Oliver Glasner has hailed Jean-Philippe Mateta for sustaining a optimistic perspective throughout a troublesome begin to the season, with the Crystal Palace frontman in prime type forward of Sunday’s conflict with Brentford.
Mateta scored twice as Palace beat West Ham 2-0 final day out, taking him to 4 objectives in his final three Premier League video games.
He’s now on eight objectives for the marketing campaign total, having taken time to rise up to hurry at first of 2024-25 after representing France on the Olympic Video games in Paris.
Commenting on Mateta’s upturn at Friday’s pre-match press convention, Glasner mentioned: “He was away for weeks for the Olympics, he misplaced the ultimate after which needed to come again 4 days earlier than the beginning of the Premier League.
“No-one could possibly be prepared for the subsequent competitors – it’s simply human. It took him time. I feel I benched him two or thrice and he all the time stayed optimistic. He was all the time an excellent man.”
Palace misplaced 2-1 at Brentford on the opening matchday, leaving Glasner nicely conscious of the Bees’ qualities.
“Brentford are very, very harmful in transition with their tempo,” he mentioned. “They’ve a transparent construction, however in addition they generally press very onerous. We predict we’ve discovered some weaknesses we need to exploit.
“We would like the sport to suit to our fashion. Then it’s who will get it higher down on the pitch, as a result of I feel Thomas Frank will likely be making ready in the identical method.”
Brentford are eleventh within the desk, one level and one place forward of Palace, having misplaced 2-0 to Liverpool final week courtesy of two late Darwin Nunez objectives.
Previous to that defeat, they fought again for a 2-2 draw towards Manchester Metropolis, and Frank has been impressed by their current performances.
“It was two excellent video games. The Manchester Metropolis sport received us essentially the most reward,” Frank mentioned.
“It was extra even however the extra I look again at our sport towards Liverpool, in some ways in which was equally nearly as good.
“I believed we defended brilliantly, and I feel we had harmful assaults. The suitable move may have made it an enormous likelihood and purpose. Now we simply must do it once more.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta
Since Glasner’s first Premier League sport in control of Palace on February 24 final 12 months, solely three gamers have scored extra objectives than Mateta (21 in 35 video games).
In the meantime, amongst all gamers with at the very least 10 objectives in that point, solely Nottingham Forest’s striker Chris Wooden (29.9%) has higher conversion price than Mateta (29.6%).
Brentford – Mark Flekken
Brentford goalkeeper Flekken has made 101 saves in 22 Premier League appearances this season, essentially the most of any goalkeeper.
It’s the most saves per sport (4.6) by a goalkeeper to play 20 or extra video games in a Premier League season since Jordan Pickford for Sunderland in 2016-17 (4.7).
MATCH PREDICTION – CRYSTAL PALACE WIN
Having overwhelmed West Ham 2-0 of their final Premier League sport, Palace want to win consecutive London derbies for the primary time since April 2017, after they beat Chelsea and Arsenal, with this their eightieth London derby since then.
The Eagles have gained their final two Premier League matches with out conceding a purpose, triumphing 2-0 at Leicester Metropolis and West Ham. They final gained three in a row with out conceding between February and June 2020 (4).
Neutrals ought to anticipate leisure, although, as Brentford’s 22 Premier League video games this season have produced 79 objectives (40 for, 39 towards), with solely video games containing Tottenham (80) and Wolves (83) seeing extra.
If Brentford concede on this sport, they are going to be one among solely three groups to each rating and concede 40 or extra objectives in as few as 23 video games in a season, after Spurs in 2007-08 (22 video games) and Leeds United in 2020-21 (23 video games).
Palace have misplaced simply two of their final 14 Premier League matches (six wins, six attracts), having misplaced three in a row beforehand. From the date on which this run started (October 27), solely Liverpool (zero) and Arsenal (one) have misplaced fewer matches.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace – 45.4%
Brentford – 29.5%
Draw – 25.1%