Sunderland v Palace

Stadium of Light, Saturday 3.00pm

Story so far

Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars at fantasy.premierleague.com or with FIFA Ultimate Team for FIFA 14.

Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has described the last 10 games of the season as ’10 cup finals’ as he seeks to steer his side away from the dreaded relegation places. Palace will be desperate to bounce back from a disappointing home defeat to Southampton.

Palace may have drawn a blank against Southampton, meaning that they now scored less goals than any other Premier League side, but for the vast majority of the game their defence continued to look robust. Central to this fine rearguard effort was left back Dean Moxey, who won an impressive 83% of his challenges.

Yannick Bolassie has earned high praise for his excellent dribbling ability this term, with the winger’s willingness to take his opposite man a key asset in the Eagles’ offensive play. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he utilized this skill to great effect on Saturday, as he completed 6 dribbles – the most in the entire league.

Captain Fantastic Mile Jedinak has led by example for the Eagles this term, with the Australian excelling in all areas of the pitch all season. His importance to the Eagles is probably demonstrated best by the fact that he has featured in 2520 minutes this term, the third most of any outfield player in the league.

Thomas Ince was signed by Tony Pulis to bring added pace and width to the Eagles’ offensive play, so what may come as a surprise to many is that he has also impressed defensively too. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he has won a superb 81% of his challenges this term. You can find Thomas Ince at 8/1 with 888sport.com to open the scoring on Saturday.

Sunderland host Crystal Palace, looking to bounce back from a fortnight in which they were eliminated from the FA Cup and were defeated by Manchester City in the League Cup final.

Liam Bridcutt is a new arrival at the Stadium of Light, linking up with Gus Poyet once again. The former Brighton man has featured in 3 league games since he arrived in Humberside and has showcased his excellent ability to shield the back four in that time. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he has won an impressive 63% of his challenges, and has completed a total of 45 passes in the opposition half.

One of former manager Paulo Di Canio’s final act as Sunderland manager was signing centre half Valentin Roberge, who arrived on a free transfer from Portugese side Maritimo.

The Frenchman hasn’t featured as regularly as he would have liked this term, making only 9 appearances, but he has shown his excellent eye for a tackle in this time. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that Roberge has won an incredible 82% of his challenges this season.

There was a lot of excitement amongst Mackem fans when the club announced the signing of Emmanuele Giaccherini, as the winger is a fairly established Italian international.

The Italian hasn’t always reached the heights that the Sunderland fans expected, struggling at times to adapt to the pace of the Premier League. He has, however, shown glimpses of his undoubted talent when it has come to his dribbling as he has completed 24 dribbles, the second most in the Sunderland squad.

If Sunderland are to remain in the top flight they will need Adam Johnson to maintain the excellent form that he’s shown since the turn of the year. Such is the former Manchester City man excelling, that rumours that he may break back into the England squad are rife.

His importance to Poyet’s team can be underlined by the fact that he has made a total of 11 goalscoring contributions (based on goals and assists), which is more than any other player in the squad. Johnson is 15/2 with 888sport.com to score the first goal of the match on Saturday.

Team news

Crystal Palace striker Marouane Chamakh is still out with a hamstring strain. Jerome Thomas again came off the bench last time out against Southampton and could start as he returns to full fitness.

Sunderland defender Wes Brown and midfielder Craig Gardner are available after recovering from knocks.

Striker Jozy Altidore, defender Valentin Roberge and midfielder El-Hadji Ba have overcome recent illness. Just goalkeeper Keiren Westwood (shoulder) is missing for the Black Cats.

Sunderland: (from) Mannone, Ustari, Celustka, Alonso, Bardsley, Brown, O'Shea, Vergini, Cuellar, Roberge, Bridcutt, Cattermole, Gardner, Ki, Giaccherini, Johnson, Colback, Larsson, Ba, Mavrias, Altidore, Borini, Scocco, Fletcher.

Palace: (from) Speroni, Hennessey, Ward, Gabbidon, Delaney, Dann, Mariappa, Moxey, Parr, Jedinak, Dikgacoi, Bannan, Ledley, Bolasie, Ince, Puncheon, Murray, Gayle, Jerome.

