A four-game unbeaten run has achieved what many of us thought was the impossible and lifted Crystal Palace off the bottom of the table. They look to continue their good form with a home win over Bournemouth. After an appalling start to their Premier League season, Crystal Palace looked certainties to be relegated to the Championship. That’s the last thing they need as the club announce plans to extend Selhurst Park.
The arrival of former England manager Roy Hodgson has worked wonders though and Palace have six points from their last four Premier League games and eight points from their last four home matches. The draw at West Brom on Saturday has seen them move up to 18th and only three points from safety. A win over Bournemouth will take them to within two points of their opponents.
Those last four home matches have all seen Crystal Palace score twice. That must come as a bit of a relief for Palace fans after seeing their team fail to hit the back of the net in five of their previous six home league games. Now all they need to do is start scoring away from home and their revival might be a successful one. At least they have stopped conceding away from home which is another positive step. Another will be when the returning Christian Benteke gets back on the scoresheet.
Bournemouth are 14th in the Premier League and only five points above the relegation zone that they occupied earlier in the season. They have failed to win any of their last three league games and lost a 1-0 lead against Southampton on Sunday. Even more disappointing in that game was the clear penalty that they didn’t get given in the first half.
The Cherries have a tough fixture list coming up and after this match, they have to face both Manchester clubs and Liverpool as well as Chelsea in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. A slip further down the table looks likely and they could do with a win or draw from this away trip at Palace. Jermaine Defoe is still looking for his first goal since September, the only one he has scored since moving from Sunderland in the summer. Callum Wilson has also gone three games without scoring since his hat-trick against Huddersfield last month.
Away form has seen them win at Stoke City and Newcastle United, but they have only scored four times in seven games and only conceded eight and three of those were at Arsenal. With just two wins in their last eight away Premier League games, there could be a few problems ahead for Bournemouth this season as they bid to avoid returning to the Championship.
Conclusion
A table based on the last eight Premier League games has Crystal Palace in 12th and they are unbeaten in their last four. Home form has picked up well with the side scoring consistently but still conceding. Hopefully the two clean sheets in their last couple of away league games will be transferred to Selhurst Park as they look to continue their move away from the bottom of the table.
Bournemouth lack consistency and tend to either be on a decent run or a poor one. They have a nightmare fixture list in December and are likely to end the calendar year somewhere close to the relegation zone if not actually inside it. If Defoe could find his scoring boots, then things might be a bit different. Crystal Palace can get another three points from this game.
The Key Stats
Last Five Premier League Results – Most recent first
Crystal Palace – DDWDL
Bournemouth – DLDWW
Head to Head – Last Five League Meetings
31/01/17 – Bournemouth 0 Crystal Palace 2
27/08/16 – Crystal Palace 1 Bournemouth 1
02/02/16 – Crystal Palace 1 Bournemouth 2
26/12/15 – Bournemouth 0 Crystal Palace 0
04/03/1989 – Crystal Palace 2 Bournemouth 3
- The last two Crystal Palace games have been goalless draws.
- Crystal Palace have scored twice in each of their last four home Premier League games.
- Both teams have scored in the last four Crystal Palace home games.
- Crystal Palace have conceded in their last seven home Premier League games and ten of the last 11.
- Bournemouth have only scored four goals in seven away Premier League games this season.
- Bournemouth have only won two of their last eight away Premier League games.
- Bournemouth have scored in three of their last five away Premier League matches.
- Bournemouth have scored in five of their last six games at Selhurst Park.