Norwich vs Crystal Palace preview
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Wednesday 1 January 2020 07:41, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Norwich vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League on New Year's Day (kick-off 5.30pm).
Team news
Norwich are checking on midfielder Kenny McLean for the clash with Crystal Palace. The midfielder sustained a knock to his foot in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham and will be assessed.
Ben Godfrey and Timm Klose (both knee) remain out while Josip Drmic (hamstring) is not expected to return until the weekend.
Injury-hit Crystal Palace remain without a host of first-team players at Carrow Road. Left-back Patrick Van Aanholt is sidelined with a hamstring problem, while forward Christian Benteke has been absent due to a muscle strain.
Joel Ward and Gary Cahill (both knee), Scott Dann (calf), Jeffrey Schlupp (hip) and Andros Townsend (groin) are also on the treatment table.
Opta stats
- Having been unbeaten in their first eight Premier League games against Crystal Palace (W4 D4), Norwich have lost each of their last three against the Eagles in the top-flight.
- Crystal Palace have won three of their last four away league games against Norwich (L1), as many as they had in their previous 15 visits to Carrow Road (W3 D6 L6).
- Norwich have only lost their first league game in one of the last 10 calendar years (W7 D2), going down 1-2 at West Ham in 2013 in the Premier League.
- This will be Crystal Palace's 10th top-flight league game on New Year's Day - the Eagles have won just one of their previous nine (D4 L4), beating Notts County 1-0 under Steve Coppell.
- Norwich have conceded at least twice in each of their last nine Premier League home games, the second longest ever such run in the competition after Wolves in April 2012 (11).
- Seven of Norwich's last 10 Premier League points have been won against teams starting that day in the top half of the table. The other three came in a victory against Everton, who have since moved into the top 10.
- There has been just one goal scored in the first half of Crystal Palace's last 10 Premier League games - scored in first half injury-time by Wilfried Zaha in Palace's win at Burnley in November.
- Norwich were the only Premier League side that failed to win a game in December (D3 L4) despite leading in five of their seven games; the Canaries dropped 12 points from winning positions, the most ever by a team in a single month in Premier League history.
- The side bottom of the Premier League going into a new year has been relegated in 23 of the previous 27 seasons, though three of the four to avoid relegation have done so in the last six seasons - Sunderland in 2013-14, Leicester in 2014-15 and Swansea in 2016-17.
- Emiliano Buendía created 29 chances for his Norwich City team-mates in the Premier League during December - since 2003-04, that is the most a player has ever created in a single month.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction
It is another good game for Norwich, with another opportunity to earn more points. Crystal Palace are well-drilled and could have won at Southampton.
Norwich are vulnerable at the back and vulnerable to the counter-attack, but Onel Hernandez looked lively against Tottenham, and the midfield looked dangerous. I am edging towards Norwich here, and they may start to close the gap to the tams outside the relegation zone.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 3-2 (28/1 with Sky Bet)
