Southampton v Crystal Palace: Team news & predictions


Check out our match pack for Wednesday night's Premier League clash between Southampton and Crystal Palace.

The game kicks off at 1945 GMT at St Mary's.

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Southampton v Crystal Palace: Our prediction 


David John says: Palace pulled off the surprise of the season by toppling Chelsea and are very much the bottom half’s mover and shaker thanks to four straight victories.

It has been quite a transformation under Sam Allardyce from a team that could barely string two passes together around Christmas and those punters who cashed in on them at the weekend are playing up their winnings with another investment on the Eagles.

Their price has been trimmed to as short as 7/2 and even that could look generous if they come close to a repeat of Saturday’s performance.

There is little doubt though the footballing Gods smiled on them as they repelled attack after attack from Chelsea with shots parried to open space or a team-mate by Wayne Hennessey rather than a Chelsea boot. 

Equally, it is never the biggest shock in the world to see a dip in form after such a momentous collective effort while Wilfrid Zaha has an awful lot to live up to all of a sudden having earned a favourable comparison to Eden Hazard.

The Saints got away with one in an evenly-matched derby against Bournemouth thanks to Harry Arter’s missed penalty and although they sit in the relative comfort of 10th place on goal difference, I am sure Claude Puyel would like another couple of quick victories.  

They have not played many games lately due to one thing and another and probably entitled to be a bit sharper for last weekend’s outing but two of their last three at St Mary’s have ended in defeat and the picture can still change rapidly with only seven points to third-bottom Hull.

Palace would actually move level on points with their rivals if Allardyce can conjure up win number five in a row but I can see the home side doing enough to thwart that quest and taking a share of the spoils.

Prediction: Southampton 1-1 Crystal Palace

Southampton v Crystal Palace: Team news 


Midfielder Sofiane Boufal is doubtful for Southampton's Premier League home clash against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

The Morocco international pulled a muscle in his leg during Monday's training session and will be assessed ahead of the game at St Mary's.

Defender Martin Caceres could make his debut for Claude Puel's men after reaching full match fitness for the first time since joining the Saints in February. Manolo Gabbiadini remains sidelined with a groin injury.

Crystal Palace will be without centre-backs Scott Dann and James Tomkins.

Dann has a medial knee ligament injury and Tomkins has injured his calf, so Martin Kelly and Damien Delaney will come into contention to play alongside Mamadou Sakho.

Patrick van Aanholt is still sidelined with an ankle problem, while James McArthur remains a doubt, but Loic Remy is again available.

Teams

Southampton (from): Forster, Taylor, Bertrand, Yoshida, Caceres, Gardos, Cedric, Hesketh, Romeu, Clasie, Ward-Prowse, Isgrove, Tadic, Redmond, Boufal, Hassen, Stephens, Hojbjerg, McQueen, Sims, Rodriguez, Long.

Crystal Palace (from): Hennessey, Mandanda, Speroni, Ward, Kelly, Delaney, Sakho, Fryers, McArthur, Milivojevic, Ledley, Townsend, Kaikai, Cabaye, Zaha, Sako, Remy, Schlupp, Lee, C Benteke.

Southampton v Crystal Palace: Opta facts 


Southampton have lost just one of their last 13 home league meetings with Crystal Palace (W9 D3), winning the last five in a row. 

After failing to win any of their first 12 Premier League games against Southampton, the Eagles have won two of their last three against them, though both wins have come at Selhurst Park. 

Sam Allardyce has never lost a Premier League game at St Mary’s Stadium, though six of his eight visits there have ended level (W2). 

Southampton haven’t lost both league games in a season against Crystal Palace since 1990-91, when the Eagles finished third in the old First Division. 

Of teams Southampton have faced 10+ times in the Premier League, their joint-highest win % is against Crystal Palace (60%, level with Swansea). o

Crystal Palace have won their last four Premier League games; they’ve only won five in a row in the competition on two other occasions (April 2014 and December 1992). 

Sam Allardyce hasn’t won five consecutive matches in the Premier League as a manager since December 2006 while in charge of Bolton Wanderers.  

Crystal Palace have won all four of their Premier League games in which Mamadou Sakho has played, keeping three clean sheets in the process. 

Saints have won just once in their last five Premier League games at St. Mary’s, losing three (D1). 

Wilfried Zaha has been directly involved in 13 Premier League goals this season (six goals, seven assists); three more than in his previous three top-flight campaigns combined (six goals, four assists).     

Southampton v Crystal Palace: Sky Bet odds


Crystal Palace are the 19/5 outsiders with Sky Bet to follow up their shock win against Premier League leaders Chelsea with another three-point haul at Southampton on Wednesday night. Saints have been priced up as the odds-on favourites at 3/4 to secure the victory and the draw is available at 13/5. Christian Benteke can be backed at 7/1 to follow up his winner against Chelsea with the first goal at St Mary’s. Sky Bet’s first goalscorer odds are led by Southampton forward Manolo Gabbiadini at 7/2, while his fellow Saints strikers Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez are on offer at 4/1.  

Click for Sky Bet's Southampton v Crystal Palace odds! 

Southampton v Crystal Palace: Manager quotes 


Claude Puel (Southampton)

On strikers Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez: "For a striker, it's always important to score, but I don't want to put them under pressure with an obligation to score. 

"It's important they can do good work for their team-mates."

"In different situations they can have different opportunities to score, but it's not just important for strikers to score.

On getting goals from other areas: "I think we have improved since the beginning of the season. Many players can score in the team, sometimes for the first time, and I said it's important all of the players in the team can score - not just the strikers. It's important to continue this work.

"Of course, (Steven) Davis, (James) Ward-Prowse, (Nathan) Redmond, different players - defenders in set-pieces - can score. It's important to create danger with many opportunities with different players."

Sam Allardyce (Crystal Palace)

On Wilfrid Zaha transfer rumours: "Hopefully Wilf is not listening to all that the papers are saying, good or bad. And that it doesn't distract him from the performances he is giving. 

"You can get distracted by good publicity as well as bad, and he has to consistently perform to the level he is at and that gives him a greater value, and Steve has chosen maybe to offer a new deal.

"Whether Wilf accepts that, maybe on the basis that he likes this club and what the club's done for him, only time will tell. So come the end of the season, make sure we are in the Premier League and those talks can take place, but until then shut up about it.

"He's maturing as a person and that maturity is producing consistent performances. I don't want him to get distracted from the focus, which is getting better and keeping us in the Premier League.

"If there is any real interest, that interest will be portrayed to Steve. At the moment it's all about creating speculation.

"You don't want it to affect the player's focus. I've seen it at some clubs when a player thinks they are moving and switches off.

"There's a lot of talk about him: I just hope it doesn't distract him."

On following up the win at Chelsea: "My experience has been at Palace, Blackburn, Bolton, when they have pulled off a big one, it's always hard to win the next one. And my challenge to the players is 'Can you go out again and do it again.

"When we have beaten one of the big three or four it's always hard to get up for the game after. And because this game is in the week, and not the week after, it's harder and I'm going to try to explain to the players (in training) the need for the same desire and commitment they showed on Saturday.

"But it's a buoyant mood. It's a much better place of work now. The doom and gloom is lifting slightly but we have still a way to go to make sure we don't waste this result.

"We have achieved one of the shocks of this season and we have to make sure we don't waste it."