Palace need to find their cutting edge before tough stuff begins

EVERTON v CRYSTAL PALACE

THE good news is that Palace are four points better off than at this stage last season when they lost their first seven without scoring and ss tt ii ll ll comfortably survived.

The bad news is they’ve only scored five in their first eight league games and, after this one, face Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Fo r Roy Ho d g s o n , t h ee international break must have felt like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you can do plenty of work on the training ground, at least with those who haven’t disappeared. On the other, it would have felt like an awfully long time following that home defeat to Wolves.

When talking about Palace, it’s prac- tically impossible to avoid the subject of Wilfried Zaha (below), who has given Hodgson another headache after returning early from international duty, apparently with a thigh injury. He ddoesn’t look at all happy just nownow. That might, of course, be pp u re l y d ow n to results. AAlternatively, there could be something more significant troubling the attacker.

His mood certainly won’t bbe helped by another defeat at the hands of an Everton side gettingg things together. For Zaha, read Richarlison in blue, an exciting young forward full of pacy intent. For Palace, it could be a while before things improve.