English Premier
2018-04-14 - Crystal Palace vs Brighton
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 14th April 2018 - Kick Off 3pm
Crystal Palace
Roy Hodgson will be demanding his players show a little more focus at the end of games to make sure Crystal Palace are not pulled back inside the bottom three of the Premier League table. Last weekend the side dropped more points thanks to conceding inside the last ten minutes of a fixture, although the performances have to offer some encouragement for Hodgson.
The point earned at Bournemouth at least means Crystal Palace are a point further clear of Southampton in 18th place, but the outlook could look a lot different if Southampton can upset Chelsea in the early kick off. The Eagles have a 4-5-7 record at Selhurst Park in the Premier League this season and it is so important for them to improve that record on Saturday.
Crystal Palace have won 1 of their last 10 games in the Premier League, but it could have been a much better return of points if they had held onto positions they had earned going into the final ten minutes of games. That is underlined by their 3 game losing run at Selhurst Park against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Liverpool as Crystal Palace led in the latter 2 fixtures and conceded in the 84th minute or later in each fixture.
Joel Ward and Christian Benteke are hoping to give Roy Hodgson more choice in his starting line up for this weekend's game.
Brighton
On the face of things you would think Brighton have done enough to avoid being dragged back into the relegation battle, but Chris Hughton won't want his players to let up before they reach the 40 point mark every team aims for. The performance in the 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town last weekend was not good enough for the manager and he will want a reaction here.
That point means Brighton are 13th in the Premier League table and 7 points clear of the bottom three with 18 points left on the table. The fixture list doesn't look the easiest for Brighton who head to rivals Crystal Palace with a 2-4-9 away record in the Premier League this season.
Brighton have not won any of their last 4 games in all competitions, but they did snap their 3 game losing run in the draw with Huddersfield Town last weekend. They have drawn 3 of their last 5 away Premier League games, although Brighton were beaten 2-0 at Everton in their last game on their travels in the League.
Anthony Knockaert and Davy Propper are both suspended.
Head to Head
Brighton and Crystal Palace played out a goalless draw at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League and beat them 2-1 at home in the FA Cup Third Round.
Crystal Palace and Brighton have both won once in the last 4 games at Selhurst Park between these teams but they have not played one another since the 2012/13 Championship Play Off Semi Final.
Prediction
When you look at the remaining fixtures that Crystal Palace have to play you would think they have enough to earn the points to avoid the drop out of the Premier League.
The recent results may not suggest that is the case, but they have been performing far better than those results have indicated. Late goals being conceded has been a real issue for Crystal Palace who have lost their last 3 home games against teams in the top four with goals conceded in the 84th minute or later.
However Crystal Palace also led against Liverpool and Manchester United which should give the players the belief they can get the better of those teams around them. The 2-2 draw at Bournemouth last weekend is another game in which Crystal Palace led twice and conceded late to drop two points, but they are scoring goals and that may be enough to see off a Brighton team who have not scored a lot of away goals.
Brighton have been tough to beat with Chris Hughton organising them effectively and they will also be keen on securing another win which would almost certainly keep their status as a Premier League club. They have not scored a lot of goals on their travels though and Brighton were not at their best last weekend which should give Crystal Palace the edge in this one.
A rivalry game can be tough to read though and Brighton will feel they can create tension in the Stadium which may see the nerves move into the home players. However I do think Crystal Palace have shown enough in recent weeks to pick up the win in this one and I can see them scoring twice which may be too much for Brighton to earn a result.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Crystal Palace 2-1 Brighton
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Crystal Palace to Win @ 1.95 Bet365
