Ipswich manager Gary O'Neil has failed to win any of his five previous Premier League matches against Crystal Palace.

O'Neil has faced the Eagles while in charge of Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers, managing just one draw and suffering four defeats.

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Ben Chilwell proved to be the unlikely hero as Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Fulham 3-2 last weekend.

The England international scored with his first touch since rejoining the club from Strasbourg on deadline day to earn Pierre Sage his first win as Palace manager.

If the Conference League winners can follow that victory by beating Ipswich Town at Selhurst Park this afternoon, it would be the first time since December that Palace have won back-to-back Premier League matches.

Image source, Getty Images

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace earned their first Premier League win under Pierre Sage by beating Fulham 3-2 last weekend, but the head coach was notably magnanimous afterwards, admitting he was "disappointed for the other team and the coach, they had opportunities too".

He was at it again following Tuesday's Carabao Cup win over Middlesbrough when, as against the Cottagers, Palace prevailed despite their opponents having significantly more possession. Sage stressed Boro were "a really good team", adding: "I want to congratulate them – the score is for us, but they played well."

The next target for the fair-minded Frenchman is to help his side secure back-to-back top-flight wins for the first time this calendar year.

The Eagles' defence has not particularly shone of late, conceding two or more goals in nine consecutive league matches, an unwanted club record. But defenders were the heroes at Craven Cottage, with wing-back Tyrick Mitchell scoring the first double of his career and his second-half replacement, Ben Chilwell, hitting the winner.

Mitchell often had to rein in his forward runs under Oliver Glasner, with the buccaneering Daniel Munoz providing more of an attacking outlet on the opposite flank.

But with the Colombian having followed Glasner to Nottingham Forest, Mitchell appears to have greater licence to push up the pitch and has registered 10 touches in the opposition box, the joint most among Premier League defenders this season.

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

After marking their Premier League return with a morale-boosting opening-weekend win against Sunderland, Ipswich have been brought back down to earth, perhaps predictably, by defeats against Manchester United and Liverpool.

But the Blues' first-half performance at Old Trafford and second-half display against the Merseysiders provided crumbs of comfort for Gary O'Neil.

The Town boss, who took over in June, insisted there "were a lot of very good signs" in his side's response after conceding twice in the opening nine minutes against Liverpool.

However, O'Neil admits the defensive mistakes Town have made in their past two games must be tidied up, warning that they can "kill" a side's Premier League prospects.

That was certainly the case when Ipswich were relegated in 2024-25, and the Suffolk club have now gone 22 top-flight matches without a clean sheet, conceding 57 goals during that run.

Captain Dara O'Shea played every minute at centre-back in the Championship last season but has been deployed at right-back this term following the arrival of Issa Diop.

The Irishman said this week that he has no problem playing on the right, but if the Blues continue to leak goals, O'Neil may have to consider restoring him to his preferred position.

Ipswich Town legend John Wark has backed goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen.

Scherpen, the tallest player in Premier League history, was arguably at fault for both of Liverpool's early goals in last weekend's 2-0 win.

Wark, speaking on BBC Radio Suffolk, said: "I thought he was poor at the start but he got better.

"He had a couple of good saves. The goals they gave away were disappointing.

"I just thought everybody would blame him, that's why they're all picking on the goalkeeper."

Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage has confirmed Ismaila Sarr is still not available for selection.

The 28-year-old, who has had a groin injury, had hoped to join Liverpool last month but the clubs could not agree a deal for the Senegal winger

"It's the same situation. He's not with the team for the moment," said Sage.

"I thought he could be with us in training on Monday, but it was not the case. We expect him next Monday to start training with the first team. We want him on the pitch."

Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is in a contract dispute with the club, is also unavailable.

Crystal Palace picked up their first win under Pierre Sage last weekend, which was really important for them.

They have still got goals in their team, as they showed against Fulham, but it was quite an open game and they always look like they will concede a few too.

I covered Ipswich's defeat by Liverpool and what worries me a little bit is the way their manager Gary O'Neil saw that game.

He was overly positive about his team's performance and, while I know why he is doing it, you can't mask that they didn't match Liverpool and they were not creative enough in the final third either - I don't remember Alisson having to make a save of note.

This feels like an important game for Ipswich after two successive defeats but I don't know why I am thinking they will get a point because that's not going to happen, is it?

