10 December 2021, 17:07 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
The Premier League fixture, Crystal Palace vs. Everton FC, kicks off at 17:30 (GMT+1) on Sunday, December 12, at Selhurst Park. Referee Andy Madley has been selected as the first official, while VAR Stuart Attwell will be his extra pair of eyes.
Preview Crystal Palace Premier League, Dec 12, 2021
Preview Crystal Palace picked up a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Red Devils last weekend at the Theatre of Dreams with 73,000 spectators present in the stands. Both sides had held on to the stalemate, having failed to find a way through in the first forty-five. It appeared Palace would settle for a point, but a remarkable long-range strike from Fred (77') divided both sides mid-way through the second period. The disappointing result left the Eagles with three defeats in a row: WDLLL, and saw Crystal Palace drop three spots down the table, from 11th to 14th place, having picked up 16 points after 3W, 7D, and 5L. Two points separate Palace from Everton, and a win here could see the Eagles move a few steps ahead if other favorable results emerge at the end of the weekend. The Eagles are being outdone by their defense. Judging by moderate standards, a goal ratio of 1.27 g.p.g. is good enough for a place at the edge of the top ten. But an unimpressive average of 1.4 goals conceded per 90, which has seen Palace concede as many as 21 goals, keeps the club outside the upper half of the Premier League table. In need of a desperate win to reverse the negative trend, Patrick Viera will be laying out an attacking 4—3—3 formation with Benteke at the center of the attacking trio. A plague of hamstring injuries could keep Joachim Andersen and James McArthur out. Meanwhile, Nathan Ferguson (Achilles tendon) remains sidelined.
Preview Everton Premier League, Dec 12, 2021
Preview After a rough patch, Everton picked up their first victory in five Premier League games, DLLLW, following the 2-1 win over Arsenal. Martin Ødegaard (45’+2) had Arsenal in the lead, but a spirited performance in the second forty-five saw Everton find their way back into the game. Richarlison (80') was denied twice by VAR before executing a clever looping header for the leveler. A remarkable goal from Demarai Gray (90'+2) snatched all three points with seconds left to play. Before the goals, a handful of Everton fans staged a walk-out in the 27th minute as a protest against the hierarchy. The moment was carefully selected to signify the number of seasons since the Toffees last won a trophy. The victory saw Everton jump two spots ahead, moving from 14th to 12th place on the Premier League table, having picked up 18 points from 5W, 3D, & 7L. Rafael Benítez will be looking for three points when he lays out the 4—4—1—1 with Richarlison in attack on Sunday. Salomón Rondón (hamstring) is ruled out of this fixture.