Mamadou Sakho
Whatever went on behind the scenes at Liverpool is now done, and the Reds’ loss is very much Crystal Palace’s gain. Mamadou Sakho is a very good defender with proven experience at the top level, but most of all he loves a battle and that’s exactly the type of player Palace need between now and the end of the season. Many think he’s uncomfortable on the ball but he rarely makes a mistake, so he’s just unorthodox if anything, and he’s a colossal presence both on and off the pitch as we saw last season when he was a key player at Anfield. If he makes his debut this weekend, Jermain Defoe will have a big task of bettering him.
Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke is an obvious choice but let’s be honest he’s been an absolute pain in the proverbials for us in the past. He’s scored against Sunderland for Aston Villa, Liverpool and for Crystal Palace earlier in the season, which is a game we’ll move on from as quickly as possible. Like Sakho, Benteke is a physical presence and he’ll get stuck in, so the return of Lamine Kone – excellent against Spurs – is a massive plus for the Lads.
Patrick van Aanholt
Last week he played for Sunderland and this week he’ll be playing against Sunderland; such is life within football. When Patrick arrived he was raw but had undoubted talent – particularly going forward – and he improved defensively season upon season. We all know what Patrick will bring this weekend and he’ll be a threat on the front foot throughout the game, so with the likes of Wilfried Zaha also bombing forward Billy Jones needs to be at his best. But with that comes space to exploit, and Sunderland will have chances that they must take.
Scott Dann
Palace have a wealth of attacking talent so it may seem strange to pick another defender, but Scott Dann is just as important going forward as he is at the back. The defender has scored four goals this season – one away from his tally for last season – and he’ll pose a big threat from set pieces. He started his career at Walsall dropping down even further to gain experience on loan, with moves to Coventry, Birmingham and Blackburn preceding a move to Palace where he’s really taken his game to a new level. He won the club’s Player of the Year award in 2015 and the Player’s Player of the Year award in 2016, and he’s now in club captain which further highlights his importance.
James McArthur
I’m a big fan of James McArthur and I think he’s a very tidy player. At 29 he’s no spring chicken but every season he seems to improve and add a new dimension to his game. He has good experience and a terrific work ethic, but I’m particularly a fan of how he breaks from midfield and supporters the forward players. This season he’s scored six goals, including a brace against Liverpool and a strike against Manchester United, so he’s caused the big teams problems and could be a key player this weekend.