My first thought was that they will grind out a draw, but I've changed my mind and am going with Palace to take the points at home.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Hull City winger Sorba Thomas was involved in a car crash close to the club's training ground yesterday morning.

The 27-year-old walked away from the crash, which happened on Millhouse Woods Lane in Cottingham.

His vehicle, a grey Land Rover Defender, was pictured on its roof, with broken windows.

And yet he's on the bench today.

Thomas joined the Tigers on deadline day from Championship side Stoke.

Hull City have been fined £30,000 over discriminatory chanting during their 4-0 FA Cup defeat by Chelsea in February.

The punishment comes just before they face the same opposition in the league.

The Tigers are urging supporters not to engage in the same chant today.

Three supporters had been banned for a minimum of three years following that game which was at Hull's MKM Stadium.

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport

Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic joked on Thursday that the only way to stop Chelsea’s free-flowing forwards is “to kick them”.

This fixture certainly promises to be the sternest test yet for a promoted side who could become the first to start a Premier League season with four consecutive clean sheets.

Hull have only faced nine shots on target – the fifth fewest in the division – and are one of just two teams, along with Leeds, yet to make an error leading to a shot on target against them.

While a much-changed side were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Sunderland in midweek, Hull’s defensive resolve has given them the platform to earn seven points from their opening three league matches.

Only three clubs in Premier League history have been relegated after making a similar start (latterly Leeds in 2022-23) – and the five other promoted sides to reach seven points at such an early stage all stayed up.

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport

With 26 goals in their five matches, Chelsea have been anything but dull – not that manager Xabi Alonso would mind that.

"We want to have better balance, to be more solid, to be able to win in a boring game as well," he reflected after his side came from 2-0 down in midweek to beat Leeds 6-3 in an EFL Cup tie.

That result was indicative of Chelsea’s breathless start to the season, including needing three and four goals respectively to beat Fulham and Brighton. The glut of goals scored – 16 so far by Chelsea players – have masked defensive deficiencies.

Chelsea are conceding an average of two goals per game in all competitions this season, with only Ipswich facing more shots on target in the Premier League than Chelsea’s 21.

The lack of clean sheets is a longer-term issue; the Blues have gone 19 league matches without one, the joint-third longest run in the club’s history.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

Xabi Alonso left his pre-game news conference in a subdued mood and wanting to conduct a "deeper analysis".

That was despite Chelsea producing an impressive comeback to beat Leeds United 6-3 at Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

It came after Alonso made four changes at half-time, introducing Cole Palmer, who scored twice, and Morgan Rogers, who provided four assists.

There are now questions over whether the Blues' fringe players are close to the level of the club's established stars after a poor first-half display.

However, the broader picture remains positive at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea scoring 16 goals and conceding 10 in the opening five matches of Alonso's tenure.

It is clear the Spaniard is still implementing his system and Chelsea have at times lacked control in possession. Most importantly, though, he has won four of his first five matches in charge.

Chelsea appear to be an improvement on last season's side, although there is still significant room for refinement.

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Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino made headlines this week when he claimed the Blues should be stripped of the 2016-17 Premier League title.

Pochettino was managing Spurs, who finished second that season, then - and thinks they should be awarded the title.

Chelsea were fined £10.75m in March after being charged by the Premier League for historical breaches of competition rules.

The club also had a six-point deduction "set aside" on appeal.

Pochettino, who managed Chelsea in 2023-24, said: "We [Spurs] should win one title, one Premier League. We should have been awarded it.

"[Chelsea] were punished, they admitted, so that's it? The title should be for the team that was second.

"It's true that we didn't compete with the same rules. It's completely fair to say that we didn't compete before the start of the season with the same card."

Read more here about the arguments either way.

I have happy memories of this fixture because one of my three goals for Chelsea came against Hull, in the FA Cup.

Hull haven't conceded yet and they are the team I have been most wrong about so far this season.

With every passing week, they are putting more egg on my face [see the table based on Sutton's predictions at the bottom of the page] but it can't keep happening, can it?

It probably can, but I am still going for Chelsea to win this. The Tigers have defended brilliantly so far, but they are not going to keep out Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro.

