Town visit Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon still looking for their first Premier League win of 2025, but following a positive FA Cup display at Nottingham Forest on Monday.

The Blues go into the game 18th in the Premier League table, five points plus goal difference behind Wolves, who host Everton in the day’s 8pm kick-off.

Town took Forest, who are currently third, chasing a Champions League place, to extra-time in their fifth round tie earlier in the week, the game ending 1-1, before losing 5-4 on penalties.

However, it was a display which illustrated that the Blues are capable of competing with the best sides in the division, even with eight changes from the team which lined up in their previous league match, the 3-2 loss at Manchester United.

Palace are 12th, 19 points and six places above Town, having won five of their last seven after making a slow start to the season which saw them fail to win any of their opening eight Premier League games, having finished the previous campaign very strongly, winning six out of seven.

Last weekend, the Eagles beat 10-man Millwall 3-1 at home in the fifth round of the FA Cup, while they defeated Aston Villa 4-1 in their last league fixture in the preceding midweek, also at Selhurst Park.

That victory is one of only three at home in the league - along with a 1-0 success over Spurs in October and a 2-1 win against Southampton in December - along with five draws and six losses. Palace have picked up more points on the road, 22, than they have at home, 14.

Only three teams have scored fewer goals at home than the Eagles’ total of 16, while they have conceded 22, the ninth most in the division.

Blues manager McKenna, who was close to joining Palace as their manager this time last year, is anticipating a closely contested game, the Eagles having run out 1-0 winners of a match of few chances at Portman Road in early December.

“I think there's no game in the Premier League that's going to be anything less than competitive,” McKenna said. “I've said many times that if we can do a lot of things well then we'll make the games competitive.

“Crystal Palace are a very strong side. They certainly improved as the season’s gone on, which we always felt they would do.

“They've had a really settled selection, they’ve got some really strong attributes and Selhurst Park is a difficult place to go. 

“We're expecting a tough game, but we go there also with confidence and we want to go and show the best version of ourselves. If we do that, we know that we can give them a tough game as well.

“We believe we had a really even-fought game with them early in the season and now it's a big challenge to go to their stadium and try and produce some of the same things, but also try and find the extra little bit that might get us the three points.”

It was pointed out to McKenna that only two per cent separated the teams in terms of shots inside and outside the box in the Portman Road fixture and the Northern Irishman was asked whether that illustrated that the two sides take a similar attacking approach.

“I'm not sure that statistic reflects too much,” McKenna said. “It reflects it was an even game, which I think it certainly was.

“They produced a moment of quality with [Jean-Philippe] Mateta that decided the game between the two teams, but it was certainly an even-fought game.

“In terms of similarities between the two teams, in terms of systems and attacking and defensive balance, there are some similarities in there which often can end up leaning towards a fairly tight game, and I think that was the case in the first game. Both teams set up in a pretty similar way and it led to a pretty tight game.

“We know the opponent well and I'm sure they know us well. Both teams are fairly consistent with what they do and we have to try and execute well and try and go there and produce a big performance.”

Palace are almost certain to be without Mateta this time around, the French striker, who has scored 12 Premier League goals this season and has been nominated for Premier League Player of the Month for both January and February, having required 25 stitches to an ear injury following Millwall keeper Liam Roberts’s horror challenge during last week’s cup tie, which led to glovesman’s sending off.

“Has that been 100 per cent confirmed?” McKenna said when asked how crucial Mateta is to the way Palace play. “No one's rung me to tell me that yet, so you have to always prepare until you know for certain. I don't want to speak too much about whether he's available or not available.

“He's obviously a very important player for Crystal Palace, having a fantastic season and, of course, scored the winning goal for them at Portman Road.

“But it would be foolish to think that that's the maximum of the threats. [Ismaila] Sarr and [Eberechi] Eze are in fantastic form playing behind him, Eddie Nketiah is a player that many courted in the summer with a fantastic pedigree.

“Both wing-backs [Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Muñoz] are in good form. They've got physicality and experience and quality all over the pitch, so whether Mateta plays or not, we know we're facing a strong side and we need to prepare for all the threats they have.”

