Crystal Palace

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 20, he takes on The Zutons frontman Dave McCabe, who supports Liverpool.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Chelsea are having a wobble, and the worry for manager Enzo Maresca is when will it end?

Their performance in their shock defeat by Ipswich was very flat and although Maresca had made a few changes for that game, I saw nothing to suggest they will bounce back with a win at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace have only lost two of their past 11 league games, and they seem to have turned a corner.

This game smells of a draw to me, which will keep Palace moving away from the bottom three, but does not help Chelsea much at the top of the table.

It looks like Maresca was right when he played down his side's title chances after people like myself said before Christmas that they were genuine contenders.

I thought he was just taking the pressure off his players but he is in the building with them every day and he knows them better than the rest of us.

Their past three results suggest they are not going to go the distance, and I can see them dropping more points here.

McCabe's prediction: 0-2

Chelsea will win this - they need to, just to make things more interesting for themselves.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has said midfielder Adam Wharton is still unable to train after having an operation on his groin in November.

It was hoped the surgery would solve the 20-year-old's issue but, on 24 December, Glasner revealed Wharton was expected to miss another month after a setback.

"He can't train at the moment," the Austrian said on Friday.

"We expected, after surgery, the pain and the problems would be gone. They were not.

"It's unsatisfying that it takes longer and longer and longer, and we are trying to find solutions.

"We didn't find the right ones and that's why it takes longer and longer.

"If you have problems in the hip area, it's a very complex area, you have many muscles, the groin, the pubis. It's not always just one part.

"Now we have to deal with these issues and, of course, we all hope and are doing our best to get him back."

As we enter a new calendar year and the halfway point of the season, the Opta Supercomputer has been busy making its predictions.

But who is looking most likely to be playing their football outside the top flight next season?

It is bad news for fans of the teams who made their return to the Premier League this campaign.

According to the Opta Supercomputer's simulations, Southampton - rooted to the bottom of the table on just six points - are all but guaranteed to be playing Championship football again next term with a 99.47% chance of being relegated.

The picture is also not a rosy one for Leicester City and Ipswich Town supporters, who occupy the other two relegation spots. The Supercomputer does not see too much change there - the Foxes and the Tractor Boys having a 74.61% and 70.81% chance of relegation respectively.

It is better news for Wolves under new head coach Vitor Pereira, with Wanderers now having only a 39.21% chance of a Championship return, while Everton fans will be pleased to see they have just a 12.52% chance as they hope to see Premier League football in their new stadium next season.

Crystal Palace, West Ham and Brentford can all breathe easier with Opta predicting just a 1.68%, 0.81% and 0.72% chance of relegation respectively.

And what about Manchester United after new boss Ruben Amorim declared them to be facing a relegation battle? Well, it is good news for Red Devils fans as the chance of them actually playing Championship football next campaign is just 0.11%.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Will Hughes will not be available because of the foot injury he sustained against Southampton that required stitches. Glasner said "it is too swollen and too painful to wear a boot".

• Fellow midfielder Adam Wharton is also sidelined with the Palace boss unable to give a timeframe for his return.

• Glasner said "it is clear Cheick Doucoure will start next to Jeffery Lerma" in the absence of midfielders Hughes and Wharton.

• Matheus Franca has started to train with the group after missing eight months through injury. Glasner said "it is very positive" but it will take time for him to readjust.

• Centre-back Trevoh Chalobah is unable to play against his parent club but Marc Guehi will return to the squad having served his suspension.

• On whether Palace would be interested in making Chalobah's deal permanent: "A deal happens if three parties are happy with it - the two clubs and the player. If all parties want to have a deal, and agree, it will happen. He's doing really well for us and we were very consistent in our defensive line, with Dean Henderson as goalkeeper as well."

• On Palace's intentions in the transfer window: "We want to sign two players. The profiles are clear. Players are fixed. There's a clear commitment to sign two players."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Crystal Palace v Chelsea at 15:00 on Saturday

Image source, Getty Images

Of Crystal Palace's Premier League goals this season, 30% have been scored by defenders, the highest share in the division (six out of 20).

Brentford, West Ham and Fulham are monitoring the contract situation of 29-year-old English midfielder Will Hughes at Crystal Palace. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

We asked you to tell us what Crystal Palace's New Year's resolution should be.

Here are some of your replies:

Simon: For 2025, we need to tie our key players to longer contracts with significant buy-out clauses, if we are going to keep building under Glasner. We need to be ruthless to cut the players who aren't contributing and replace them with ones that can. A few passengers need to be offloaded.

Al: Get the owners to fully back the manager and give him the players he wants. I also hope that we nurture and promote the academy into the first team.

Neil: To finish in the top half. Trade players proactively and wisely, with no quick fixes. Clear the remaining pre-build development issues because the players need to be proud of their ground and club, as well as their bank balances!

