Crystal Palace

Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on darts stars Luke Littler and Nathan Aspinall, who both support Manchester United.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Manchester City have had a couple of tight games at Selhurst Park in the past couple of years - a 0-0 draw in 2022 and then when they needed a late Erling Haaland penalty to win here last season.

You knew what the Eagles would do in these games under Roy Hodgson but it might be different this time, and if Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner does back up what he has been saying about trying to play more positive football and wanting to score goals, then that will actually suit City.

City rested Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne for the midweek win over Aston Villa, so they should both be raring to go and if Palace are at all open then they will punish them. Even if they are not, I still think City will find a way through.

Littler's prediction: 1-2

Aspinall's prediction: 1-3

See the full list of predictions

Manager Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Crystal Palace host Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday (12:30 BST kick-off).

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• On players' fitness: "All the players who were in the squad the last game are fit. Michael Olise is coming back into the squad. We spoke with the medical team and they advised us he is ready for 15 to 20 minutes. It gives us one more option at the end of the game and we're happy that he's back again." Chris Richards and Marc Guehi are still unavailable.

• More on Olise: "He was out for eight weeks and the fourth time this season. He has been in rehab more than on the pitch. He needs minutes, rhythm, and training. I don't expect him to be at his best level after eight or nine weeks of injury. Maybe he can have one or two decisive situations to decide the game for us."

• Glasner said he expects Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne to both return for Manchester City after sitting out Wednesday's 4-1 win over Aston Villa. He added: "Manchester City don't give you a lot. They normally have the ball most of the time. In some situations they give you space and then it is important to use it and be efficient - then it is possible to score against them. We have to perform at our best level."

• More on Saturday's opponents: " They find the right moment and timing of passing. We have to avoid the players turning in front of our backline. Then it’s a little bit easier. They are the best team in the world."

• On Palace's preparations: "I like these games because they challenge you. We have been discussing what we can do and what fits to our players. We cannot say we want to play like Liverpool, Arsenal or Wolverhampton [Wanderers] - we want to play like Crystal Palace."

• On his first five matches in charge: "I'm not happy with the points we have. I don't look back as we can't change the results - I look forward. We want the injured players back. If you have seven or eight players on your injury list it is not easy for everybody in the team."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's Premier League fixture between Crystal Palace and Manchester City.

• Crystal Palace came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Manchester City in the reverse fixture in December. Only in 1992-93, 1994-95, and 2021-22 have they avoided defeat in both Premier League meetings with the Citizens in a season.

• Crystal Palace have failed to score in any of their last four Premier League home games against Man City, with Luka Milivojevic in April 2019 the last Eagles player to score against them at Selhurst Park.

• Man City have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine Premier League away games against London sides (W5 D1 L3), though that was at Crystal Palace in March last year (1-0). They had kept a clean sheet in eight of their previous 11 visits to the capital before this.

• Having won just one of their first nine Premier League home games this season, Crystal Palace have now won three of their last five at Selhurst Park. They’ve scored exactly three goals in all four of their home league wins this season.

• Eberechi Eze has netted five goals in eight home games for Crystal Palace in the Premier League this season; the last Englishman to score more at home in a top-flight campaign for the Eagles was Andrew Johnson with 11 in 2004-05.

• Erling Haaland has been involved in seven goals in his last six away appearances for Man City in the Premier League, scoring four and assisting three. However, he’s not scored in any of his last four such games, his longest run without a goal on the road in the competition

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from this midweek's Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Crystal Palace and Newcastle are watching Middlesbrough's Senegalese goalkeeper Seny Dieng, 29, after an impressive season in the Championship. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

Palace are interested in Arsenal's 24-year-old English striker Eddie Nketiah but face competition from Leicester City and Brentford. (Football Transfers), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Since Oliver Glasner was appointed the feeling around Selhurst Park has been largely positive.

The players have been impressed by his energy, and his winning start against Burnley meant supporters were happy.

