2019-20 Premier League: Week 29 – Crystal Palace vs Watford

Crystal Palace look to move closer towards safety as they welcome relegation fighting Watford to Selhurst Park. 

Palace could climb as high as ninth with victory and results elsewhere swinging in their favour, whilst Watford need a similar result to move away from the relegation zone.

 

Team news

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Mamadou Sakho could be in contention for Crystal Palace after recovering from a  thigh injury suffered at Norwich on New Year’s Day. 

James Tomkins (hamstring) and Jeffrey Schlupp (hip) are unlikely to be risked in this game, whilst James McCarthy (hamstring) and Cenk Tosun (knee) are ruled out. 

Watford are expecting to be without Gerard Deulofeu for rest of season after suffering a knee injury against Liverpool last weekend. 

Daryl Janmaat is also sidelined with a knee injury of his own with no return date set for the full-back.

 

Form

Palace enter this match off the back of consecutive one goal wins in their last two outings, although the Eagles have kept just one clean sheet in their last six home league games. 

Watford ended a five match winless run with victory over Liverpool last weekend (W1, D2, L3), despite conceding in their last three away trips. 

 

Stat Attack

• Crystal Palace are winless in their last five meetings against Watford in all competitions (D2, L3). 
• Watford have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight league trips to Selhurst Park. 
• Both teams have scored eight goals across nine previous Premier League meetings. 
• No goalkeeper has produced more punches this season than Palace’s Vicente Guaita, with 18 punches in 26 appearances. 
• Only one of Watford’s 27 league goals so far this season has come from a defender – Adam Masina who scored against Everton last month. 

 

Prediction

Watford were simply stunning last weekend because they refused to give Liverpool any time on the ball and slowly broke them down, which is what they need to do here against a stubborn Palace defence who know how to grind out results. 

The Eagles however need to be more clinical because their goal per shot percentage is just as woeful as Watford’s, which is a concern for both teams given their inconsistency as we near the run-in. 

I therefore can’t see anything other than a scrappy encounter but if Watford can replicate last weekend’s performance, they should just about nick a win here.

Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-1 Watford

Result: Crystal Palace 1-0 Watford