Derek: It has to be the ground improvements in order to get more bums on seats. That coupled with the retention of all quality players, so that we can blend a week-in week-out XI that play as a team.

Lee: Isak exchange for Nketiah would be nice. If Newcastle aren't open to that, then maybe some full-back coverage for Mitchell and Munoz, especially with Mitchell's contract being up in the summer. Transfers aside, getting key players like Wharton and Doucoure fit and in form will improve us massively. I would also love to see the talented Rak-Sakyi recalled from loan and given an extended chance in the first team.

Donald: Get Matheus Franca fit and playing. He has showed real promise in the glimpses we have seen so far and is the most natural Michael Olise replacement out of our whole squad. Let's hope we don't have another Nathan Ferguson situation on our hands.

Image source, PA Media

Eberechi Eze believes the 2-1 win over Southampton can be the starting point for Crystal Palace to "kick on" in the second half of the season.

Pre-season hopes of a successful campaign were increased following a superb end to last term; however, Oliver Glasner's side have struggled during the first half of the season.

Only Ipswich, Everton and Southampton have scored fewer than Palace's tally of 20 Premier League goals.

But the Eagles moved six points clear of the relegation zone on Sunday, as they came from behind to beat the division's bottom club at Selhurst Park.

"You try to make the right decision all the time, you're trying to do the right things, but sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn't," said the England international.

"But I think the mentality was there, we kept pushing, we kept going and I feel like that's the main thing - that's what actually gets you goals in the end.

"We're not where we want to be, for sure, but I feel like we're in the right place. We've got the right mindset.

"I feel like we'll kick on."

Eze's winning goal was his first in the Premier League since 1 September.

He told club media: "It's football, isn't it? That's how it goes, sometimes you score, sometimes you miss. You've got to keep the mentality just to keep going and keep pushing.

"I always believe in myself and I'm always confident, so I know that there are phases that will go by, but I trust myself."

Christmas is boxed off.

We're almost through the confusing days before New Year and January is within touching distance.

And we need your help - what is Crystal Palace's New Year's resolution?

It could be a new player to sign, a tactical system to implement, an off-the-pitch matter or something else entirely.

Let us know

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Southampton, that finished 2-1 to the Eagles.

Here are some of your comments:

Palace fans

Paul: Palace are still wasteful, but the amount of chances being made, got them out of trouble. There was a similar situation against Arsenal, where the result could have been so different. Hopefully Eberechi Eze's confidence will have improved greatly after the goal.

Pedro: We wanted a statement win. We got a squeaky victory. We'll take that but we've got to do better. We're capable of more. We'll get there. It's the hope that kills you.

Sam: A game closer than Palace fans would have anticipated and Glasner and his players would have hoped, but in the end, good to get the three points. It was especially relieving to see our second home win of the campaign. Southampton were good in the opening 15 minutes but the Eagles dominated from there. Great to see Eze back on top of his form and finding the winner with a magnificent volley.

David: Trevoh Chalobah has been outstanding in defence and scored important goals including this one. Some of our forwards need to learn how to finish from him.

Southampton

Anthony: I thought we played better against West Ham, but this game seemed to show that our players are not up to standard. Also, the managers substitutions were too late and ineffective. So, Saints are doomed and we might as well get used to it. Horrible season.

Steve: Halfway through the season with 19 games left: 12 wins needed and with the six points we already have, on paper we can stay up. Being realistic, we haven't a hope in achieving that so we should plan for the Championship now and experiment with the players we have. Just don't want to go down with less than 12 points.

Mike: Ivan Juric would do well to realise that serial failures like Joe Aribo, Jan Bednarek (especially him) and obviously Adam Armstrong have no future at the club having all been previously found out at this level. There are plenty of others but these guys have been stinking up the club for years.

William: With Russell Martin gone, we're back to the awful football that got us relegated in the first place. Our plans lie broken and in ruins, and after this season we'll be starting all over again with a new coach, who I suspect will get neither the money he needs nor the time.

Kelly Somers introduces highlights and analysis from Sunday's six Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Everton 0-2 Nottingham Forest

• West Ham United 0-5 Liverpool

Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell is not keen on committing his long-term future to the London club, with La Liga side Atletico Madrid interested in the 25-year-old Englishman. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Oliver Glasner hopes that Eberechi Eze's winning goal can be the end of the 'suffering' after he scored his first league goal since September.

Eze's goal which secured all three points for the Eagles is the first he has registered at home all season with his only other strike coming away in a draw at Chelsea.

"I'm very pleased for him." Glasner said.

"Maybe it's the circle of football. It started with the disallowed goal at Brentford after ten minutes.

"It was the first game of the season and now it's the last game in 2024 and now he scored this goal.

"He was really suffering, it looked like with this special moment.

"He had many big chances, great saves by the keepers, missing by one inch, hitting the post and then all of a sudden it was in his head.

"I could see him, he was suffering. I'm really pleased for him that he scored the game winner today."

