Enzo Le Price has expressed his gratitude in the direction of Sunderland’s followers for his or her help after he missed a penalty of their final Premier League match in opposition to Brentford.
The Black Cats had the prospect to stage the scoreline when 1-0 down versus the Bees, however Le Price’s Panenka penalty was caught by Caoimhin Kelleher and Brentford went on to win 3-0.
Nonetheless, the Frenchman atoned for his error final weekend, scoring a volley in opposition to Everton within the FA Cup and likewise holding his nerve to transform in a penalty shoot-out as Sunderland superior on spot-kicks, following a 1-1 draw at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Le Price was happy to bounce again from his miss because the Black Cats now put together to host Crystal Palace within the league this week.
“That’s soccer,” mentioned Le Price. “Generally issues don’t go your method, however you may’t disguise. For those who don’t attempt, you don’t succeed.
“Lacking a penalty hurts, however failures are classes, and you need to maintain believing.
“I’ve felt lots of help from the followers and I actually admire it. The messages imply so much, and so they provide you with confidence. I’m grateful to everybody who has been behind me.”
Health club time pic.twitter.com/P7aLkeygnc
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 14, 2026
Palace, in the meantime, noticed their FA Cup title defence finish on the first hurdle after they had been knocked out by Nationwide League North facet Macclesfield on Saturday.
Certainly, Macclesfield turned the primary non-league staff to get rid of the FA Cup holders since Palace knocked out Wolves within the first spherical of the 1908-09 match.
After their humbling defeat, Eagles boss Oliver Glasner is decided to see his facet reply on the Stadium of Gentle.
“Everyone is disenchanted. Gamers are annoyed. We didn’t present up. We’re sorry for that. I hope you may perceive it,” mentioned Glasner when addressing the followers.
“You, the followers and all of us, are actually disenchanted.
“We’ll make a couple of adjustments and we are going to begin once more subsequent week. Thanks on your help.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sunderland – Robin Roefs
Two of the highest three goalkeepers within the Premier League this season for targets prevented might function on this recreation.
Sunderland’s Roefs (5.1 – 21 targets conceded excluding personal targets, 26.1 xGoT conceded) and Palace’s Dean Henderson (3.9 – 23 targets conceded, 26.9 xGoT conceded) have each impressed between the sticks this time period.
Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta
Mateta has scored eight Premier League targets this season. Nonetheless, simply a kind of has are available in his final eight appearances.
And solely David Brooks (-3.41) has underperformed his xG by a larger margin within the competitors this time period than Mateta’s -3.21 (eight targets, 11.21 xG).
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Sunderland stay unbeaten of their 10 Premier League residence video games this season (W5 D5); in English top-flight historical past, solely seven newly promoted sides have had an extended unbeaten residence begin to a marketing campaign, most just lately Ipswich City in 1992-93 (11 matches).
Nonetheless, the away facet has not misplaced any of the final eight Premier League conferences between Sunderland and Palace (W5 D3), because the Eagles’ 3-1 win at Selhurst Park in August 2013.
Palace are with no objective of their final two Premier League video games; not since Patrick Vieira’s closing 4 league video games in cost, between February and March 2023, have the Eagles gone on an extended run within the competitors with out scoring.
After failing to attain in simply 4 of their first 14 Premier League video games this season, Sunderland have since failed to attain in 4 of their final seven matches. For the reason that begin of December, the Black Cats have scored the fewest targets (4) and have the bottom xG complete (6.6) within the division.
During the last six Premier League matchdays, solely West Ham (one) have earned fewer factors than Palace (two – D2 L4); and on the highway, they’ve misplaced their final two video games. The Eagles final misplaced three in a row in February 2024 below Roy Hodgson.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Sunderland – 36.2%
Draw – 26.2%
Crystal Palace – 37.6%
