Following a dismal 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in their most recent outing, Crystal Palace have won just one of their last 10 Premier League matches, and dismay with both the club ownership and first-team management has been made apparent by frustrated Eagles fans.
Once renowned for their defensive discipline under veteran coach Roy Hodgson, 62% of the capital club’s league goals conceded this term have come during that 10-game run, in which they have leaked goals at a rate above two per game.
While their final fixture of 2023 ended in London derby success, with a 3-1 defeat of Brentford ending an eight-game winless run in the league, Palace were then held at home by Everton in the FA Cup third round before returning from a mid-season break and losing the replay on Merseyside.
Their capitulation against Arsenal again raised questions about Hodgson’s future – particularly with several notable coaches now out of work – but the former England boss has remained defiant and will now prepare his side for the visit of struggling Sheffield United.
Palace have won their last three Premier League games against Tuesday’s opponents, keeping a clean sheet on each occasion – including a 1-0 victory in this season’s reverse fixture, which took place on the opening matchday: Hodgson knows extending that streak is all but essential if he is to keep his place in the Selhurst Park hotseat.
Not only have Sheffield United won on just one of their last six league visits to Selhurst Park, but they travel there this time around having endured a miserable run of results on the road.
That sequence is part of a wider picture at the Yorkshire club, in which they have lost 16 of their last 19 top-flight away games, while netting only seven goals in the process – and never more than once in a match.
The Blades may have posted a 4-0 defeat of Gillingham in their opening game of 2024, but after securing their place in the FA Cup fourth round by beating lower-league opposition, they have failed to win either of their next two outings.
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New arrival Ben Brereton Diaz scored on his Premier League debut against West Ham United, but it ultimately took a 103rd-minute Oli McBurnie equaliser to salvage a point. Then, they suffered a crushing home loss at the weekend.
Chris Wilder’s side fought back to level Saturday’s cup tie with Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 at the break, but the concession of three more goals during the second half left most fans inside Bramall Lane deflated at the final whistle.
For a team that sits seven points adrift of safety, such defensive woes are a major concern, as Sheffield United have conceded more goals than any other Premier League side this season (51) and are far from prolific at the other end.
