Crystal Palace head into Tuesday night's fixture with Bournemouth holding a two-point advantage over the Cherries in the Premier League standings.
While Palace ended a three-match losing streak at the weekend, the Cherries have now suffered three defeats in succession.
Match preview
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Having had to contend with a run of five matches in succession against some of the biggest teams in the division, Roy Hodgson will take a great deal of satisfaction from his team remaining in contention for a spot in the top six with victory over Burnley at the weekend.
The trip to Turf Moor represented another game in which the Eagles were underdogs to gain a result, but goals from Wilfried Zaha and Jeffrey Schlupp proved to be enough against the Clarets.
While Hodgson will currently be looking in both directions of the table, sitting six points above the relegation zone at this stage of the season and with the opportunity to move swiftly up the standings is arguably as good as it good have been for Palace.
The London outfit now have to play no more of the established 'big six' until 2020, and Hodgson will acknowledge that this is Palace's time to put together a run which will take falling into the drop zone out of the equation during the second half of the season.
Eddie Howe will want to set up a similar scenario for his own team, although losing to Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur has left the Englishman fearing a relegation scrap.
Four points still separate Bournemouth and 18th-placed Southampton, but another setback on Tuesday would leave the Cherries short of belief heading into games with Liverpool and Chelsea.
Despite showing plenty of bright patches, Bournemouth are finding it difficult to produce 90-minute performances, and it is costing Howe and his squad the chance to continue their development as a club.
Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson remains their star of the campaign, but Howe will want to see Callum Wilson end a run of seven games without a goal as soon as possible.
Crystal Palace form: LDLLLW
Bournemouth form: DDWLLL
Team News
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With Scott Dann having been forced off at the weekend, Mamadou Sakho is in line to earn a start in the centre of the backline.
However, that may depend on whether Gary Cahill has recovered from the knee problem which kept him out of the win in the North-West.
Schlupp will hope that his goal against the Clarets will lead to a recall in place of Andros Townsend.
Harry Wilson will almost certainly return to the Bournemouth XI, potentially in favour of either Callum Wilson or Dominic Solanke.
Dan Gosling may make his first start since a long layoff, while Simon Francis is available again after serving a one-match ban.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup: Guaita; Kelly, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt; Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur; Schlupp, Zaha, Ayew
Bournemouth possible starting lineup: Ramsdale; Francis, Cook, Ake, Rico; Groneveld, Gosling, Lerma, Fraser; H.Wilson; C.Wilson
We say: Crystal Palace 2-1 Bournemouth
Both teams are aware that this fixture represents an opportunity to earn a spot in the top half of the standings ahead of the weekend. While Bournemouth will offer a threat at one end of the pitch, we feel that Palace currently have enough belief in attack to edge out the visitors.
Darren Plant
