Match Preview: Brentford v Crystal Palace

Despite losing former captain Marc Guéhi to the Cityzens in January, the Eagles have kept an impressive 12 clean sheets this season, with only Arsenal (18) and City (15) registering more. Palace have limited their opponents to an average of 11.4 shots per game - only the Premier League’s top two and Chelsea have protected their goal more diligently.

In the context of Sunday’s clash, Palace’s underlying numbers point to a cagey opening before a flurry of goalmouth action prior to half-time.

Over a third of their Premier League goals this season (35%) - scored and conceded - have arrived in the 15 minutes before the interval. By contrast, no side has conceded fewer goals in the opening 15 minutes than Palace’s four, highlighting their control in the early phases of matches.

For Brentford head coach Keith Andrews, the message may be one of patience early on - with opportunities more likely to emerge as the first half wears on.

At the other end of the pitch, there is one damning statistic that Eagles fans will be all too aware of - although their take may depend on how much faith they place in expected goals.

Across Europe’s top five leagues this season, no side has underperformed their xG by a greater margin than Palace. The Eagles have scored 37 goals from 58.86 xG (-21.86), pointing to a consistent lack of cutting edge in front of goal.

Intriguingly, xG suggests Palace will face kindred spirits in the UECL final, with Rayo Vallecano (-19.29) ranking as the second most wasteful side in Europe.

Sunday’s clash between two of the Premier League’s more physical and direct sides may ultimately be shaped by each side’s work out of possession - and whether the Bees can engineer the kind of end-to-end moments that suit them.

While Brentford (9) are joint-top for Premier League goals from counter attacks this season, Palace are the only side yet to score on the break in the top flight.

Scout report

Dan Long, Sky Sports: Palace eyeing European glory

Crystal Palace have been a solid, established Premier League club for well over a decade now. While not always spectacular, their longevity is the envy of many, and it is a status they have not taken for granted.

But since Oliver Glasner has been in charge, the south London club have dared to dream bigger.

In 2024/25, they reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 13 seasons, set a club-record points total of 53 in the Premier League and, most significantly, won the FA Cup for the first time in history.

They won the Community Shield last summer, too, and were set up for a season like no other, even after the big money sale of starman Eberechi Eze to Arsenal. That has certainly proved to be the case - just not in the manner expected.

Glasner’s side were as high as fifth in the table in mid-December, but things soon started to unravel.

They were thumped 4-1 at Leeds five days before Christmas and dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Arsenal three days later. They went two months without a Premier League win before the derby victory away at Brighton on 1 February.

January was a tough month, and not just from a results perspective.

Firstly, the 2-1 FA Cup third round defeat to non-league side Macclesfield on 10 January will be considered the biggest giant killing in the competition for a long time to come. Then, on the 16th, Glasner announced he would leave Selhurst Park in the summer.

"A decision has already been taken months ago. I had a meeting with Steve [Parish] in October,” he revealed. "We had a very long talk, and I told him I will not sign a new contract. We agreed at the time it was the best to keep it between us. It's the best that we could do that and keep it confidential for three months. But now it's important to have clarity.”

And on the 19th, captain Marc Guéhi was sold to Man City. Palace fans had been through the wringer over a painful nine-day period.

That time is over now, though, and a new chapter will begin in the summer. But not before the Eagles have the chance to make history once again.

Going into the final two games of the season, their Premier League status is secure for another year. That means they can focus every single drop of energy into trying to become the third English club to win the Conference League.

They finished 10th in the tournament’s league phase, then beat Zrinjski Mostar, AEK Larnaca, Fiorentina and Shakhtar Donetsk to book a spot in the final, where they will face La Liga side Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on 27 May.

FA Cup glory one year, European glory the next? Now, that would be the perfect way for Glasner to bow out.

In the Dugout

Oliver Glasner

Barring a short loan spell at LASK in the 2003/04 season, Oliver Glasner spent his entire 19-year playing career at SV Ried in his native Austria, from 1992 to 2011, where he holds the record for the most appearances made for the club, with 572 in all competitions.

During his time at SV Ried, he won the Austria Cup in 1998 and 2011, as well as helping the club achieve promotion to the Austrian Bundesliga in 1994/95 and a decade later in 2004/05.

In August 2011, he suffered a brain haemorrhage and, after an operation, was advised to end his playing career at the age of 36. After his enforced retirement, Glasner spent two years as assistant to Roger Schmidt at Red Bull Salzburg.

When Schmidt later left for Bayer Leverkusen, Glasner made his return to SV Ried. During his one and only season in charge, the club secured a fourth-straight sixth-place finish. Next was a return to LASK. Glasner spent four seasons at Raiffeisen Arena and enjoyed plenty of success.

The club finished second in the second tier in his first season and were promoted as champions in 2016/17. Back in the top flight, they then finished fourth, before finishing second in 2018/19 - their highest finish since winning the Staatsliga in 1965.

Glasner then moved across the border to Wolfsburg in July 2019 and, two years later, joined Eintracht Frankfurt. He could not guide the German club to any higher than seventh in his two seasons in charge, though he did mastermind the Europa League triumph in 2021/22, where Frankfurt beat Barcelona, West Ham and Rangers on their way to glory.

He departed Frankfurt in the summer of 2023 and joined Crystal Palace as Roy Hodgson's successor in February 2024 and, in his first full season, he guided the club to their first major trophy win, when they beat Man City to lift the FA Cup. In January, Glasner announced he would leave the club this summer upon the expiry of his contract.

The Gameplan

With Sam Tabuteau, Standard Sport

Sam Tabuteau, football reporter for Standard Sport**, explains how Crystal Palace are likely to approach Sunday's game at the Gtech.**

"It is three at the back, wing-backs high and wide and a lot of threat through Daniel Muñoz, but also increasingly through Tyrick Mitchell on the other side," he told brentfordfc.com.

"Last season, I would not have necessarily said Mitchell was someone who excelled going forward and that was perhaps one of his limitations, but this season he has really taken that on and that is a side of his game he has really developed.

"So, there is a lot of threat going through their wing-backs and then they have got a front three that are quite narrow and pick up all the balls into the area. They are really well structured, well organised and they play to their strengths."

Last Premier League starting XI v Manchester City (5-4-1): Henderson; Muñoz, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Mitchell; Johnson, Hughes, Lerma, Pino; Mateta

Match Officials

Barrott in charge at the Gtech

Referee: Sam Barrott

Assistants: Ian Hussin and Wade Smith

Fourth official: Stephen Martin

VAR: Paul Howard

Sam Barrott will officiate the final Premier League game of the season at Gtech Community Stadium.

Sunday's Crystal Palace match will be his fifth Bees fixture of the campaign, with the Yorkshire referee having previously overseen both wins against Burnley, as well as a home loss to Nottingham Forest and December's Carabao Cup defeat at Manchester City.

In the 40 games he has had the whistle for across all competitions, Barrott has dished out 169 yellow cards and one red.

Memorable meeting

Brentford 2 Crystal Palace 1, (Premier League, 18 August 2024)

Brentford opened their 2024/24 Premier League campaign with a 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace at Gtech Community Stadium.

Bryan Mbeumo cut onto his left foot and bent a trademark finish into the far corner to open the scoring before an unfortunate Ethan Pinnock own goal brought Palace level in the second half.

Yoane Wissa squeezed home the winner after Nathan Collins had been denied to secure all three points.