new Beavertown-fuelled home, the Eagles will become the first side to play us twice there. They’ll be aware that it’s hardly a fortress with all of the Hammers, Ajax and most recently Newcastle all departing with 1-0 wins. Three defeats in nine home games won’t strike fear in to anyone – it’s still better than traipsing over to Wembley mind.
Fear was one emotion that Palace most definitely did not display during their last away game, a 2-1 win at Old Trafford displaying yet again how far Ole’s men have fallen in the pecking order. Level with minutes to go the away side had no thoughts of settling for a draw and piled forward against a vulnerable defence looking for the win.
So, facing another ‘big’ side currently struggling for form and with a vulnerable defence (and injury problems) isn’t going to phase Zaha and chums.
You’ve been Tanguyed
Our summer transfer window was deemed on the surface to be a success despite loaning one of the four purchases back to Leeds for the season. To all intents and purposes, we have loaned the other three to St John’s Ambulance since we bought them.
Tanguy Ndombele was bought to solve our biggest issue, the centre of midfield, and he was sorely missed against Newcastle and the Gooners. The news from the press conference yesterday is that he may be available at the weekend and what a sigh of relief that would bring were he be able to turn out. There even seems to be a chance that Ryan Sessegnon might also be ready, presumably only for the bench, but even so. He may be one for the future but Rose’s recent form mans that he may be required a lot sooner than that, an unfair burden on a young man who hardly tore up the Premier League last season but there you go.
The news that Sanchez has a dodgy ankle is partly a relief as he might have been given the job of looking after Zaha otherwise. Who will be assigned that task is unknown currently. We should hope that KWP is back. Really, really hope.
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Wounded Eagles
For Palace, Wickham and Martin Kelly are out, Dann and McArthur have late tests. Palace lie 4th. Their two wins, draw and a loss have been earned by scoring three goals and conceding two. We look like the Harlem Globetrotters in comparison. So, what we can expect is a fairly typical, safety first type performance from Hodgson which for those who were at the Newcastle match does not bode well. We were dismal in that game and the thought of any sort of repeat is a miserable one.
Stand and Del(e)iver
Dele should be back though with a fitter Son available and more motivated Poch and Eriksen (and maybe Ndombele and Sessegnon as above) so all is not totally gloom and doom.
Palace won’t be beaten easily and shouldn’t be taken lightly. We need Kane to find some room and to bring his England form to WHL. Do that, and we’ll be fine.
Craig Pawson is the referee.
COYS.
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