With both teams just a point above the relegation zone this is definitely a match that can be classified as a ‘six-pointer’. Arsenal may have ended Palace’s 2 game winning streak, but results have undoubtedly improved under manager Tony Pulis, and they host West Brom who are still looking for their first victory under Pepe Mel.
Crystal Palace may have succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, but if it wasn’t for the performance of Damien Delaney, the score line could have been a lot worse. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he made a total of 15 defensive contributions, the most in the Eagles squad.
Another player who demonstrated his excellent defensive ability against Arsenal was full back Joel Ward. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he attempted the most challenges in the Palace squad, and won an impressive 75% of them.
Crsytal Palace are the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season, but in Maraoune Chamakh, Tony Pulis has a man who can score the goals to propel them to safety. The Moroccan is Palace’s top scorer with 4 goals, but amazingly, these goals have come from only 7 attempts. Pulis may have installed new confidence in the squad as a whole, but he should be encouraging the former Arsenal man to be more confident in front of goal and take more shots! You can find Chamakh at 28/11 with 888sport.com to score at any point this weekend.
West Brom will be happy with an unexpected point last weekend after going behind to top 4 hopefuls Liverpool. The spirit shown to get back into the game will be vital in the coming months, as the Baggies battle to avoid the drop.
Zoltan Gera is into his second spell with West Brom, and has come to establish himself as a firm favourite amongst the Baggies faithful. He may be into the twilight of his career, having reached the ripe old age of 34, but he hasn’t lost his excellent knack of playing a key pass. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrates that he completed an impressive 28 passes in the opposition half on Sunday.
Claudio Yacob has played an important role in a defensive midfield role for West Brom this season. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that Yacob has made more tackles than any other player this season with 126, with a success rate of 71%.
Now that Shane Long has departed the West Midlands club, the other strikers will have to bear the brunt of scoring the goals necessary to keep West Brom up. Berahino will be one man who feels the responsibility, particularly as he has the best strike rate of any West Brom striker – averaging a goal every 231 minutes.