Edmund Brack, South London Press: The threat to Palace's season

Edmund Brack, football writer for South London Press, has explained the 'threat' to Crystal Palace's strong form.

After a stuttering start to the season, Oliver Glasner's Eagles sit 12th in the Premier League table, one point and one place behind Brentford ahead of the Bees' visit to Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

Crystal Palace struggled for points in the first few months of the season, but they have turned their fortunes around since then and currently sit 12th in the Premier League. How would you summarise the season so far?

I do not want to use a cliché, but it has definitely been a tale of two seasons so far. The start was absolutely horrendous and their joint-worst ever start to a top-flight season.

There were players coming back from international tournaments - Jean-Philippe Mateta turned up a couple of days before they played Brentford at the start of the season, Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, Dean Henderson and Mark Guehi were all involved with England.

There was also speculation around everyone's future, with Michael Olise being sold when the club did not think he was going to be leaving that summer.

It all felt very rushed and scrambled and a bit chaotic after what was the most enjoyable spell Crystal Palace have had in a Premier League campaign towards the end of last season.

They turned up to games expecting to win and it was the complete opposite at the start of this campaign. Players did not look fit, just purely because of the disjointed nature of pre-season and so it took a while to find the rhythm.

But it is now one defeat in 11 Premier League games, so from where it was a few months ago to now is a complete change. Players are really starting to find their groove again and injuries are not as much of a problem as they have been.

Looking at the form table over the last 10 games, Palace are sixth. Is there a feeling around the club similar to that of when Oliver Glasner really got them going last term after taking over from Roy Hodgson?

I was thinking about this earlier in the week actually. It is a bit different because there is not that depth of quality within the squad compared to where it was at the back end of last season.

There was still a problem with depth then, but Michael Olise was ripping it up and winning Premier League games by himself.

They do not quite have that creative spark, but what they do have is Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is arguably the best striker in the Premier League at the moment. He is a striker who has the ability to win games by himself.

He is really in the peak form of his career and he is a real threat, just because of his body and size and the fact his finishing is world class. There are aspects of the feeling of last season.

Ismaïla Sarr is doing really well -Daniel Muñoz and Tyrick Mitchell are as well - but if players get injured, there is always that threat that having one player out could completely destroy the system, so there is always that looming fear.

There is a bit of a gap opening up between the top and bottom half already, but after finishing 10th for only the second time last season, is that still the main focus for Palace?

I think so. I do not think anyone is getting ahead of themselves and thinking that they are going to produce this unbelievable run of form that is going to sneak them into European spots for the first time.

There is a cautious optimism that, if they can add to a few more positions in the January transfer window, then they are going to have a really strong end to the season.

They have already brought in Romain Esse from Millwall and that is the perfect model Palace have executed in buying players from the Championship.

If they can bed them in for the final six months of this season and they hit the ground running at the start of the next campaign - which would be entering into Oliver Glasner’s final full year of his current contract - then there is a slight hope that they can get it right next summer and they could be really kicking on.

A top-half finish - and just Premier League safety again – is always Palace’s main goal.

Which player should Brentford fans be keeping an eye out for on Sunday?

Ismaïla Sarr is a real handful – he has really impressed me. I was not getting it at the start. He did not have the best of times at Marseille, but he was very good for Watford in spells and then would drift in and out of games.

His threat with his pace is a real problem for Premier League defenders and he hangs on the last shoulder. If Mateta is being pinned and Sarr is left free in open space, then I think he could be a problem for Brentford on Sunday.

What should Brentford expect in terms of shape and style?

It has not changed at all since the start of the season. It is a 3-4-2-1, with two no. 10s.

I would not expect Romain Esse to come straight into the fold. He is going to have a hard job of trying to beat Sarr and Eze for a place in that starting XI.

What Palace do have now with Esse is an attacking, creative option off the bench and that is what they greatly lack.

Brentford won 2-1 on the opening day of the season, but the last Bees win at Selhurst Park came all the way back in 1957. What’s your score prediction for this one?

It is on TV, isn't it? 1-1 draw.