Crystal Palace and Fulham mark their returns to Premier League action with a London derby at Selhurst Park on Boxing Day.
Only two place separates the two 19-point sides in the table at present, with the Eagles - who have a game in hand - down in 11th while the Cottagers occupy ninth place.
Match preview
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Another topsy-turvy season of inconsistency has befallen those at Selhurst Park, but the positive signs far outweigh the negative ones under Patrick Vieira, who is pushing for his side to upset the top-half apple cart in the second half of the campaign.
Defeats to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League without scoring a goal was far from the ideal way for Palace to enter the World Cup break, and the Eagles were also left wanting in more than one of their winter friendlies.
Indeed, Vieira's side drew with Botafogo and Trabzonspor before suffering a 3-1 defeat to runaway Serie A leaders Napoli - which not many will knock them for - but a Wilfried Zaha double helped Palace overcome Real Valladolid 2-1 on December 16.
A total of 19 points from 14 matches has left Palace within touching distance of the top half, but a paltry tally of 15 goals is only better than that of the bottom five teams in the division, and both of their most recent Boxing Day fixtures have ended in 3-0 defeats.
However, home is where the heart is for Crystal Palace, who have recorded successive Premier League wins over Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton on their own patch, and only Chelsea and Arsenal have beaten Vieira's men at Selhurst Park in Palace's last 13 home games.
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The World Cup break arguably came at an ideal time for Fulham as well, with the Cottagers maybe just running out of steam following an eye-catching first half of the season, which has allowed them to cement their place in the top half of the rankings.
Facing both Manchester clubs in the space of seven days was a gruelling affair for Marco Silva's men, who only went down 2-1 to Manchester City and Manchester United in both games, and it took two injury-time winners from Erling Braut Haaland and Alejandro Garnacho to settle those contests.
Only Leicester City (25) have scored more goals than Fulham (24) outside of the Premier League's top six this season, and the Cottagers' only winter friendly ended in a 1-1 draw with West Ham United last Saturday, where Carlos Vinicius made the net ripple in the absence of the prolific Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Goal-laden away matches have been the theme for Fulham in the top flight this term, with Silva's side scoring 10 goals and conceding a further 13 in their last six such games, and they could now become the first Premier League team in history to lost three successive games courtesy of 90+ minute winners.
None of Fulham's last five Premier League games against Crystal Palace has ended in victory for the Cottagers, who most recently held the Eagles to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park in February 2021, and it has been over nine years since the visitors last scored or won at Selhurst Park.
Team News
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A defensive reshuffle will be in order for Crystal Palace, who have lost Marc Guehi to a one-game suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards, so James Tomkins should step in alongside returning Dane Joachim Andersen.
Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is expected to remain sidelined until February with a coccyx injury, but he has company in the form of James McArthur and Nathan Ferguson, both of whom are unlikely to be back in action before the New Year.
Competition for spots alongside talisman Zaha in the attack is as rife as ever for Palace, and the returning Jordan Ayew could be given the nod alongside Odsonne Edouard for the capital clash.
As for Fulham, nine-goal striker Mitrovic returned from the World Cup still nursing a slight foot injury, and Silva has admitted that the Serbia international may not be ready for Boxing Day - the same can be said for left-back Antonee Robinson and his own foot problem.
Neeskens Kebano still has several months of rehabilitation to go before his Achilles rupture will be fully healed, while Layvin Kurzawa and Manor Solomon remain out of contention after suffering setbacks in their recoveries.
A third successive Premier League start could come the way of Vinicius as Mitrovic eyes a potential comeback against Southampton on New Year's Eve, while Tim Ream could possibly be required at left-back if Robinson does not make the cut.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Guaita; Clyne, Andersen, Tomkins, Mitchell; Schlupp, Doucoure, Eze; Ayew, Edouard, Zaha
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Diop, Ream; Reed, Palhinha; Reid, Pereira, Willian; Vinicius
We say: Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham
Very rarely do Fulham play out dull affairs away from home, but the possible absence of Mitrovic will hinder their attacking capabilities against a Palace side who are a force to be reckoned with at Selhurst Park.
Goals were hard to come for the Eagles just before the World Cup break too, and we think that this London derby has a low-scoring draw written all over it.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