Eze has struggled to replicate the form he showed at the end of last season after arriving late to pre-season after his involvement with the England team at the European Championships but Glasner believes this could kickstart his campaign.

"It will help him absolutely. I have mentioned it so often, with the strikers you can train with them, you can hug them, you can kick them.

"The only thing that helps is that they need this goal. He got it today.

"First half he had three four situations with his dribbling, he had one finish into the arms of Ramsdale, he had two free kicks but this will help him definitely." Glasner said.

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner to Premier League Productions: "I'm very pleased. Everybody expected us against the bottom team at home, but these games are often the difficult ones.

"Today we were very strong from set-plays and scored the goals."

Should Palace's equaliser have been disallowed?: "All over Europe yes, but not in England. This is the Premier League. We were told about this at the start of the season and what I really like is that it's always the same line. If this goal would have been disallowed then many goals from many other teams would have been disallowed.

"Everybody uses the rules to the very edge. This is what we are doing, this is what Arsenal are doing, everybody is doing."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Crystal Palace's performance

What did you make of Southampton's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

There are six games in the Premier League on Sunday, and we will bring you every moment.

• Leicester v Man City (14:30)

• Crystal Palace v Southampton

• Everton v Nottingham Forest - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Bournemouth

• Tottenham v Wolves

• West Ham v Liverpool (17:15) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

This week, he takes on musician Emma-Jean Thackray, who is a Leeds fan.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Crystal Palace are definitely showing more mettle at the moment, and they were very well organised in their 0-0 draw at Bournemouth.

To be fair to Southampton, the same can already be said for them under new manager Ivan Juric. I know they lost to West Ham in his first game in charge, but they could have got something out of it.

Saints seem to have changed their style - from purists to pumping it - but there is nothing wrong with being direct, and they showed their resilient side when they got a draw at Fulham before Christmas, when Juric was watching from the stands.

I am expecting another close game here, but Palace will probably edge it.

Emma-Jean's prediction: 3-0

Palace look a lot more improved recently and they are my local team now I live in London. So I do have a bit of a soft spot for them, plus Southampton fans were not very nice about them getting promoted ahead of us last season. The bitter person in me wants us to go up and wave as we pass them on their way down.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner says he wants to see Tyrick Mitchell develop his abilities on the ball.

Thursday's draw against Bournemouth saw Mitchell make his 150th Premier League appearance. The 25 year-old is the youngest player to reach this milestrone for the Eagles, and the 11th in total.

"The biggest potential he has is in possession," said Glasner. "Entering the final third, I think he can be involved more and have quicker solutions. This is what we are working on daily with him.

"He is very consistent, he is always available and plays to a high level."

Fellow wing-back Daniel Munoz has caught the eye with his attacking threat since signing last January and Glasner was asked about how Mitchell compares with the Colombia defender.

"We have to accept that he will never be a Daniel Munoz," Glasner conceded. "Danny has a natural skill - an attacking way. He [Mitchell] comes more from the defensive part. I think he has improved already, but he still has potential within this.

"If you have [both] attacking wing-backs, you need more defensive sixes. When you have one defensive wing-back, you can have a more attacking six. Our sixes are more defensive so we can encourage [Mitchell] to be a bit more attacking and create more situations.

"He is trying to improve and there is still a long season to go."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Thursday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Jonathan: Again, not making the better play in the game count will prove costly through the season. We were the better team, but failed to really make anything in the final third. We need to be more ruthless. Fair play to Palace, they defended well, but they will definitely be the happier of the two sides after that game.

Ben: I love our brand of football and our attacking intent, but we need to start converting our chances. I guess Santa didn't deliver goalscoring boots this Christmas! That being said, Kepa Arrizabalaga and the back line did a stunning job nullifying Palace.

Clive: Injuries are starting to take a toll. The suspension of Justin Kluivert for the next game will mean he will be fresh to play against Everton. We are lacking pace off the bench until the injured players return. Andoni Iraola has limited resources, but prefers to use a limited number of players. I cannot see us recalling those on loan, but we might need an additional pacey winger to bring and maintain competition.

John: Another good display from the team - we just need to get better at finishing. Also, I don't think it was a good choice of striker from the start.

Palace fans

Dave: Good away point. We were lucky though. On another day, it could have been 4-0 with the amount of chances Bournemouth missed.

Lee: Good point away from home but it shows where we've got to strengthen in the window. At least three players short. Need a striker, a number 10 and a left wing-back.

Robert: Palace lost their composure and couldn't settle on the ball. The passes were hurried and inaccurate and they lost most of the 50-50 tackles. All credit to Bournemouth for being more persistent and energetic. Eberechi Eze, in his current form, is a luxury Palace can't afford and Daichi Kamada is a bargain they should not have made.

Don: Ironic that Palace fans are keeping their faith in Oliver Glasner. A good point but one achieved through a solid defence while trying to play on the break - rather like the style Roy Hodgson was criticised for at the end.