Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
The outlook at Selhurst Park looks a little brighter now that Sam Allardyce has earned his first win since taking charge of Crystal Palace. Unfortunately for them results went against them what with Swansea beating Southampton on the same night.
But with the monkey off their proverbial back they will now look to make it successive victories as Allardyce goes up against familiar foes in the form of Sunderland. With both teams in the bottom three this one has all the makings of a relegation 6 pointer.
It was a victory that came at the 6th attempt as Palace got the better of Bournenmouth on Tuesday night. Goals from Scott Dann and Christian Benteke were the difference as The Eagles left The Vitality Stadium with a much welcome three points.
But the job of staying up now begins in earnest as after that victory they still find themselves two points from safety, although with Leicester and Middlesbrough now being dragged deeper into the relegation mire it also gives Palace some optimism in regards to survival.
And their opponents Sunderland will also come into this game with some optimism after a hard fought draw at home to Tottenham on Tuesday. In a gameweek which saw the bottom four clubs all pick up points it turned out to be a much needed point.
But once again the teams around them are edging further away with The Black Cats once again finding themselves bottom of the table after Hull’s unlikely draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday. It’s not just points that Sunderland need to get on the board but wins.
That is a feat that they not have managed since December 17th when they beat Watford 2-0 at The Stadium Of Light, that means it’s 6 without a win for David Moyes side a run that they simply cannot afford to make 7. Should that be the case then they task of staying up this season will become ever harder.
Palace will go into this game with their tails up after that win over Bournemouth and Sam Allardyce would love to get one over his former club especially if it meant boosting their own hopes of top flight survival. It was going to be a work progress for Allardyce at Selhurst Park and although it took longer to get started the wheels are finally in motion.
And it’s due to that, that I think Palace will make it two wins on the bounce and not just worsen Sunderland’s plight but also create further headaches for the likes of both Leicester and Middlesbrough. There is every opportunity that the champions could be in the bottom three by the end of the weekend.
That would take a combination of results but that said it’s not unlikely either. Part of combination requires a Palace win and that is exactly what I think will happen this afternoon. Three points for the home side as the battle to beat the drop takes another interesting turn.
