Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Teams at the lower end of the table (15th and 16th place) meet in London to determine who will drop further and who will attempt to improve their standings. Bookmakers favour the hosts.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace finally picked up their first point and did so at an unexpected moment: away at Chelsea, who had just thrashed Wolverhampton. It seemed like the team was destined for another defeat, but reality proved different. The draw defied logic as Chelsea outperformed them with 1.83 xG. The standout performers for Crystal Palace were Eberechi Eze, who scored the goal, and goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who showcased his skills with six crucial saves. Notably, the team managed nine shots away against a top-tier opponent and managed to score. It should be easier to showcase their attacking prowess at home against a newly-promoted Premier League side.
Leicester City
Leicester City tried to play on equal footing with Aston Villa. They even had more possession (58-42%). However, they created very few dangerous chances (0.45 xG), while their opponent broke down their defence with ease (1.55 xG). It's worth noting that 80% of Aston Villa’s shots were taken from inside the penalty box, while two-thirds of Leicester’s were from outside. Their star forward Jamie Vardy couldn't get a single shot off.
Crystal Palace — Leicester City
Against Chelsea, Crystal Palace players at least started hitting the target, which immediately yielded results. Their first home match ended in a disappointing defeat to West Ham United, but prior to that, they had won four consecutive home games, keeping clean sheets in three of them. They are quite capable of breaking through Leicester's defence but not necessarily enough to take points away.