Regarding Roberts’s challenge on Mateta, McKenna added: “I wasn't watching at the time because we were training, but I've seen some of the images back.

“Obviously, it looked like a reckless challenge and the right decision was reached in the end for the player to be sent off, I think. We hope that Mateta makes a full and quick recovery, which I'm sure he will do.”

The Team

McKenna’s selection options at Palace are limited by the extensive injury problems which have hit the squad in recent weeks.

Alex Palmer will start in goal with the Blues boss having a decision to make on the right of the defence with Axel Tuanzebe out with a hamstring injury and set to undergo a thumb operation during his time on the sidelines.

Ben Godfrey deputised in the Tottenham match when the DR Congo defender was suspended but had a tough time and McKenna may look at alternatives with Ben Johnson an option to come into that role, although the ex-West Ham man may be needed further forward on the right.

McKenna could perhaps move Dara O’Shea out to the right with Luke Woolfenden coming into the middle, as has happened at half-time on a couple of occasions recently, but the Blues boss has been less keen to move the Irish international out of the centre from the start. Jacob Greaves will be the left centre-half with Leif Davis the left-back.

In central midfield, McKenna could bring Kalvin Phillips back into the XI, the on-loan Manchester City man having returned to training following his calf problem. Skipper Sam Morsy was one of Town’s best performers during Monday’s FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest, but played the full 120 minutes. Jens Cajuste looks set to start in the other role.

In the three ahead of the double pivot, McKenna was due to assess both Omari Hutchinson and Julio Encisco following their knee injuries. If both are considered fit enough to start, Hutchinson seems likely to be on the right with the Paraguayan in the middle.

Jack Clarke, Jaden Philogene and Nathan Broadhead are the alternatives on the left and - along with Johnson - are options for the right and central roles should Hutchinson and Enciso not be up to places in the XI. Liam Delap will be the central striker.

Christian Walton is set to return to the bench having recovered from the groin injury he suffered at Liverpool.

History

Historically, Town have the edge on Palace, winning 32 games between the sides (30 in the league), losing 28 (27) and drawing 24 (24).

The Blues haven’t won at Selhurst Park since August 2010 when Roy Keane’s side beat George Burley’s Eagles 2-1 in a game in which both teams ended the match with 10 men, Andros Townsend, in his second game for the club on loan from Spurs, following Palace’s Claude Davis for an early bath, while Grant Leadbitter, from the penalty spot, and Carlos Edwards found the target for Town.

At Portman Road earlier in the season, Mateta’s 59th-minute goal was enough to see Crystal Palace to a 1-0 victory over the Blues.

The French striker made the most of a Greaves slip before finishing confidently, with the defender coming closest to scoring for the Blues when he stuck the woodwork with a header from a set piece in the closing stages.

The sides most recently met at Selhurst Park in the second round of the Carabao Cup in August 2017 when manager Mick McCarthy fielded an entirely changed XI and handed seven players Blues debuts - George Fowler, Pat Webber, Shane McLoughlin and Ben Folami from the beginning and Ben Morris, Monty Patterson and Chris Smith from the bench - while then-18-year-old Woolfenden made his first senior start for the club.

Bersant Celina, in his initial loan spell at the club, netted his first Blues goal in injury time but two earlier James McArthur strikes saw Crystal Palace to a 2-1 victory.

The youthful Blues did themselves proud and held out until the 76th minute when McArthur curled home the first of his brace, the second coming eight minutes later, before Celina's goal threatened to spark a late, late Town comeback.

The teams last met in South London in the league in the Championship in November 2012 in McCarthy’s second game in charge of Town when the Eagles ran out 5-0 victors.

Yannick Bolasie had put the home side ahead at half-time before an extraordinary 11 minutes early in the second half in which Palace were awarded three penalties, Glenn Murray scoring two and having one saved.

The striker later added his third and the Eagles' fourth before sub Andre Moritz made it five in injury time.

Familiar Faces

Palace’s third-choice keeper Remi Matthews, who is from Gorleston, trained with Town in the summer of 2020 after leaving Bolton Wanderers but had a number of Championship clubs interested in him and eventually joined Sunderland.

