FA Cup champions Crystal Palace return to Premier League action on Tuesday when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Selhurst Park.
Palace defeated Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to claim the FA Cup and are currently 12th with 49 points, while 14th-placed Wolves have eight points fewer and lost 2-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion on May 10.
The hosts’ 16th-minute goal in the FA Cup final was the first of their two shots on target, and boss Oliver Glasner will not care that his side could have easily conceded had City converted any of their three big chances given his players left as champions.
Palace’s victory means they will be playing Europa League football next term, though they could still finish as high as 10th in the Premier League, which would be their joint highest finish since their first season back in the top flight in 2013-14.
Following the Eagles’ 2-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur on May 11 in their most recent Premier League game, the club only need one more point to surpass their highest points total since returning to the division.
Glasner’s side come into Tuesday’s fixture on a two-game winning streak, and they avoided defeat in their previous four, drawing three matches.
Palace’s displays at Selhurst Park have been excellent, with the club unbeaten in their last eight at home, winning six times while keeping four clean sheets and scoring 15 goals.
Opponents Wolves lost 2-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion on May 10, a clash in which the victors netted both of their big chances, though their figure of 0.78 non-penalty xG was less than Wolves’ figure of 0.91 xG.
The visitors have not scored in their past two outings – conceding three – but they did keep three clean sheets and score 13 goals in their prior six.
Head coach Vitor Pereira will hope to improve their poor record against Palace, as while they earned a point after drawing 2-2 with their hosts in the reverse fixture on November 2, they have been beaten in six of their last eight meetings with the Londoners.
The Old Gold had won the six games prior to their two most recent matches – beating the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur – but losses to Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion ended their winning streak.
Wolves have emerged victorious in four of their past five on the road in the Premier League, but they have lost five and drawn one of their last six at Selhurst Park.
