Crystal Palace v Brentford: Capital clash to entertain

Patrick preaches patience

After watching the European champions Chelsea demolish his side 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, new Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira remained calm, and urged others to do the same. The former Nice and New York City FC boss admits his style of play may take a while to bed down, especially as it jars with the style of his predecessor Roy Hodgson. The Frenchman also knows there must be patience in the transfer market - Palace have already made some interesting signings, but there is still plenty of work to do.

This is an appointment that really does have to work for both Palace and Vieira.

The Premier League is as competitive as ever, and a bad season can shape the trajectory of a club for many years to come. For Vieira, a successful spell in England will vindicate the methods that ultimately failed to reap rich rewards in Nice, although it's fair to say that changes at the top of the Ligue 1 club did unsettle the former Arsenal midfielder.

Vieira isn't just trying to rebuild a club on the fly, but he's also trying to drag a group of players out of a slump. Stretching back into last season, the Eagles have lost seven of their last nine Premier League games, and they have conceded at least two goals in each of those defeats. At Selhurst Park, Palace have lost three of their last four, and have won just two of the last eight.

Vieira also has injury problems to deal with. Young talents Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise are both out, and midfielder Luka Milivojevic missed last weekend's defeat due to personal reasons, and is once again a doubt here. There is however some good news - Christian Benteke and Joachim Andersen could both feature in the starting XI after fitness problems, and on-loan Chelsea prospect Conor Gallagher is now available.

Bees aiming to prolong the buzz

Brentford's long-awaited Premier League debut could hardly have gone better. Thomas Frank beamed as he and his players did a lap of honour after a 2-0 victory over Arsenal, roared on by thousands of Bees fans who are probably still pinching themselves. A brittle Gunners side was overcome, and this was no fluke, no smash-and-grab. Brentford won the xG battle according to Infogol, and goalkeeper David Raya was relatively quiet as Arsenal struggled to create high-quality shooting opportunities. A 2-0 win on the night felt about right.

Now Frank and his enterprising team must find consistency, something they managed in the Championship as they won 24 of their 46 matches, losing just seven. The second tier's top scorers found the net 79 times across those 46 outings, scoring at least once in 39 of those encounters. Ivan Toney scored 33 times in the Championship, and remains the Bees' chief threat. It will be fascinating to see how Premier League defences cope with Toney and the unpredictable Bryan Mbeumo, and former Liverpool player Sergi Canos really caught the eye against Arsenal.

Frank has no fresh injury or suspension concerns, and could retain the same starting XI. Neither Josh DaSilva or Mathias Jensen are expected to feature.

Brentford the outsiders for London derby

Brentford are 3.02/1 in the Match Odds market, and given their performance against Arsenal, many will feel they are unworthy outsiders. You could back the Bees with a bit of insurance by using the Draw No Bet market, which means you get a 2.0811/10 winner if the visitors take the three points, and your stake is returned if the match is drawn.

You can also use the Sportsbook's Bet Builder (see offer below) to back Brentford/Draw Double Chance and Over 1.5 Goals at 2.0521/20.

Goals on the cards

Brentford posed a goal threat against Arsenal, and were the most effective attacking side in the Championship. That said, the way they play gives you a chance at the other end, and they had the worst defensive record in the Championship's top four last term.

Palace have been conceding plenty of goals in 2021, but they have scored at least once in nine of their last 12 top-flight matches.

I think Both Teams To Score is attractively priced here at 2.0421/20.

Worth putting your faith in Christian

Palace striker Christian Benteke finished last season strongly, scoring in his final four appearances of the top-flight campaign to bring his goal tally to a reasonable ten. If the Belgian starts, he's worth backing in the To Score market here at 3.55/2.

On the Brentford side of things, Ivan Toney is 2.6313/8 to find the net at any time, while Mbeumo is 5.04/1.