Sunderland vs Crystal Palace Prediction 17 January 2026
🔊 Sunderland or Crystal Palace: which team will secure their first victory in a while? One of the most intriguing matches of the 22nd round of the English Premier League takes place at the Stadium of Light. Bookmakers are undecided on a favorite, offering equal odds. Does this suggest that the Black Cats, who are the most draw-prone side in the EPL, will settle for yet another stalemate?
Head-to-Head
📊 In their first-round match, the opponents couldn't determine a winner, ending in a goalless draw at 0-0. Crystal Palace dominated on the pitch but failed to capitalize on their chances. Notably, this encounter marked the first meeting between the teams since 2017.
Head-to-head statistics Sunderland - Crystal Palace
Sunderland Team Overview
Regis Le Bris' squad is gradually sliding down the table, currently sitting in tenth place, though they rarely suffer defeats. However, in the last round, they not only lost but endured their second heavy defeat of the season, overwhelmed by the red-hot Brentford (0-3). Sunderland had only a couple of dangerous moments, the most significant being a penalty missed by Enzo Le Fee.
Against this backdrop, their cup victory over Everton stands out as particularly symbolic. Enzo Le Fee redeemed himself by scoring from open play, and the "Black Cats" secured their place in the fourth round through a penalty shootout. They needed just three attempts as Robin Rous saved all three of the "Toffees'" shots.
Match Results: Sunderland
Crystal Palace Team Overview
The Eagles are in a crisis, with no apparent way out. When a team goes winless for a month across nine matches, it signifies deep-rooted issues. In the last round, Oliver Glasner's men put up a fight against Aston Villa (0-0), but that was on home turf, and away from home, they've suffered four consecutive defeats.
While being knocked out of the League Cup by Arsenal in a penalty shootout isn't a disaster, losing to the modest Macclesfield (1-2) in the FA Cup is a real embarrassment. Yes, the coach rotated the squad, but key players were on the field, and they were defeated by a team from the sixth tier.
Match Results: Crystal Palace
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Sunderland
🎙 "Brentford played well, and we started poorly, missing our chances to get back into the game. I don't want to make excuses. We lost under equal conditions and didn't perform at our level," said Régis Le Bris, reflecting on the defeat in the last Premier League round. Meanwhile, Sunderland's head coach had this to say after their FA Cup success: "The match felt very long, but the penalty shootout was incredibly short. The shortest of my life. But I'm happy."
❌ Sunderland have been unable to count on Aji Alese and Habib Diarra for some time. Recent setbacks include Arthur Masuaku and Bertrand Traoré, who will be sidelined for four to six weeks. And there's more: Chemsdine Talbi remains with the Morocco national team for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Crystal Palace
🎙 Oliver Glasner took his team's exit from the FA Cup in stride: “Congratulations to Macclesfield on their victory. Our level of play was abysmal. I didn't see anyone succeed in dribbling. We conceded from set-pieces and hesitated too long on headers. We deserved to lose. Honestly, I have no explanation for what I witnessed today. If we can't create clear chances, it speaks to a lack of quality.”
❌ Cheick Doucouré and Chadi Riad have been out since last season. Daniel Muñoz, Daichi Kamada, Eddie Nketiah, Chris Richards, and Will Hughes have also been sidelined for some time. The most recent setbacks are Nathaniel Clyne and Jefferson Lerma, who were injured in the match against Newcastle (0-2). Both are highly doubtful for the upcoming fixture, and Ismaïla Sarr will definitely be unavailable as he is set to play in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards
The match will be officiated by Robert Jones, who averages 3.6 cautions per game in the current Premier League season. He has issued more than 2.5 yellow cards in each of his last seven league matches. Given that Sunderland receive around two bookings per home game (1.95), and Crystal Palace average 2.1 on the road, Jones is likely to continue his streak.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
Sunderland have scored fewer than 1.5 goals in nine consecutive matches, while Crystal Palace have done the same in seven. Their last head-to-head ended in a goalless draw, lacking significant chances. Considering the current form of both teams, it's reasonable to expect a cautious approach, making a bet on under 2.5 goals appealing. This scenario has played out in 6 of Sunderland's last 7 matches.
🚩 Corner Prediction
Both teams rank among the league's lowest in terms of corner kicks, averaging fewer than four per game. Therefore, a wager on under 9.5 corners seems logical, having been profitable in 6 of Sunderland's last 7 home Premier League matches.
Editorial Prediction
A key factor in evaluating this matchup is that Sunderland remain unbeaten at home this season. Hence, we dare to disagree with the bookmakers and label the "Black Cats" as favorites. Justifying this status won't be easy, but we believe in a narrow home victory with a scoreline of 1-0.
As previously mentioned, we anticipate a low-scoring affair across all aspects, including corners. Expecting an end-to-end attacking display from the teams seems unlikely, which is why we lean towards the option of under 9.5 total corners. Neither Sunderland nor Crystal Palace prioritize corner deliveries in their playstyle.
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Betting Tips: Sunderland - Crystal Palace
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