Crystal Palace seem to be becoming a main stay in the top flight and are a recognised Premier League club having been in the division for five seasons now. However, their current form suggests it might not be the case for much longer. With just one win in their last seven league games the alarm bells are starting to ring at Selhurst Park.
The London club have only picked up two points since the win against Huddersfield Town on the 15th September. It is a far cry from what they have come to expect from themselves in the league after finishing in a solid 11th place last year. So why has their form slipped?
Roy Hodgson’s men had a brilliant season after the arrival of the former English manager in September. Frank De Boer made one of the worst starts imaginable for a manager as he was sacked after not picking up any points in their first four games. It was drastic and things picked up three games into Hodgson’s reign as they beat Chelsea 2-1.
However, Hodgson now finds himself in a sticky situation. What can he do to turn the fortunes around? Well unfortunately it might not start this weekend with Palace facing London rivals Spurs as the fixture is expected to end with a Spurs win.
Hodgson needs goals essentially. His side only have eight this season and that lack of fire power has hurt them greatly. They have drawn a blank six times already and need to find the net on a more consistent basis if they are to avoid relegation. Too often Crystal Palace have relied on star man Wilfried Zaha to produce that moment of magic to get them out of trouble.
With the likes of Christian Benteke, Conor Wickham, and Alexander Sørloth not contributing at all this season then you have to imagine that Hodgson will delve into the transfer market to find his goal scorer. But he has to be shrewd about the investment as the three strikers mentioned have a combined transfer fee of £43 million but have only given back three goals in the previous two campaigns (Benteke scored 15 in 2016/17).
Even though they have leaked 16 goals in their first 11 games their defensive record is quite good for the lower end of the table. However, Hodgson again might be looking to strengthen his defence in January.
The next six games are vital for Palace. With a visit from Spurs and a trip to Manchester United the hardest tasks they may face. After these two difficult encounters they face Burnley, Brighton, West Ham United and Leicester City who are all there for the taking if Hodgson can get his men playing the right way.
They need to utilise Zaha rather than relying on him and produce something out of this world for his side because if he picks up an injury then they will be struggling to find goals. It could be a tough ride this year but they have to pick up their form heading into the Christmas period.
