Crystal Palace Vs Sheffield United – Team news, Match facts and poll

TEAM NEWS

Crystal Palace defender Gary Cahill is doubtful with a hamstring injury but the Eagles have no new fitness issues.

Midfielder Luka Milivojevic is one booking from incurring a ban.

Sheffield United will monitor several players who suffered minor injuries during the midweek defeat at Burnley.

A number of unnamed players and staff members missed that game following positive coronavirus tests and they will again be absent, while John Lundstram completes a three-game ban.

• Quiz: Can you name the Premier League’s most expensive January buys?

LAWRO’S PREDICTION

Palace stopped the rot with their draw against Leicester. They went back to their old ways of being a bit more pragmatic, which I always thought they would do.

Sheffield United’s wait for a first win of the season goes on, though, and it gets harder and harder to make a case for them to stay up.

Prediction: 2-1

Lawro’s full predictions v The Farm singer Peter Hooton

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Sheffield United could win three consecutive league games against Crystal Palace for the first time since 1973.
• The past four league meetings at Selhurst Park have produced a total of just three goals.

Crystal Palace

• Palace have gone 15 top-flight matches without a clean sheet, second only to Sheffield United’s current run of 19.
• The Eagles began the season with consecutive victories but have won just three of their subsequent 14 league fixtures (D4, L7).
• They have lost six of their 12 Premier League home matches since football restarted in June after the coronavirus suspension.
• Wilfried Zaha has eight Premier League goals this season, twice his final tally in 2019-20, and is on course to reach double figures in a top-flight campaign for just the second time in his career.

Sheffield United

• If Sheffield United fail to win they will set a new record for most Premier League games without a victory from the start of a season, surpassing QPR’s 16-match run in 2012-13.
• They could also set a club record by going 20 league games without a victory, including three fixtures from last season.
• The Blades are only the third team in top-flight history to remain winless at the turn of the year, and the first for 118 years.
• David McGoldrick has been directly involved in five of their eight Premier League goals this season, scoring four and assisting one.