Eagles full-back Joel Ward was a Blues target in the summer of 2012 when he left Portsmouth but after a protracted chase opted to join the South Londoners.

The visitors’ goalkeeper-coach Dean Kiely was on loan with Town between October and November 1989 without making a senior appearance.

Blues legend James Scowcroft is European scout with the Eagles, where he played between 2006 and 2009.

Town’s set-play and first-team coach Mark Hudson was a centre-back with Palace between 2004 and 2008.

Blues U18s coach David Wright was a player at Selhurst Park from 2010 to 2013.

Officials

Saturday’s referee is Simon Hooper with his assistants Adrian Holmes and Nick Hopton, and the fourth officials Robert Jones. The VAR official is Paul Tierney and his assistant Ian Hussin.

Wiltshire-based Hooper has shown 101 yellow cards and two red in 23 games so far this season.

His most recent Town match was the 2-1 win at Wolves in December when he booked Harry Clarke and Jack Taylor during the 90 minutes, and Delap in a melee after the final whistle which saw Rayan Ait-Nouri red-carded and Matheus Cunha later charged for attacking a Blues security guard, leading to a two-match ban and £80,000 fine.

Prior to that, he was in the middle for the 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town at Portman Road in May which confirmed promotion back to the Premier League after a gap of 22 years. Hutchinson and one Terrier were yellow-carded during that match.

Hooper hadn’t refereed the Blues for six years before that with his last visit to Suffolk the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa in April 2018, the Blues’ heaviest home loss in seven years.

Town, with Bryan Klug and assistants Gerard Nash and Chris Hogg in caretaker charge, were reduced to 10 men in the 42nd minute when Grant Ward was dismissed for catching Neil Taylor with a high boot as he looked to take the ball down on the turn. Hooper showed no other cards that afternoon.

A few months earlier, in the January, he had refereed the 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Portman Road in which he booked Callum Connolly, Stephen Gleeson, Martyn Waghorn and one of the visitors.

He also refereed the 2-1 win at Burton Albion in October 2017 when he booked Luke Chambers, Cole Skuse and Bersant Celina - for his shirtless goal celebration - as well as one Brewer.

Hooper previously took charge of the previous month’s 3-1 home defeat to Bristol City in which he yellow-carded Jonas Knudsen, Joe Garner and one Robins player.

Prior to that he was the man in the middle of the 1-1 draw at home to Preston in January 2016 when he showed yellow cards to Brett Pitman and three Lilywhites.

In the preceding September he was the man in the middle during the 3-0 Capital One Cup defeat at Manchester United in which he booked only Jonny Parr.

Before that he refereed the Blues’ 2-0 home victory over Burnley at Portman Road in August of the same year in which he yellow-carded visitors’ winger Michael Kightly and no one else.

Hooper officiated in the 1-0 defeat at Reading in August 2014 in which he booked Tommy Smith, Tyrone Mings, Christophe Berra and two home players.

He also took control of the 1-0 win at Yeovil the previous season and the 3-0 home win against Crystal Palace in April 2013.

Squad From

Palmer, Walton, Slicker, Davis, Townsend, Johnson, Godfrey, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Burgess, Greaves, Morsy, Cajuste, Phillips Luongo, J Taylor, Philogene, Clarke, Hutchinson, Enciso, Broadhead, Delap, Hirst.

TWTD

Oldschoolnumber9 added 20:59 - Mar 6 I think our tactics are often poorly timed. We need to stay in games for longer, then attack more later on. Or if we take a lead, we HAVE to go for more goals. Waiting for the opposition has cost us dozens of times now.
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bluebullet29l added 09:01 - Mar 7 Confidence from what exactly? Another defeat.
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bluebullet29l added 09:02 - Mar 7 Km is now officially the worse performing manager in the Premier league. Fact.
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tractorboybig added 09:07 - Mar 7 beginning to sound like lambert.
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BlueMoolay added 09:14 - Mar 7 He has to say that. I for one am not going there with much confidence at all i'm afraid to say.!!
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Linkboy13 added 09:41 - Mar 7 Another backs to the wall exercise against far superior opposition hoping lady luck is with us and maybe we can snatch a point. Feel for McKenna like all managers he has to remain positive trying to get results from a squad way out of its depth. At the moment the players are still with him if he started criticising them we might be seeing double figure defeats such is the lack of quality at his disposal. Am i still with him one hundred percent who are we going to replace him with Rooney, Garrard big name failures.

