
Crystal Palace will face Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday (30 December) at Selhurst Park.
Roy Hodgson is under a lot of pressure at the moment and his job is under big threat. Palace are going through a wretched run of form at the moment, having failed to win in their last eight games in all competitions.
Brentford are also struggling badly at the same time and they have lost their past four games. Chris Sutton, however, feels that both the teams will be safe at the end of the season.
For this game, the BBC Sports pundit says that he can’t split between the two sides. He thinks they are both mediocre at the moment, and the game could be decided by odd goals. He predicts a mediocre 1-1 draw for this game.
“Palace have gone eight games without a win, while Brentford have lost their past four,” wrote Sutton for BBC Sport.
“I still think they will both will stay up, but Brentford’s run in particular is a bit of a worry and is their worst in the top flight since January-February 2022, when they lost five in a row.
“This is the sort of game which will probably be decided by the odd goal, but I can’t split the two sides. They are both mediocre at the moment, so I am going to go with a mediocre draw.”
Poor form
The Eagles find themselves 15th in the league table at the moment, only three points above the drop zone. Sheffield United and Burnley have been very poor all season and doubts remain whether they have enough quality to get themselves out of the drop zone.
However, Luton Town have shown resilience, especially at home, and they can cause surprise. Everton have been outstanding under Sean Dyche and chances are high that they will safely finish in mid-table or above if they continue a similar run of form in the second half of the campaign.
Palace have picked up just one win from their last 12 games. Injuries have played some part, but they have to pick themselves up and get some wins under the belt. Against Brentford, they have a good opportunity to end the season on a high note.
