Crystal Palace vs Chelsea 08/07/20

08 July 2020

Out-of-form Crystal Palace take on Chelsea at Selhurst Park this week, hoping to bring a dismal four-game losing run in the Premier League H2Hs to a halt.

The hosts have suffered a dip in form, going from four straight Premier League triumphs to three consecutive defeats, all of which saw Crystal Palace draw a blank. For Palace, goals have been at a premium lately as the Eagles scored under 1.5 goals in their last six league home games (W2, D1, L3), with the previous four such matches producing the identical 1-0 scoreline. A genuine lack of firepower up front has witnessed Palace score over 1.5 match goals in a league-low two of 16 league home outings this term (12.5%). Indeed, Roy Hodgson’s men are used to tight affairs, given that 12 of their Premier League home encounters this season have ended separating the sides by one goal or less (W6, D4, L6).

Meanwhile, the visitors bounced back after a shock 3-2 away loss to West Ham, beating Watford 3-0 at home last time out to maintain a two-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United. The Blues have reeled off a series of high-scoring Premier League contests, with each of their last seven games producing over 2.5 goals and five seeing both teams score, too. However, Frank Lampard’s men have picked up just a single win from their six previous league trips (D2, L3), with three of the last four such fixtures seeing both sides score at least twice. That’s a sharp contrast to Chelsea’s recent top-flight record at Selhurst Park (W4, L1), with four of those results (win/loss) featuring a full-time margin of one goal.