Saturday’s curtain-raiser pits Crystal Palace against West Bromwich Albion at Selhurst Park. Despite being matched up against the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur already this term, the Eagles lie in sixth place with an impressive 12-point haul. The Baggies, meanwhile, need to pick themselves up after surrendering a two-goal lead at home to Everton.
Palace boast a supreme road record under Alan Pardew, gaining victories in nine of their 12 away ties. They’ve been less formidable at home, however, winning just six out of their 15 fixtures. Despite conceding only seven goals in as many outings, the Eagles will be concerned by the fact they’ve conceded more shots inside the box (72), outside the box (59) and headed attempts (23) than any team in the league.
After putting two goals past the Toffees last weekend, West Brom are now the only outfit that are yet to concede on their travels. Moreover, no side has conceded fewer shots inside the box (14) in road clashes, illustrating Tony Pulis’ regimented brand of football. That being said, the Baggies diligence at the back comes at a cost, given that they’ve registered just two goals and 11 attempts on target on the road.
