Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner.Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner. | AFP via Getty Images
Crystal Palace could close the gap on the top half of the Premier League table with three points over relegation-doomed Southampton.
Crystal Palace have all eyes on potential FA Cup triumph having booked a place in the semi-final with a win over Fulham last weekend, but Oliver Glasner will be determined to gain momentum in the Premier League ahead of a return to Wembley Stadium later this month.
Next up is a trip to the seaside to take on struggling Southampton, who have won just one of their last 19 Premier League fixtures. The Saints have only won one home game this term, beating Everton in November.
Ahead of kick off under the lights on Wednesday night, LondonWorld has your Southampton vs Crystal Palace Prediction.
Southampton Recent Form
Southampton were knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Burnley at the start of February and out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool in December. That means that Ivan Juric has only had the Premier League to focus on.
The Saints have won just two top flight matches all season, the last a 2-1 victory against Ipswich Town on the road at the start of February. Southampton were beaten 2-1 by Wolves before the international break and have lost all of their last five. The side’s heaviest defeats in those outings were 4-0 losses to Chelsea and Brighton.
Southampton Injury and Team News
Southampton welcome Crystal Palace with an almost fully fit squad. The biggest concern for Juric is the absence of Will Smallbone, who has a groin injury, but could return in the "next week or in the final part of this week". The midfielder has missed a large part of this season due to injury but had returned before being absent against Wolves.
Juan Lopez is a doubt due to a lack of match fitness but doesn’t have any gametime in the Premier League this season anyway. Ross Stewart is also a doubt for the same reason but the striker is not a key man having only been seen in a few cameos earlier on in the campaign.
Last Southampton Lineup
Taylor Harwood-Bellis was joined by Armel Bella-Kotchap and Kyle Walker-Peters at centre-back against Wolves with Ryan Manning and Sugawara Yukinari as wing backs. Tyler Dibling and Kamaldeen Sulemana flanked central striker Mateus Fernandes in that game.
Fernandes was replaced by Paul Onuachu at half-time, with the sub scoring in the 75th minute to give the Saints some small hope of snatching a point. He now has three goals in the calendar year.
Crystal Palace Recent Form
Crystal Palace secured a 3-0 win against Fulham on Saturday with Eberechi Eze, Ismalia Sarr and Eddie Nketiah on the scoresheet in what was a fairly plain sailing outing. The Eagles are now unbeaten in their last five as Oliver Glasner looks to end the season strong.
Before the international break, Crystal Palace beat relegation-threatened Ipswich Town 1-0. A 4-1 victory over Aston Villa and 2-0 win over Fulham in the league came before that. The side’s last defeat was a 2-1 loss to Everton at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace Injury and Team News
Crystal Palace will be without Will Hughes, who is suspended for his fixture for an accumulation of yellow cards. Oliver Glasner has all of his attacking players fit but is without first team stars for important defensive roles.
Cheick Doucouré has a knee injury and is out for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, centre-back Chris Richards has a minor calf injury and will miss the trip to Southampton. Chadi Riad has a knee injury and will miss out alongside long-term absentee Joel Ward.
Last Crystal Palace Lineup
Oliver Glasner named a full strength side to take on Fulham at the weekend with no risks being taken to ensure a trip to Wembley Stadium was secured. Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi partnered the now-injured Chris Richards in defence. Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Munoz continued as wing backs with Adam Wharton and Jefferson Lerma in the centre of the park and Dean Henderson in goal.
Jean-Phillipe Mateta returned from the injury picked up in the last round of the FA Cup against Fulham and led the line with Ismalia Sarr and Eberechi Eze in behind the striker.
Southampton Player To Watch: Paul Onuachu
Crystal Palace know all about bulky talismen and there is one in Southampton’s ranks in Paul Onuachu. The 30-year-old isn’t a guaranteed starter, and had to come off the bench to score against Wolves, but is sure to cause problems in whatever gametime he gets. The player saw little game time under Russel Martin but is trusted more by Juric and has three top flight goals since mid January.
Crystal Palace Player To Watch: Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze scored and assisted for Crystal Palace against Fulham in a performance full of character. The 26-year-old looks full of confidence at the moment, having scored his first goal for England against Latvia over the international break. Eze hasn’t bagged in the Premier League since facing Southampton in December and will be looking to put that right.
Southampton vs Crystal Palace Prediction
Crystal Palace should build on an already positive week with another win when they travel to Southampton. The Saints have the benefit of their visitors having been involved in FA Cup action and carrying wearisome legs, but the feelgood factor around the Eagles should offset that. Southampton have scored in their last two, against Liverpool and Wolves, so we can see them on the scoresheet again. A 3-1 win to Crystal Palace.