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Marinersnose added 10:15 - Mar 7 Yet another really tough game against opponents who beat us comfortably at PR. Our second half display at Forest was encouraging but we created very little goal scoring opportunities. Again I’m not sure who makes the starting lineup. Good luck .
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Reuser2000 added 12:48 - Mar 7 I've not missed an Ipswich game in over 20 years (I'm 33) wether that's listening on the radio, going too the game or watching online. It's basically my religion that on a Saturday 3pm that's my time BUT I have too say for the first time I'm really not bothered tomorrow and will probably miss it..... McKenna and Co have done an amazing job and the last few years have been amazing the best I could have wished for but this premiership business is boring, a defeat is inevitable again unfortunately

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gippeswyk added 14:10 - Mar 7 I'm cautiously optimistic if Omari and Enciso are back tomorrow. I think they could have won us the game on Monday and with them and Delap on the pitch, and Palmer in goal, I don't write Town off as many on here are doing. I am sure the players will go there believing and giving 100%, so let's get behind them and the manager.
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Alphawhiskey added 14:18 - Mar 7 We need wins, and quite a few of them. I just cant see us beating anyone at the moment. I really hope i am proven wrong, but I can see us losing by 2 or 3 goals again. Then wait for the fine margins and positives etc etc. Saying that, we are in pink again so you never know......
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Leejames99 added 15:28 - Mar 7 More changes again, his favourites will definately play be no surprise see him drop Palmer for Walton and say he is tired. As someone said before the last 2 seasons have been amazing, i still think the signings made were with fingers crossed on 17th but a firm eye on the Championship and getting the best players from it while we could who not only have good sell on but and potential but are the proven best in Championship and if relegated give us a decent chance to bounce straight back bearing in mind the ground is Prem ready, new training facilities and if a season in Championship gives us a chance to build furyher to become established in the Premiership then im all for it, its only a season and we will be favourires to bounce back with the players wd have and the money we would get for any sell ons if any. On the other hand 33 poonts to play for, the possibility of Man City points deduction, still got to play Wolves at home, their talisman out, after tomorrow if we lose will they consider a change or at the very least a contract exyension from Mckenna if not i would not be surprised to see a change. Team tomorrow most likely - Walton Johnson Woolfeden Burgess Davis Morsy J Taylor Luongo Broadead Chaplin Hirst But should be if fit Palmer O'Shea C Greaves Woolfeden Townsend Phillips Cajuste Hutchinson Enciso Phillogene Delap Be some mash up of both as there is with out doubt, no question about it, very fine margins at play here on selections but with Burns Mck fave out its now Davis and no way will he be dropped by Mckenna so Palace will have a field day, look at goals against when Townsend plays and goals against with Davis its staggering

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flykickingbybgunn added 16:50 - Mar 7 Do Clive Allen still play for these ?
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flykickingbybgunn added 16:53 - Mar 7 Whabout Ian Wright ? Surely he still play ?
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Billysherlockblue added 17:49 - Mar 7 Remember wright and bright?
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armchaircritic59 added 18:16 - Mar 7 I don't know what team KM is going to select, somewhat limited options due to the injuries, but I'm going to post something I think I posted rather too late on another thread earlier this week, might stir up a little debate (might not! ) I think we have one or two what might be called " marmite " players at the club, I think most will know the term. I have some facts obtaining to one of them, all gained from the " fixtures " page of this very website. I'm not offering my opinions in this article, though I do have one. Ok, this is about Luke Woolfenden. All the facts below relate to all first team matches from the very first one against Liverpool to the cup tie earlier this week at Forest, and include all competitions. Fact 1: There have been 8 matches so far where we have conceded 3 goals or more, LW has started 1 of them. Fact 2: The most we have conceded during the 7 occasions when LW has started is 2 apart from the 1 mentioned above ( 4-1 at Man City ). Fact 3: We have kept just 3 clean sheets in all matches so far this season, LW has started in 2 of them. Not a vast example, but food for thought I think?

