Two sides that will be looking to bounce back from defeat go head-to-head at Selhurst Park on Saturday as Crystal Palace host Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Both sides have made a mixed start to the new season, winning their opening fixtures before slipping to defeat last time out.
Crystal Palace
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Alan Pardew's side lost their opening home match of the 2015-16 Premier League campaign, falling to a 2-1 defeat to London rivals Arsenal last Sunday, which followed a convincing 3-1 win over Norwich City on the opening day of the new term.
Having finished in the top half of the table last season, the manager will be hoping that his side are back on winning terms quickly, but the team will need to improve on last year's home form if they are to match or better last year's 10th-place finish.
Palace won 13 matches in the top flight last season, just six of which came at Selhurst Park. They were beaten 10 times at their home ground, while losing just six times on their travels. Only the clubs that finished 16th and lower picked up fewer home victories.
Winger Yannick Bolasie managed just 45 minutes against the Gunners, but it could be one of his last appearances for the Eagles, as he continues to be linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, something which he has admitted he would be open to.
Bolasie's form in the second half of last season helped Palace pull away from the relegation zone, proving a formidable force down the flank, particularly when playing alongside Wilfried Zaha.
With four goals from their opening two matches, Palace are already one of the top scorers in the Premier League so far this season, with only three teams having scored more. However, defence has been an issue, as they are yet to keep a clean sheet.
Recent form: LLWWWL
Recent form (all competitions): LWDLWL
Aston Villa
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Like their opponents, Aston Villa were beaten in their second match of the season, losing 1-0 at home to Manchester United last Friday. The loss came following a narrow win over top-flight newcomers Bournemouth on the opening day.
Tim Sherwood has insisted that his side must improve to avoid being dragged into another relegation battle this season, and the club have been linked with a number of potential new signings following the defeat, including Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Benik Afobe.
The squad has seen plenty of departures though, with club captain Fabian Delph making the move to Manchester City, while last season's top scorer, Christian Benteke, has joined Liverpool.
However, there may be more players leaving Villa Park before the transfer window closes in just over a week's time. Philippe Senderos and Kieran Richardson are among those tipped to move on, but Leandro Bacuna has pledged his future to the club, penning a contract extension.
The manager will be keen to reduce the number of defeats suffered by his side after slumping to 20 losses in the 2014-15 campaign; only relegated Queens Park Rangers lost more matches. Twelve of those defeats came away from home, so Sherwood will be looking at this fixture as a chance to maintain a 100% away record this season.
The club will be wary of celebrating a strong start to the season too quickly, having won three of their first four outings last season before waiting almost three months for their fourth win, losing six times in a row.
Recent form: WWLLWL
Recent form (all competitions): WDDDWL
Team News
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Crystal Palace will still be without regular first-choice keeper Julian Speroni as he continues to recover from a finger injury, while Marouane Chamakh is still regaining match fitness with the reserves after struggling with a run of injuries last season.
However, Pardew has indicated that summer signing Bakary Sako could be ready to make his debut for the home side this weekend.
The visitors have received a boost to their squad as Jack Grealish came through 90 minutes in an Under-21s match on Monday, having missed the start of the campaign with a hamstring injury. Sherwood has said that he will consider the England international for the trip to Selhurst Park.
Latest signing Adama Traore could also make his debut, having completed his move from Barcelona too late for last week's match against United, watching from the stands at Villa Park instead.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
McCarthy, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, Zaha, Puncheon, Cabaye, McArthur, Sako, Wickham
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Guzan, Bacuna, Richards, Grealish, Amavi, Veretout, Gueye, Westwood, Ayew, Agbonlahor, Gestede
Head To Head
When the sides met at Selhurst Park last season, it was Villa who picked up three points, securing their first win since September with a 1-0 victory in December, before sharing a goalless draw with the Eagles just a couple of weeks later, shortly before Sherwood's appointment.
This has not been a high-scoring matchup since Palace's promotion back to the Premier League in 2013, with the Eagles winning 1-0 in their two outings in the 2013-14 campaign.
In 41 meetings between the two sides, this weekend's hosts have the advantage, winning 17 times and losing just 10, while 14 previous fixtures have resulted in draws.
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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa
Palace have not always shown their best form at home, but Villa are not the strongest side on the road. Pardew's side have proved that they are capable of scoring goals so far this season though, which could prove the difference in this fixture.
Sian Cowper
