Both still searching for their first Premier League victory of the 2024-25 campaign, Crystal Palace and Leicester City scrap it out at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.
The two strugglers have only accrued one point each from their first three games of the new term so far, albeit while finding salvation in the EFL Cup.
Match preview
Even though Michael Olise could not resist the pull of Bayern Munich, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi staying put, Jean-Philippe Mateta carrying his goalscoring exploits over to the Olympics and Adam Wharton strutting his stuff in midfield would seemingly be the recipe for Premier League success for Crystal Palace.
However, the Eagles have lost their way and then some since the start of the 2024-25 campaign, being condemned to opening losses to Brentford and West Ham United before banishing some demons in a 4-0 EFL Cup trouncing of Norwich City.
The high from that crushing of the Canaries was evident at Stamford Bridge two weekends ago, where against a Chelsea side who had just hit Wolverhampton Wanderers for six, Oliver Glasner's troops stole a point as Eberechi Eze cancelled out Nicolas Jackson's opener in a 1-1 draw.
On account of picking up their first point of the campaign, Palace are hovering just above the relegation zone in 16th place at this embryonic point of the season, and the underwhelming hosts ought to have been one of the teams to have benefitted hugely from the September international break.
The Selhurst Park faithful could be forgiven for resigning their side to defeat if Leicester score first, though, as Palace are yet to win a Premier League game under Glasner in which they have gone behind, losing five and drawing two of those seven such battles.
Leicester's report card for 2024-25 is eerily similar to that of their hosts, having also managed just one point from a possible nine in the Premier League while storming to a 4-0 EFL Cup victory; Tranmere Rovers were their victims in that second-round tie.
However, the Foxes have failed to build on a praiseworthy draw with Tottenham Hotspur in their opening bout of the season, suffering back-to-back 2-1 losses to Fulham at Craven Cottage and Aston Villa on home territory either side of their Tranmere trouncing.
The die was cast against the Lions when Amadou Onana and Jhon Duran put Unai Emery's men two goals to the good, although the effervescent Facundo Buonanotte at least managed to prolong the Foxes' streak of scoring in every game so far this season.
That statistic only offers Steve Cooper and co a small crumb of comfort as the Foxes sit 15th in the early-season standings, and they have also conceded the first goal in each of their three league games so far this season; they were relegated on the previous two occasions where they shipped first in the first four games of a Premier League season.
Leicester actually scored first in their last trip to Selhurst Park, only to succumb to a 90th-minute Mateta winner in an eventual 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, whose nine wins against the visitors is the most they have managed against a single team in the Premier League.
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Team News
One of the busier sides on transfer deadline day, Palace will have three potential debutants in their ranks this weekend in the shape of Matt Turner, Maxence Lacroix and Eddie Nketiah, but Trevoh Chalobah suffered an abdominal issue in his first training session.
Fellow new signing Chadi Riad is out with a knee injury for eight to 12 weeks, while Rob Holding has been expelled from the first team after an apparent falling-out with Glasner, who also revealed two weekends ago that Wharton has been dealing with a few niggles since the Euros.
However, the midfielder should still be given the green light to start after being left out of England's Under-21 squad this month, but Matheus Franca is still recovering from a fractured rib.
Leicester and Crystal Palace struck two deals for attackers in the summer window, as Jordan Ayew joined the Foxes permanently while Odsonne Edouard joined on loan, but the latter will have to wait for his debut as he cannot face his parent club.
With Patson Daka sidelined at least a couple more months due to an ankle injury - as is goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk - 37-year-old Jamie Vardy spearheads the Foxes' charge, aiming to build on his six goals in previous Premier League games with Palace.
Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi and Oliver Skipp all started in a defence-heavy midfield against Villa, but the attack-minded Buonanotte should now displace one of them, most likely the latter.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Richards, Guehi, Lacroix; Munoz, Wharton, Doucoure, Mitchell; Eze, Kamada; Mateta
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Justin, Vestergaard, Faes, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Winks; Fatawu, Buonanotte, Ayew; Vardy
We say: Crystal Palace 3-1 Leicester City
Palace and Leicester cannot both concede first on Saturday afternoon, even though both sides have a propensity to fall behind, but neither goalkeeper should add another clean sheet to their tally in the capital.
Glasner's men put in a much-improved performance at Stamford Bridge two weekends ago, though, and with the hosts also reinforced by several new arrivals, we are backing the Eagles to soar to their first Premier League win of 2024-25.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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