Chris Sutton makes Crystal Palace vs Sunderland prediction after what he’s seen Oliver Glasner do
Sunderland face Crystal Palace on Saturday, looking for their first away win of the season.
Regis Le Bris’ side return to Premier League action this weekend as they take on Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The Black Cats have taken six points from their opening three games, but Sunderland’s 2-0 defeat to Burnley means that they are still searching for their first away point of the season.
However, with an away trip against the Eagles, they will face a difficult test to make that happen this weekend, in sentiments shared by Chris Sutton.
Sunderland predicted to lose at Selhurst Park
These two sides have not faced off against each other since 2017, when the Wearsiders secured a 4-0 win away to the Eagles.
However, chances of repeating that scoreline are slim, with Sunderland the clear underdogs for Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace.
Sunderland record vs Palace
- 16 wins
- 15 draws
- 17 losses
Glasner’s side have suffered a double injury blow ahead of the game against Sunderland, with Adam Wharton and Ismaila Sarr expected to miss out, though Sutton has seen enough of Glasner to suggest he can still put out a side capable of taking all three points.
In his prediction via BBC Sport, he said: “Palace are missing the injured Adam Wharton and Ismaila Sarr, but their boss Oliver Glasner has a knack of making his side extremely effective no matter who is missing.
“Sunderland have done brilliantly to win their first two home games, and I can see them making this quite tight, but I think they will have to wait a bit longer for their first point on the road.”
Sutton went on to predict a 1-0 win for Palace.
- Read more: Regis Le Bris must repeat unpopular Enzo Le Fee decision for Sunderland vs Crystal Palace
Sunderland must keep Jean-Philippe Mateta quiet
Crystal Palace have a whole host of players who can cause damage to a team, though perhaps none as much so as Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The Frenchman has already found the back of the net this season, having scored 17 times for the Eagles in all competitions last season.
With Dan Ballard not expected to be fit for the clash with Palace, it will more than likely be Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete tasked with handling the striker, in what is likely to be their biggest test of the season to date.
Sunderland certainly have enough in the tank to secure a result at Selhurst Park, though a lot of it will come down to how well they can defend their penalty area.
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