Crystal Palace Premier League Fixtures, Squad, Guide
Last season former England manager Roy Hodgson rescued Palace after their disastrous experiment with Frank De Boer. Croydon-raised Hodgson returned to his roots and restored Palace’s fortunes despite a spate of injuries. Now the challenge is to get the best from a talented squad. But he will have to do so without Yohan Cabaye, who has joined UAE club Al Nasr.
Annual wage bill – £112m (2017)
Annual income – £143m (2017)
Stadium Selhurst Park (25,648)
Odds – 500/1 to win Premier League
FAN’S VIEW
Robert Sutherland, Five Year Plan (fypfanzine.uk)
LAST SEASON WAS…
In the context of Palace’s history, emblematic – it started with the excitement of Frank De Boer’s appointment, transitioned through the surprise of his sacking and subsequent drop down the table, and ended with the joy of survival. Roy Hodgson’s arrival was so significant though, and Palace played some fantastic football by the time the season ended.
OUR BIGGEST HERO
Wilfried Zaha was the most influential player – so much so that Palace didn’t win a single league game without him in the side. His talismanic performances and growing maturity were key to Palace’s survival.
OUR BIGGEST VILLAIN
It’s harsh to call him a villain but Frank De Boer was supposed to bring a new attitude to the side. Instead, he decided to treat his time at the club as an opportunity to experiment. From trying out new formations to selecting players in positions they weren’t used to, it was as predictable as it was disappointing. For someone supposedly so progressive, he lacked basic pragmatism, and that was his downfall.
YOUNGSTER TO WATCH
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is probably the one to pay most attention to. Following a mid-season injury crisis he was picked to fill the right-back void in the side and did remarkably well. He’s still raw but there’s an undoubtable quality to him.
MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER
Andros Townsend deserves more recognition for the way he played under Roy Hodgson. He took to the task diligently, and while he didn’t score as many as would have perhaps been expected his work helped to open up space for Zaha to exploit.
Andros Townsend was an underrated player last year for Palace (getty Images)
HOPES & FEARS For 2018-19
The hope is that Palace can find a way to be a stable side capable of avoiding a relegation battle while also playing entertaining football. While relegation battles are entertaining when you survive them, the risk that the club might not do so this time is too great.
Crystal Palace Premier League Squad
Name Age / d.o.b. Signed / prev club
GOALKEEPERS
Vicente Guaita (Spa) (31) 10.01.87 2018 / Getafe (Spa)
Wayne Hennessey (Wal) (31) 24.01.87 2014 / Wolves
Julian Speroni (Arg) (39) 18.05.79 2004 / Dundee (Sco)
DEFENDERS
Scott Dann (31) 14.02.87 2014 / Blackburn Rovers
Jaroslaw Jach (Pol) (24) 17.02.94 2018 / Zaglebie Lubin (Pol)
Martin Kelly (28) 27.04.90 2014 / Liverpool
Jairo Riedewald (Hol) (21) 09.09.96 2017 / Ajax (Hol)
Mamadou Sakho (Fra) (28) 13.02.90 2017 / Liverpool
Pape Souare (Sen) (28) 06.06.90 2015 / Lille (Fra)
James Tomkins (29) 29.03.89 2016 / West Ham United
Patrick van Aanholt (Hol) (27) 29.08.90 2017 / Sunderland
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (20) 26.11.97 2008 / youth
Joel Ward (28) 29.10.89 2012 / Portsmouth
MIDFIELDERS
Sullay Kaikai (22) 26.08.95 2010 / youth
Nya Kirby (18) 31.01.00 2016 / Tottenham Hotspur
Jason Lokilo (Blg) (19) 17.09.98 2014 / Anderlecht (Blg)
James McArthur (Sco) (30) 07.10.87 2014 / Wigan Athletic
Luka Milivojevic (Ser) (27) 07.04.91 2017 / Olympiakos (Gre)
Jason Puncheon (32) 26.06.86 2014 / Southampton
Jeffrey Schlupp (Gha) (25) 23.12.92 2017 / Leicester City
Andros Townsend (27) 16.07.91 2016 / Newcastle United
Jonny Williams (Wal) (24) 09.10.93 2011 / youth
Wilfried Zaha (25) 10.11.92 2015 / Manchester United
Cheikhou Kouyate (Gha) (28) 21.12.1989 2018 / West Ham
Max Meyer (Ger) (22) 18.09.1995 2018 / Schalke
FORWARDS
Christian Benteke (Blg) (27) 03.12.90 2016 / Liverpool
James Daly (18) 12.01.00 2014 / youth
Levi Lumeka (19) 05.09.98 2017 / youth
Alexander Sorloth (Nor) (22) 05.12.95 2018 / Midtjylland (Den)
Connor Wickham (25) 31.03.93 2015 / Sunderland
MANAGER
Roy Hodgson (70) 09.08.47 2017 / England
Roy Hodgson salvaged Palace’s season last year (getty Images)
Crystal Palace Premier League Fixtures
Aug 11 Fulham (a) – won 2-0
Aug 20 Liverpool (h) – lost 2-0
Aug 26 Watford (a) – lost 2-1
Sep 1 Southampton (h) – lost 2-0
Sep 15 Huddersfield (a) – won 1-0
Sep 22 Newcastle (h) – drew 0-0
Oct 1 Bournemouth (a) – lost 2-1
Oct 6 Wolves (h) – lost 1-0
Oct 20 Everton (a) – lost 2-0
Oct 27 Arsenal (h) – drew 2-2
Nov 3 Chelsea (a) – lost 3-1
Nov 10 Tottenham (h)
Nov 24 Man Utd (a)
Dec 1 Burnley (h)
Dec 4 Brighton (a)
Dec 8 West Ham (a)
Dec 15 Leicester (h)
Dec 22 Man City (a)
Dec 26 Cardiff (h)
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Dec 29 Chelsea (h)
Jan 1 Wolves (a)
Jan 12 Watford (h)
Jan 19 Liverpool (a)
Jan 30 Southampton (a)
Feb 2 Fulham (h)
Feb 9 West Ham (h)
Feb 23 Leicester (a)
Feb 26 Man Utd (h)
Mar 2 Burnley (a)
Mar 9 Brighton (h)
Mar 16 Tottenham (a)
Mar 30 Huddersfield (h)
Apr 6 Newcastle (a)
Apr 13 Man City (h)
Apr 20 Arsenal (a)
Apr 27 Everton (h)
May 4 Cardiff (a)
May 12 Bournemouth (h)