But, after conceding the late equaliser against Luton Town and the defeat by Bournemouth, some supporters are starting to look at the points gap to the relegation places.

Yes, the Eagles are eight points away from 18th-placed Luton, but in matches against the Hatters, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, Palace have taken just two points.

These are fixtures Glasner would surely have projected a better points haul from.

Before Tuesday's loss at Bournemouth, Palace had taken the lead against every side they had played under Glasner but only beaten Burnley.

The magic 40-point mark is one teams often look at for avoiding relegation, but lower totals have led to survival recently.

Palace's fixtures until the end of the season are not too kind. They take on title-chasers Manchester City and Liverpool, before games against West Ham and Newcastle, teams battling for European football.

That then leaves them with matches against Fulham, Manchester United, Wolves and Aston Villa, who all - apart from arguably Fulham - will have something to play for at the end of the season.

There are positives under Glasner and you can see what he is trying to implement, but before he gets a chance to work on his project, he needs to get those last few points to secure safety.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Premier League defender Phil Jagielka says "there is no real panic" for Crystal Palace at the moment, but if they continue this poor run of form they "could be dragged" into the relegation fight.

The Eagles are 14th in the table, three points clear of Brentford and eight of the drop, and were beaten 1-0 at Bournemouth on Tuesday.

However, with many of the teams below them yet to play one another, Palace are not mathematically safe.

"They will definitely be keeping their eye on other fixtures for the next couple of games," said Jagielka on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"If the teams below them do not put any pressure on them then they will be absolutely fine.

"But if they have a couple of bad weekends then they could be dragged into it. At the moment, they do not look like they can go out there and win games.

"They will be looking over shoulders, but as it stands there is no real panic."

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We asked for your thoughts on Tuesday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your responses:

Bournemouth fans

Lee: A ground-out result. Neither team were at their best but the match was for the taking. Bournemouth never gave up, Palace never got started.

Simon: Poor spectacle of a game, totally spoilt by the terrible weather. The Cherries deserved the three points and to do the double over previous bogey team Palace. Praise to all the players for adhering closely to the astute tactics of Iraola to gain the win. Impact substitutions did exactly that. Onwards and upwards please, Cherries! Six points over Easter has been great.

Crystal Palace fans

Paul: A ghastly performance only outdone by the awful weather. Had Palace passed the ball around quicker, sharper and with purpose, and tested the keeper instead of always trying to walk the ball through the congested penalty area, they might have won. But once again, it's all to slow!

Mathew: Same old Palace. Nothing has changed and it feels like Hodgson is still here. It was a waste of time hiring Glasner for a team with no goalscorers. Should have kept Hodgson and got relegated gracefully.

Peter: Palace are heading for relegation. Too many players of the next league down - which they will do OK in next season. Good luck, but get some talent spotters who know the job of a Premier League scout!

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, speaking to BBC MOTD:

"If you don't score a goal you can't win. We had many good situations. You need to shoot. Maybe we have to improve, be more decisive in offensive positions.

"We didn't score and one situation for Bournemouth decided the game. I would worry about it if we didn't have the situations to score. We played really well in the second half but we have to be more direct and not passing and passing. Take the shots.

"We've got Manchester City next. They come to Selhurst and it's a game we won't have a lot of possession. Maybe we will get three or four chances but we have to be efficient. If you are not efficient you can lose everywhere."

Image source, Getty Images

Despite winning at Manchester United and earning an impressive point against Manchester City, this has not been the season many Crystal Palace supporters had hoped for.

The team has been inconsistent, there has been a change of manager, while the players have acquired a nasty habit of conceding late in games.

It happened again at Bournemouth.

Palace adapted to the horrible conditions and were well on their way to a hard-earned point when the Cherries scored the only goal of the game in 79th minute.

With eight games remaining, they are eight points above the relegation zone and should be safe for another season.

