Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United

Crystal Palace’s effort to overcome a severe crisis faces a perfect opportunity as Premier League basement boys Sheffield United roll into town to tackle them at Selhurst Park.

Stuck in 15th in the Premier League standings following a 5-0 demolition at the hands of Arsenal last time out, out-of-sorts Crystal Palace begin this round only five points clear of the drop zone. A disheartening result at the Emirates Stadium prompted club chairman Steve Paris to hold talks with under-fire manager Roy Hodgson, as it was Palace’s 11th winless outing in their last 12 across all competitions (D4, L7). With the 76-year-old’s future in doubt, there’s no margin for error against a bottom-placed Sheffield United, a side the ‘Eagles’ have defeated without conceding in their last three top-flight H2Hs. Further confidence stems from the fact Palace eased past Brentford 3-1 in their most recent Premier League game at Selhurst Park to arrest a disastrous seven-game winless home league run (D3, L4).

Meanwhile, Sheffield United’s abysmal campaign hit a new low at the weekend as Brighton put them to the sword in FA Cup action, steamrolling to a 5-2 victory at Bramall Lane. New manager Chris Wilder struggled to get the downtrodden Yorkshire outfit back on track, with the ‘Blades’ going winless in their last five Premier League matches (D2, L3). Nailed to the foot of the table, United’s tally of a mere two wins from the opening 21 matchdays (D4, L15) stands as one of the worst in Premier League history. But they could still salvage this season, though they must embark on a substantial winning streak to whittle down a seven-point deficit on 17th-placed Everton. That’s unlikely to start on the road, where they’ve yet to win a Premier League fixture in 2023/24 (D2, L8).