HomeTeams - PLBurnleyBurnley v Crystal Palace Preview | Key Men, Stats and Team News

Burnley v Crystal Palace Preview | Key Men, Stats and Team News

Burnley will be hoping to put some more distance between them and the bottom three by getting a win against Crystal Palace this weekend.

Burnley are starting to pick up some steam in their quest for Premier League survival and are now sitting just outside the relegation zone after defeating Queens Park Rangers last weekend. They are currently on level points with the visitors and will hope their home advantage is a major factor in their performance on Saturday.

Alan Pardew won his first match as Crystal Palace manager against an in-form Tottenham last weekend and will be hoping for a similar performance in the game against Burnley. His side are currently 15th in the table but only one point above the bottom three and he will be determined to make that gap bigger by the end of the weekend.

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Team News

Jason Shackell and Kieran Trippier could both return to action for Burnley this weekend after recovering from their respective injuries. Matthew Taylor is still out for the next few weeks however, while Stephen Ward and Kevin Long are out for the long term.

Marouane Chamakh faces a late fitness test to see if he can play this weekend for Crystal Palace while James McArthur should be able to make his return to the team. There is still no word on when Mile Jedinak will be able to return from his injury however.

Interesting Statistics

  • Last week’s game against QPR was the first time Burnley have scored twice at home this season.
  • They have only managed to score 19 goals this season – the third fewest in the league.
  • Crystal Palace have kept five clean sheets this season, as have Burnley.
  • Palace have averaged just 36.47% possession this season, the worst in the league.

Key Players

Ings statsBurnley – Danny Ings

In their win over QPR last weekend, Ings reaffirmed his status as one of Burnley’s leading players. In 18 league appearances for the club this season, he has scored six goals. According to Squawka.com however, he has only managed 17 shots on target from 45 attempts, giving him a 38% shot accuracy. He has created 19 chances for his team mates and has made three assists in the process. Ings has completed 287 passes so far this season and this gives him a passing accuracy of 74%. He has only won just less than half of the duels he has been involved in this season but when you look at this in more detail, you see that he has successfully taken on an opponent 34 times in 61 attempts. However, he has only won 10 of the 49 headed duels he has been involved in. Ings has not exactly been prolific this season but Palace would be silly to underestimate the threat the face in defence.

Ledley statsCrystal Palace – Joe Ledley

In the absence of Jedinak, Ledley is the player that Palace fans have most reason to rely on. He has made 17 appearances in the league for the Eagles this season, scoring one goal in the process. From midfield, he has completed 432 passes and has a passing accuracy of 81%. Despite the team’s problems going forward this season, fans will be glad to know that 76% of the passes Ledley have completed have went forward. When called into defence, the Welshman has also been reliable. He has only committed six fouls despite winning 26 tackles. On average, he has been involved in four defensive actions per game and has only made one defensive error in all of the games he has played so far. If Crystal Palace are to defeat Burnley, then the battle will begin in midfield and Ledley will be at the centre of that.

Prediction

Both sides are sitting on level points in the league table with Burnley lower on goal difference. They are improving as the weeks go by and becoming harder to beat at home. Palace will still be under the morale boost of the return to the club of Pardew but I still think it will be a tough match for them. I think the game will finish 1-1.

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