March 3 2023

Patrick Vieira

This week was another game and another draw for Crystal Palace, writes Peter Toomey.

The draws have left pundits, if not fans, split on what sort of form the Eagles are in as we head into what should be a season-defining March.

On the positive side, Patrick Vieira’s team have now lost just one match in their last six and sit just four points from Chelsea and the top half of the Premier League table.

On the negative side, the run without a win in 2023 is extended to eight in the league, with the likes of West Ham and Leeds both winning at the weekend to bunch the bottom half of the league up even further.

A look at the latest odds suggests there shouldn’t be any immediate cause for concern, with football betting sites making eight teams more likely to face the dreaded drop into the Championship at the end of the season.

Palace themselves are 12/1 for relegation, compared to 6/1 back in August, and at least extending the recent run of draws on Saturday against Aston Villa would keep any genuine concerns at bay, ahead of a tricky set of matches.

After Villa come Manchester City, followed by trips to Brighton and Arsenal, with Palace highly likely to be underdogs in all four of those games.

Yes, the fixture list undoubtedly turns after that point, but Vieira may have his work cut out to keep confidence up if Palace are still waiting on a win by that stage.