Quotes

Roy Hodgson

"As far as I'm concerned it's three points at stake and we've got to make sure we're ready for the game. Every game is as important to me. I don't pick games and say this is the most important one, I think the important thing is to make sure the players know what we have to do and what we will need to do against Sunderland.

"We have ten games to go, whatever way you cook it we have ten opportunities to pick up the points we need to stay up. Obviously everyone will look at the position Sunderland are in and say that this is a six-pointer, but every game is an important game for this football club.

"We know it will be tough, but that's the Premiership. That's why we are in the Premiership. It's absolutely fantastic for us to go to the Stadium of Light and play against a great football club.

"The Chamakh injury is a pretty bad one, which is a blow for us because he has done so well. He has been a real quality player for us. He has enjoyed the position we have asked him to play and he has got some quality. We have played through him and played some really good football when he has played.

"He will be a big miss as he has been very good since I have come to Palace. He has got that little bit of quality you need and he has played exceptionally well since I have been here. So it is a big blow in lots of respects.

"We have had such a great run that people forget that this is the Premier League and this is going to be really tough. The hard work and effort the lads have put in over the last three months has been fantastic. The next few months they will have to do the same and, if anything, they will have to do a bit more."

Dean Moxey

"The away games, they’re all going to be hard. It’s a cliché but as the gaffer has said to us, we’ve got ten cup finals left so we’ve got to carry on and do what we’ve got to do.

"If we show the commitment we showed, we’ll get the points. It’s a big game now against Sunderland. If we win this weekend it doesn’t guarantee our safety.

"It’s another game for us to go up there and win. We beat them at Selhurst Park with a first win in the league in August so I’m sure we can do it again."

Jason Puncheon

"The games are getting thinner now. We’ve got ten games left and we’ve got to get points. We’ve got to concentrate on us, worry what we do and try and get the points on the table.

"The positive thing is we’ve played some top teams under the new gaffer and we’ve done well. Now it’s time to take some points off them."

Gus Poyet

"If you said to me on October 8 when I walked in here at 11.45pm for the first time that I was going to be in this situation with 12 games to go, I would have taken it, I would have.

"I would have for sure because it was looking impossible, so now I am here, I am not going to complain and moan. I am taking it and making sure we maintain the level of performance that we have had in the last three months and if we maintain that, I think we have got a great chance to stay up.

“I think it’s a great game. If I was a football player and I’m in the situation against Palace, would I want to play Palace away or at home?

“The game is changed because people prefer to play away from home. Where are they coming from? Another planet? It looks like there will be 42,000 people there. What a game. This is the game I want to play, not the Monday night in January on a rubbish pitch. This is the one."

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Sunderland - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
19th	26	6	6	14	24

Full league table

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Sunderland - current form

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
8	3	2	3	13	12

Full form table

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Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
31/08/2013	League	Crystal Palace	3 - 1	Sunderland
30/01/2007	League	Sunderland	0 - 0	Crystal Palace
22/12/2006	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 0	Sunderland
08/01/2005	FA Cup	Sunderland	2 - 1	Crystal Palace
17/05/2004	League	Sunderland	2 - 1	Crystal Palace

All time results

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Last meeting

Palace 3-1 Sunderland

Saturday August 31 2013

Palace: Speroni, Ward, Gabbidon, Moxey, Delaney, Campana (Williams, 54), Dikgacoi, Puncheon, Jedinak, Gayle (Wilbraham, 83), Chamakh (O'Keefe, 83)

Subs not used: Alexander, Ramage, Phillips, Dobbie

Goals: Gabbidon (9), Gayle (pen 79), O'Keefe (90)

Bookings: Delaney

Sunderland: Westwood, Celustka, Colback, O'Shea, Diakite, Larsson, Johnson, Vaughan, Giaccherini (Mavrias, 61), Wickham, Ji Dong-Won (Fletcher, 46)

Subs not used: Mannone, Cuellar, Valentin, Cabral, Karlsson

Goals: Fletcher (64)

Sent off: O'Shea (78)

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