Crystal Palace vs Southampton

Time is running out for Premier League basement boys Southampton as they head to Selhurst Park to meet fellow bottom-half strugglers Crystal Palace in their final game of 2024.

Despite a scoreless away draw against Bournemouth on Boxing Day extended Crystal Palace’s promising run to just one defeat across their last seven league outings (W2, D4), the hosts languish perilously close to the bottom three. Indeed, only three points separate them from 18th-placed Leicester City before the final kick-off of 2024, highlighting the importance of upholding their dominant recent form against Southampton. Indeed, the Eagles have dispatched the south-coast outfit in their last three top-flight encounters by a combined score of 5-1. The impending home return won’t necessarily guarantee another triumph, considering Oliver Glasner’s men have recently stuttered at Selhurst Park, going winless in their last four league matches at this venue, including an embarrassing 5-1 loss to Arsenal a week ago (D2, L2). 

Meanwhile, Southampton’s last-ditch attempt to turn their miserable fortunes around by appointing Ivan Juric as a wartime manager has failed to produce the desired effect. After sharing the spoils with Fulham in a scoreless draw on his touchline debut, the Croatian tactician oversaw a frustrating 1-0 home defeat to West Ham on Boxing Day. Nailed to the foot of the Premier League table after only winning one of their 18 games this season (D3, L14), the Saints desperately need to launch a substantial winning streak to haul back a nine-point deficit on 17th-placed Wolverhampton. Embarking on that mission this weekend would require Southampton to post their first top-flight win on the road since February 2023 and, in turn, arrest an underwhelming 16-game winless away run (D4, L12).