But it is just one win in eight now and next up is Manchester City at Selhurst Park on Saturday (12:30 BST).

The end of the season, for some fans, cannot come soon enough.

Here are the key facts and figures following Bournemouth's Premier League win over Crystal Palace:

• Bournemouth are now unbeaten in five Premier League games (W4 D1), picking up 13 points in those games, one more than they accrued in the 10 before that (W3 D3 L4).

• Bournemouth have registered consecutive Premier League victories against Crystal Palace for the first time ever, after winning just two of the 12 meetings before that (D4 L6).

• Since returning to the Premier League in 2013-14, Crystal Palace have failed to score in 146 games in the competition, 27 more than any other side.

• Justin Kluivert netted his fifth Premier League goal for Bournemouth, with four of them winners. His five-goal haul in 24 appearances in the competition, is just one fewer than his father, Justin managed in 25 games for Newcastle.

• Oliver Glasner has made just three changes to his starting line-ups in his five Premier League games so far with Crystal Palace, compared to 11 made in the five Eagles games before that (eight in four by Roy Hodgson and three in one by Paddy McCarthy).

• Joel Ward made his 300th appearance for Crystal Palace in the Premier League, the first player to hit that milestone, 3880 days after his top-flight Eagles debut in August 2013 against Tottenham.

Bournemouth's impressive run continued as substitute Justin Kluivert's goal against Crystal Palace earned his team a fourth win in five games.

Kluivert fired beyond Dean Henderson after fellow substitute Antoine Semenyo out-muscled David Ozoh to tee-up his team-mate for the goal.

The game, played in wet and windy conditions, looked to be heading for a goalless conclusion at Vitality Stadium.

Philip Billing had a header tipped on to the bar by Henderson while at the other end Eberechi Eze's goal celebrations were cut short by an offside flag after the Palace player had finished from six yards.

But Kluivert's 79th-minute winner proved the difference and lifted his side up to 11th in the table.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Bournemouth fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Palace fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

Five matches make up Tuesday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

All kick-off times BST

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Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For the midweek matches on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, he takes on UB40 drummer and Birmingham City fan Jimmy Brown.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

These two teams are next to each other in the table in 13th and 14th but the difference is Bournemouth are eight points ahead and looking up the table, while Crystal Palace are still looking over their shoulder at the teams below them.

Palace should be fine in terms of staying up, but they are a team in transition and are too reliant on Eberechi Eze for creativity.

This is going to be close but Dominic Solanke is still scoring and the Cherries are on a good run of results. They have really surprised me this campaign, especially after the way they started it.

I reckon Bournemouth will edge it but I should probably apologise to their fans now for saying that because whenever I back them, they never end up winning.

Brown's prediction: 0-1

Read the rest of their predictions here

If there was hope that this pair of Easter fixtures would see Crystal Palace accelerate away from the relegation zone, it appears fans may have to endure some extended uncertainty.

While Opta's league table projections remain incredibly favourable, it is difficult to impart that intangible concept on certain generations of Palace fans without utterances of "Oldham Athletic" and "1993".

For now, it is a case of trusting the process and the team's development rather than being too concerned about particular performances or results. Despite limited goalscoring, Oliver Glasner continues to project a calm demeanour regarding the team's attacking potential.

Some moments are indeed beginning to see Palace mirror his Eintracht Frankfurt team. The movement of Eberechi Eze in the channel and the incisive pass from Jefferson Lerma to find him in the build-up to the team's goal on Saturday was a prime example. Those situations may appear to be few and far between, but it's easier to imagine where the team will end up if they continue on this course.

Likewise, both of Palace's wing-backs got into dangerous positions, and even if they lacked the supporting players to get onto the resulting crosses, the coaching staff would remain pleased with the movement in principle.

With an ailing or injured squad and few options in the Palace dugout, Nottingham Forest demonstrated greater strength in depth as they chased the game. Meanwhile, the away team needed meaningful reinforcements in the final stages to retain their intensity levels.

