Crystal Palace vs Watford. Premier League.
Selhurst ParkAttendance23,566.
Tuesday 12 December 2017 19:56, UK
Crystal Palace will be hoping to return to winning ways when they host Watford at Selhurst Park on Tuesday (kick-off 8pm), following Saturday's 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.
Christian Benteke's stoppage-time penalty miss denied Palace all three points at the weekend and resulted in the club dropping to the foot of the Premier League table but Roy Hodgson remains confident his team can turn it around.
"We've been bottom of the table for the last 15 of the last 16 games. We started the season with no points, no goals and 19 conceded after seven games so the fact we are still bottom of the table should not really be a surprise to anybody," he said.
"So once again we will get on with the job we have to do and we will do the best we can every week to try and get the points we need.
"Had we been able to do as well in the first seven games as we've done in the last nine games we wouldn't be at the bottom of the table. And I know that our fans appreciate that."
Watford were also beaten at the weekend, losing 1-0 to Burnley at Turf Moor but Marco Silva has urged referees not to make an example of his side following Marvin Zeegelaar's red card.
"I don't have doubts about the red card. It was very harsh, I can't say more," he said ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park.
"It needs to be equal for everyone - not making an example of one team. The Premier League is a tough league, don't make an example out of Watford."
Palace will be without Mamadou Sakho because of a calf injury suffered in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.
Hodgson said the centre-back will be unavailable for "weeks, not days" and fellow defender Joel Ward will also miss out with a similar injury.
Damien Delaney, Lee Chung-Yong and Connor Wickham remain long-term absentees for Palace but Hodgson has been given a boost with Yohan Cabaye expected to start after recovering from a knock.
Watford's Marvin Zeegelaar will miss the game and start a three-game ban after losing an appeal against his red card issued against Burnley.
Will Hughes, Nathaniel Chalobah, Younes Kaboul, Isaac Success, Craig Cathcart and Stefano Okaka are all absent through injury but both Miguel Britos and Kiko Femenia are back in training and in contention to play.
Crystal Palace have won four of their last six home league games against Watford, losing the other two.
Crystal Palace have lost the most Premier League games in 2017 so far (20); this after they also suffered the most Premier League defeats in 2016 (22).
Watford have lost each of their last four Premier League away games in London and have conceded exactly four goals in the last three of these.
All 10 of Crystal Palace's Premier League goals this season have come at Selhurst Park - despite playing the same number of league games home and away in 2017-18 (8), Palace have attempted 29 more shots on target at home (44 v 15).
Christian Benteke has failed to score in the Premier League this season despite attempting 24 shots in 852 minutes.
Why is Christian Benteke taking that penalty? He takes it off Luka Milivojevic, who had already scored. That whole episode was so poor. At Burnley, you wouldn't have known Watford were playing for much of the game with 10 men. Palace just don't seem to be getting the results they need at the moment. Wilfried Zaha is always a threat, but Watford just play too good football for Palace.
Paul predicts: 1-2 (10/1 with Sky Bet)
Crystal Palace are Sky Bet's 5/4 favourites for the victory with Watford priced at 21/10 while the draw is 12/5 chance. The Eagles are currently 13/8 joint third favourites while their visitors are considered all but safe at 66/1. Christian Benteke heads the first goalscorer betting at 5/1 while Richarlison and Wilfried Zaha are both enhanced from 11/2 to 13/2 to net first in Sky Bet's Price Boosts. The Hornets are included in this Tuesday's Crowd Boosted acca, with the more backers meaning bigger odds.
