After a successful week in the EFL Cup for Crystal Palace, attention returns to the Premier League for their latest must win tie against fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The two clubs have had similar runs in the Premier League, with Palace’s victory over Spurs on the weekend being their first of the season, whilst Wolves have had no such luck despite picking up a draw at Brighton last week.
Whilst danger mounts on both managers, this match is set to be a huge early six pointer in the battle to survive, so what will be key in deciding who wins this battle?
-
Current form
Both teams have struggled this season, generally failing to be clinical and take any meaningful results bar Crystal Palace’s recent victories, but for Wolves it is more surprising that their early season woes have been a larger problem.
Gary O’Neil surprised everyone after keeping his new side up last season, even after doing a remarkable job with a below par Bournemouth side, but it seems as if this time out it will not be as easy.
Losing Pedro Neto to Chelsea in the summer was never ideal, but even then the likes of Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-Chan have failed to fire over the first half of the season.
The worst part of it all is that the spine of this current Wolves team is so far gone from the side that used to contest for European football that relegation is a genuine possibility that would not surprise people at all.
It is already worrying that the Wolves board are having to make decisions on their manager so early, but Gary O’Neal has been given the time to show what he can do and if he can get his side fully fit and in form then they are a match for any team in the league.
The only issue is that Palace are likely the worst side Wolves could face at the moment.
After a tough start themselves that saw them pick up only three draws early on, they managed to defeat Tottenham Hotspur to claim their first league victory of the season.
A few days later they would also book their spot in the EFL Cup Quarter Final, managing a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa to really become a side to beat based on current form, a side Wolves will be forced to fear.
Letting their opponents have the ball has been a key play in both their matches, with their opponents generally having more time than necessary and struggling against a strong defence.
If Palace are to try the same tactic against Wolves and remain clinical themselves it may be the start of a winning run for the Eagles.
-
What should Palace be wary of?
As previously mentioned, Wolves have found points hard to come by in 2024/25, but is there a chance that they can spring a surprise this time around.
In their draw against Brighton, they set up in a 3-4-2-1 shape similar to how Palace themselves set up, and Daniel Muñoz will have his hands full dealing with the Algerian sensation Rayan Aït-Nouri.
The 23 year-old has been key to how Wolves have played this season, and with bigger clubs looking at securing his signature it would be wise of the Midlands side to convince him to stay.
He picked up a goal against Brighton, along with Brazilian attacker Matheus Cunha who has struggled to find consistent form as of late but his individual talent is undeniable.
They didn’t find their latest match too easy, only scoring twice in the last ten minutes to secure the draw late on, but Brighton are of course one of the better sides in the league this season and rightfully so in their performance for the majority of that game.
Wolves will likely find a lot of joy down their left flank, especially with how Muñoz likes to overcommit down that flank, and Ait Nouri should provide a lot of the goods as he has all season long.
Their three centre-backs are not as strong, with Tori, Santiago Bueno and Craig Dawson struggling in recent weeks, and Sam Johnstone and Jose Sá’s form in goal has been very inconsistent and they will need to remain strong to hold back Jean-Phillipe Mateta.
-
Key men
Someone who has struggled to mould into the new Crystal Palace, Daichi Kamada will be breathing a sigh of relief after netting the winner in midweek.
The attacker, who started the game from the bench, got himself an early appearance after Eberechi Eze was forced off, only to repeat the actions of the man he replaced by scoring and send the Eagles fans into hysterics.
It has taken a while for Kamada to adjust to life in South London but once he hits his stride we may start to see even more improvement for Palace.
One of Glasner’s biggest signings, arriving from Lazio after a season of struggle, he seems to have finally arrived at Selhurst Park and may have done enough to retain his starting spot this time around.
As for Wolves, it’s been Mario Lemina who’s kept most of the attacks at bay.
The defence will likely need extra screening and Lemina has reached his side multiple times this season.
Someone who can often go under the radar, he is as good as Wolves can get when it comes to doing the simple things for the side; cleaning up in defence and keeping the scoreline as low as possible.
He will certainly be needed to keep the scoreline low this time with Wolves struggling defensively this season.