The previous manager would likely have been criticised had he introduced the veteran trio of Jeffrey Schlupp, Will Hughes and Nathaniel Clyne in this clash. Yet, this game demonstrated that it was possibly out of necessity at times, as it was for Glasner.

Alex Pewter can be found at FYP podcast, external

Here are the key facts and figures before Tuesday's Premier League fixture between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

• Bournemouth have won four of their past five midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League games (D1), as many as they had in their previous 26 such matches (D7 L15).

• Crystal Palace have scored first in each of their past six Premier League games, their longest ever such run in the competition. However, they’ve only gone on to win one of these (D3 L2), with their 20 points dropped from winning positions overall this term their most ever in a single Premier League campaign.

• Since the start of 2021-22, Crystal Palace have drawn more Premier League games than any other side (36). Their past two games have finished level, with the Eagles last drawing three in a row in February 2023.

• After a run of seven Premier League games without a win (D3 L4), Bournemouth have now won three of their past four (D1). The Cherries have scored at least two goals in all 10 of their league victories this season.

• Jean-Philippe Mateta is enjoying his best goalscoring season in the Premier League, netting six goals for Crystal Palace so far this term. He’s looking to score in three consecutive league games for the first time since October 2017 with Le Havre in French Ligue 2, and for the first time ever in top-flight football.

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner says he is "calm" and has faith that his side can go to Bournemouth on Tuesday and score goals.

The Eagles have scored just 15 goals away from Selhurst Park this season, which is the joint-second lowest in the league.

"The offensive players can do it," said Glasner. "I am really calm that we will score the goals.

"Now we have JP [Jean-Philippe Mateta] who in many moments can score. We know Eze in many moments can score, Jeffrey Schlupp too.

"Sometimes the ball falls in front of you and you hit it with your toe and it goes in."

Palace are eight points clear of the relegation zone having picked up five points from four games since Glasner's arrival.

One player who is beginning to find his feet is Adam Wharton, who signed from Blackburn Rovers on transfer deadline day for £18m.

"He's got such quality in his passing," Glasner added. "In some situations I think he has to get used to the pace, the speed of the Premier League, with second balls, but it is fantastic for his first time in the Premier League. He is only 20-years-old.

"It's not just on the pitch. In his head he deals with it like a great player. We will support him but he does it really well."

We asked for your thoughts on Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your responses:

Nottingham Forest fans

David: Forest were obviously nervous until half time and going a goal behind did little for confidence. Second half was better and after scoring it looked for a while that we would take the lead, until the nerves re-emerged. Fulham will cause us difficulties.

Kris: Nuno has to take responsibility for what feels like a defeat. A point at home to a struggling team just isn’t good enough. Too many are playing like they don’t care how close we are to the drop, a reflection of the scattergun recruitment that has left us with an unbalanced squad. It has to improve, and quickly.

Steve: The worst first half performance of the season, no creativity from midfield. Yates and Sangare are too slow to move the ball and neither of them as defensive midfield players can make a tackle. Origi? Time is up. Nuno quite clearly out of his depth in the Prem. Same old team selection when those players quite clearly don’t have the fight!

Crystal Palace fans

Ian: A good point on the road for Palace. Young Adam Wharton and the tenacious Daniel Munoz have been great January signings.

Don: Out fought and out played by Forest for most of the game. It was as if Roy was still manager playing 5-4-1 as we defended (albeit very well). Stood in the away end the fan frustration was obvious after the equaliser. The Glasner revolution is still to arrive.

Robert: We fought hard throughout the game but once again a 1-0 lead doesn't last. Eze was unlucky not to score with brilliant saves by Sels the Forest keeper. There were spells of unusual possession by Palace, something you don't see very often. The next away game at Bournemouth is crucial to get a result as it's Man City and Liverpool next!

Alex Scott introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentary in full:

Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace

Aston Villa v Wolves