Crystal Palace have had a start to the season that few here in the Transfer Tavern would have predicted, it has been very much stop-start!
One week they play so well and win and the next they will do the opposite and come away empty handed.
They’ll need to be at their best this weekend as they face high-flying Chelsea who are very much in the hunt for the title this season.
Palace manager Alan Pardew has been questioned by many in the Transfer Tavern, and he must start to take Palace towards the top ten where they should be with the quality of their players.
What better way than to show your club’s intent than beating the high-flying Chelsea, then, so with that our landlord reckons if Pardew fields this Crystal Palace XI they will surely surprise Chelsea…
GK: Wayne Hennessey
With number one Steve Mandanda on the medical table it has given the Welsh keeper a chance to try and claim back the position, but having conceded as many times as he has, it is hard to see him keeping his place when Mandanda is back fit.
LB: Joel Ward
The left-back has been a regular in the side for some time now.
Still only 26-years-old and doing well whilst with no real competition for the position, Pardew will for sure start him.
CB: Damien Delaney
With Tomkins out injured, Delaney will come in and use his experience against the Blues.
He threw in a ludicrous assist last time out against Manchester United and will look to strut his stuff more here.
CB: Scott Dann
The Palace captain isn’t having the best season, but the guy has got a bundle of talent and is a great leader, he just needs to stop leaking goals this year.
He till gets into the side over the other options Palace currently have.
RB: Martin Kelly
The former Liverpool defender hasn’t looked back since switching Merseyside for London.
A player that is in the Palace side as they don’t have many options at the back especially after the horrific accident that arguably their best full-back Pape Souare had earlier this year.
CDM: Yohan Cabaye
The French central midfielder surprised many when he signed for Palace last season and we are delighted to have the former Newcastle man back in the Premier League!
He just needs to create some of the magic we saw of him in a then average Newcastle side in this current Palace set-up.
CDM: James McArthur
The Scottish midfielder finds himself in the line-up ahead of the likes of Joe Ledley and rightly so!
The central midfielder has scored some great goals and has been vital in the middle of the park for the Eagles so far this season, but he’ll have his work cut out being the last line of defence coming up against Diego Costa.
LW: WILFRIED ZAHA
This guy has the ability to be class and has shown it at times this season, but our landlord here at the Tavern, like many out there, want to see Zaha produce the quality we all know he has on a more regular basis.
Where better to showcase his talents than against Chelsea this weekend.
He could be a difference maker for Palace in this game!
CAM: LEE CHUNG-YONG
The South Korean can play on the wing as well as just behind the leading man, and we feel he could pose a different kind of threat to Chelsea than that of Benteke who he’ll play just in behind.
The pace and skill of the attacker could cause problems for Chelsea, if they use him to their best effect.
RW: ANDROS TOWNSEND
The former Spurs man would love to get one over on Chelsea and help dent their title hopes like they did Spurs’ last season.
The England International was surprisingly left out of the starting XI for their match against Manchester United- surely they’ll call on him in this game, being that he is one of their better players.
They’ll need him on the pitch if they are to come away with anything from Chelsea.
ST: CHRISTIAN BENTEKE
The former Liverpool striker is enjoying his time at Palace and back to being a bigger fish in a smaller pond, much like his times of success with Aston Villa.
Having struggled at Liverpool, its great to see the big Belgian scoring again and enjoying his football. He really could be the difference maker for Palace in this mountain of a task to beat Chelsea.
