With three rounds of Premier League already behind us, we are stepping into the 4th round, where we will see Crystal Palace facing off against Southampton in attempt to break their two-game losing streak.
First, let’s take a look at the away team; Southampton. With 3 games behind them, Southampton still awaits their first league win of the season. Up until now, they have failed to outperform Burnley (0:0), Everton (2:1) and Leicester (1:2), thus they are currently at 17th spot in the league with only 1 point. Despite their somewhat poor performances in the opening matches, Southampton will be happy to travel to Selhurst Park with a full squad available, with a small exception being Ings, who has struggled with a blistered foot this week. Despite the fact, Southampton did not perform well in the league matches, they managed to get a win in the cup against Brighton (0:1). This may not seem like a huge win for them, but at least we can look at it as a small morale boost prior to their next fixture.
The home side, Crystal Palace is enjoying a slightly better result in the league so far. They have started this year’s campaign with a win over Fulham (0:2), but failed to repeat their success against Liverpool (0:2) and Watford (2:1). With 1 win out of 3 games, they are sitting at 10th spot in the league, just 2 points ahead of Southampton. Ahead of today’s match, Crystal Palace has some issues in their defence, as Tomkins is unlikely to play. Much like Southampton, the Eagles are also coming from a win in their cup fixture, where they managed to defeat Swansea (0:1).
Verdict & Prediction
These two teams have met each other several times before, and by the looks of things, there is no favourite, at least from previous H2H games, however, this is not the case here. Crystal Palace has proven time and time again, they are a strong team when they play at home. Looking at their previous 5 games at home stadium, they have lost only 1, and that is against Liverpool, who have had an exceptional start of the season. A defeat here is not an option for Crystal Palace and I do expect them to push for a win. If Southampton gives Crystal Palace enough space, we could easily see this match going over 2.25 goals, but a simple -0.5 bet on Crystal Palace seems more suited.
Despite one of their defensive players being put under question, Crystal Palace is a better side here. Add the home advantage and you have got yourself an answer on who should get all 3 points today.
Prediction: Crystal Palace -0.50 Asian Handicap
Odds: 2.20