Hull will defend ferociously but, as Chelsea showed in the Carabao Cup against Leeds on Wednesday, they have enough quality to play through teams who sit in; and, if they score first, then Hull will have to open up - that's my theory anyway.

The only thing I was unsure about was whether Hull would score too. Chelsea still seem to be a bit chaotic with the way they defend, and they have leaked a few goals, but I have given them a clean sheet. They need one.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

It's been a tough start to life as Bournemouth manager for Marco Rose.

The Cherries have led in all three of their Premier League games so far this season and failed to win any of them (D2 L1), becoming the second side in the competition’s history to do so after Chelsea in 1992-93.

No side has ever done so in their opening four matches of a campaign before.

A record Rose's side won't be chasing.

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Bournemouth have never beaten Brentford in eight Premier League meetings (D3 L5). They’re the only side the Cherries have faced without yet winning in the competition, while it’s the most the Bees have faced an opponent without losing.

Overall, they are unbeaten in 11 league meetings with Bournemouth (W8 D3) since a 1-0 Championship defeat in August 2014.

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport

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The Cherries have led in all three of their league games this season, yet failed to win any of them.

Two points from three matches so far probably isn't a fair reflection on how Marco Rose's side have played, but they have developed a habit of crumbling late on in games. Four of the five goals they have conceded have been after the 84th minute, with two of those coming in stoppage time.

In contrast, all of the four league goals scored by Bournemouth have come in the first half. Against Newcastle last weekend, they had 13 shots in the first half, with five on target; after the break, they had four shots, none of which were on target.

"In the second half, we dropped a bit in everything," admitted head coach Rose after Bournemouth were pegged back from 2-0 up by an 88th-minute equaliser.

They started to put that right in midweek, with three second-half goals from a much rotated line-up giving them a 4-0 League Cup win over Lincoln City, which was Rose's first competitive win in charge.

But now Bournemouth need to transfer that to the Premier League, where they have lost seven points from winning positions this season, more than any other team – and 29 since the start of 2025-26, the joint-highest in the division.

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport

Brentford are unbeaten this season but have also been struggling to kill off games in the league, having let a lead slip in their past two top-flight matches.

The Bees have drawn nine of their past 13 Premier League games (W2, L2), and have amassed 11 draws in 2026 - second only to Bournemouth, who have drawn 12.

The latest concession of a lead came last weekend when Sunderland grabbed a draw through an Enzo le Fee penalty in the 82nd minute.

Giving away penalties has also been something of an Achilles heel for Brentford in recent times. They have conceded more than any other Premier League side since the beginning of last season, with six goals coming from the nine spot-kicks they have given up.

On the flip side, they have earned more than any other side in that time, but they are the only team in this Premier League campaign to miss a penalty – that happened in the opening match of the season when Igor Thiago hit the post with his against Tottenham.

Former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington believes Eli Junior Kroupi has received "rightful recognition" after being nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or young talent of the year award.

The 20-year-old, who is sidelined with a broken foot, scored 13 goals in 35 appearances last season.

Partington said on BBC Radio Solent's Cherries Unpicked podcast: "We've had some exceptionally talented young players at this football club, but never one who has been involved in this.

"He did perform exceptionally well last season. Bournemouth really are missing him at the moment, there is a big hole in the team. They are missing him being a slight maverick, being a bit more creative and being able to take risks.

"Bournemouth feel a bit safe in their playing style at the moment, and he is a bums-off-seats kind of player. When he gets the ball in and around the box, people expect him to beat the goalkeeper or hit the target.

"It is rightful recognition for him to be included in those top 10 best young players in the word. Will he win the award? I would say the likelihood is probably not, but it is great confirmation Bournemouth's recruitment team continue to hit the mark.

"Hopefully he is able to overcome this foot injury now and recapture the form that put him in this position in the first place."

To say Bournemouth keep on throwing it away is a bit harsh, but they have been ahead in all three of their league games so far and have not won any of them.

Will they see this one through? I am not sure, but I like the way Cherries boss Marco Rose talks when he has been interviewed after games. He is a bright guy and he will get things right.

I was spot on with my prediction for Brentford's 1-1 draw with Sunderland last week, but the Bees were actually lucky to get a point in the end.

Brentford will play on the counter-attack here and Bournemouth will have a go at them, so this smells like a draw to me.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1