4

Linkboy13 added 18:43 - Mar 7 It's amazing to think Crystal Palace have never won a major trophy dispite being in the Premier league for quite some time. I find it hard to get my head round a lot of their fans will live through a life time and not experience it. Ive been fortunate to see the winning of the UEFA cup and FA cup i just missed out on the league championship triumph. So it's three nil to Palace then but no trophy im afraid.

1

blueboy1981 added 19:31 - Mar 7 The sooner this season is over the better now, we keep hearing about ‘positives’ after every game - but we continue in reverse order ! It would be something if we could see some improvement in expectation, but most, other than the eternal optimist, expect us to lose Home and Away now. Accruing all those ‘positives’ haven’t proved much ! Try and Enjoy the rest of the Prem’ Experience - please God not another 20 plus year wait. But - Who Knows ?

0

blueboy1981 added 19:33 - Mar 7 Linkboy13 - Fond Memories and Times indeed !
1

Leejames99 added 19:55 - Mar 7 Mckenna or Ashton should tell the fans now if Mckenna is here for the 'project' and long term ambition and that the money was spent on the ground, training facilities and players that have excelled in Championship with big prospects and were aware when they signed that relegation was pretty nailed on because alot have said they bought into Mckenna's long term plan and vision and I do think if relegated we are in a very good place and far more equipped for a strong title challenge for promotion, but I also believe if all players are fit after tomorrow's game, with there being international break that if for any reason they doubt Mckenna for next year then they have nothing to lose than get a temp experienced PL manager to try and get 17th. It's pretty obvious why defense is working well because O'Shea and Townsend played with Palmer and Greaves and Woolfeden and Burgess are all familiar now and in midfield we have looked strong with Phillips and Cajuste and up front and on the flanks we ate potent if players are in the position. It is no coincidence we only conceded one with 10 men vs Villa. We have talent more than capable of scoring and more than capable of shutting shop and it seems the only thing stopping us is changes to accomodate Davis. A good Prem manager in current circumstances and looking at stats would play our best 11 to combat any team and score and if passed fit that has to be Palmer O'Shea Woolfeden Greaves/Burgess Townsend Phillips Cajuste Enciso Phillogene/J Clarke Hutchinson Delap And let players play as much of 90 mins as possible, especially Delap, I'd like to see if we were winning take a midfielder off, bring Burgess on and go to back 5 and play a 5-3-2 with Hirst and Delap up top with Phillips or Cajuste flanked by Hutch and J Clarke firing crosses and Burgess playing long ball up. If he sticks with Morsy, Davis etc we just lack invention l, pace and are left to open on either side.

1

dirtydingusmagee added 20:15 - Mar 7 gippeswyk with respect we all.hope for a win but believing is becoming increasingly difficult .Ive wished and even prayed but it dosnt happen .Its been a long painful season , as i for one expected. .
2

Barty added 21:30 - Mar 7 I am going with confidence and fancy us to win 2- 1. COYB.
0

TimmyH added 22:03 - Mar 7 armchaircritic59 - I bet that's when we've played a solid back 5, Wolfenden does play better in that formation (largely away from home). The problem as I've said all season is when we play too expansively (largely at home) and play 4 at the back that's when we struggle down the flanks.
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armchaircritic59 added 23:43 - Mar 7 TimmyH You may have a fair point, I've not gone into that detail, but fair play if you've spotted it. My point is, we leak like a teabag without LW, he may not turn out to be the cure of our defensive woes, but I think he deserves a run to prove it or otherwise.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:43 - Mar 8 I am anything but confident going up against an athletic Palace side, but I'll be giving the boys my full support, as always.
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Linkboy13 added 10:18 - Mar 8 Luke Wolfenden has been unlucky not to have played more games but it's difficult to fit him into the same defensive system as O'shea. O'shea has been one of the few plus points this season but in hindsight maybe we should have invested in a right back instead. If i was to give an award to most improved player bearing in mind the huge gap in class between the two league's it would be to Wolfy.

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