Crystal Palace return to Premier League duty riding a wave of momentum after a dominant FA Cup quarter-final performance. With a place in the semi-finals secured, the Eagles now face a Southampton side rooted to the bottom of the table and on the verge of setting an unwanted home record.
While Palace are flying high in 12th with 39 points, Southampton’s top-flight season is in near-collapse. Just nine points from 29 games and five straight defeats have pushed the Saints closer to a swift return to the Championship. To make matters worse, they’re one defeat away from becoming just the third team in English top-flight history to lose 10 consecutive home matches.
Despite their bleak outlook, Southampton remain mathematically in the race for survival, but only just. Paul Onuachu’s recent return to the scoresheet offers a glimmer of hope, yet a massive 17-point gap separates them from safety. Even surpassing Derby County’s infamous 11-point record from the 2007–08 season feels like a stretch unless form changes fast.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, are surging. A clinical 3-0 FA Cup win over Fulham capped off a run of six consecutive away victories without conceding a goal, a record-setting streak for the club. Manager Oliver Glasner has transformed Palace into one of the league’s most effective counter-attacking units, collecting 22 points from their last 10 matches, second only to Liverpool over the same period.
Adding to their confidence is a strong head-to-head record: Palace have beaten Southampton in their last four Premier League meetings, including a 2-1 win earlier this season. With a potent attack led by Jean-Philippe Mateta and in-form creators like Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr, the Eagles look primed to continue their upward trajectory.
Team News & Projected Lineups
Southampton:
The Saints are dealing with several injury concerns. James Bree and Will Smallbone are racing to be fit, while Ross Stewart may make the bench after a long layoff. Defensive fitness tests await Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jan Bednarek, though the latter is expected to return.
Likely XI:
Ramsdale; Walker-Peters, Bella-Kotchap, Bednarek; Sugawara, Ugochukwu, Aribo, Manning; Dibling, Sulemana, Onuachu
Crystal Palace:
Palace remain without Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure (knee injuries), and Joel Ward is also expected to miss out. Will Hughes serves the final game of a suspension, but Glasner may opt to stick with the same side that dismantled Fulham.
Likely XI:
Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
With momentum, form, and squad fitness on their side, Palace look set to pile more misery on a Southampton side low on confidence and ideas. Expect the Eagles to dominate and secure another important win in their end-of-season push.
