Oliver Glasner, the Crystal Palace manager, is uncertain about what to expect from Southampton’s new boss, Ivan Juric, when the two teams face off on Sunday. Currently sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table with only six points, Southampton suffered a 1-0 defeat against West Ham in Juric’s debut match. On the other hand, Palace sits in 16th place, three points clear of the relegation zone, following a goalless draw against Bournemouth.
If Southampton loses this match, they will have one of the second-worst starts to a season in Premier League history after 19 games. Glasner, however, is cautious of the threat that a team under new management can pose. He has closely followed Juric’s time in Italy and acknowledges his success there. Glasner also notes that Juric’s previous teams played with a back three, similar to Southampton’s style of play.
Despite this, Glasner recognizes that it is challenging to implement a new style of play within just a few days of taking charge. He believes that the first few days are primarily focused on recovery and do not have a significant impact on the players. While Glasner plans to watch Southampton’s previous game, he admits that he hasn’t seen it yet. However, his staff has already analyzed many games from Southampton and will likely provide him with clips during their journey back home.
Southampton drew 0-0 against Fulham before Juric took over as manager. In their match against West Ham, they put up an impressive performance but lost due to a goal from Jarrod Bowen. Juric expressed satisfaction with his team’s efforts and believes that they can compete with other teams in the league. He acknowledges that there are areas for improvement but feels that they are not far off from their competitors.
In terms of players to watch, Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze has only managed one goal and two assists in the Premier League this season. His creative metrics have also declined compared to the previous campaign. On the other hand, Southampton’s Paul Onuachu has had a game-high eight shots worth 0.84 expected goals (xG) in their last match against West Ham. However, he only hit the target twice, highlighting the need for him to find his shooting boots if Southampton wants to have a chance of survival.
In terms of predictions, it is expected that Crystal Palace will come out on top. They have a strong record at home against promoted clubs, having lost only two out of their last 18 matches. Southampton, on the other hand, has been winless in their last 16 Premier League away games and has struggled to score goals. While they have earned more points in their recent away games, Palace’s confidence from winning their final league game in the past three years gives them an edge.
According to Opta’s win probability, Crystal Palace has a 57.5% chance of winning, while Southampton has a 20.4% chance. The remaining 22.1% is the probability of a draw.
