Crystal Palace welcome Newcastle United to Selhurst Park on Sunday with both sides attempting to arrest worrying defensive trends, but the pressure on Pierre Sage's team has intensified after last weekend's heavy defeat at Brighton.
Palace were beaten 5-0 at the Amex Stadium, a result Sage described as shaming when he apologised to supporters afterwards. The Eagles have conceded 17 goals in their opening seven Premier League matches, the highest total in the division and their worst defensive record at this stage of a top-flight season.
The wider numbers underline the problem. Palace have conceded at least twice in 11 of their past 13 league matches, while no Premier League side has faced more shots than their 125 this season. They have also allowed 43 attempts on target, another league-high figure, and their expected goals against total stands at 14.8.
Sage used 18-year-old centre-back Honest Ahanor, who is on loan from Atalanta, for his second Premier League start against Brighton, but replaced him after 53 minutes. Axel Disasi took his place in the Europa League match at Besiktas, where Palace produced a much-improved display but still conceded twice and were unable to defeat a Newcastle side reduced to 10 men.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson could return after resuming training on Monday. He has not played since Palace's 3-2 victory at Fulham on 5 September. A stronger collective defensive performance will be required if the Eagles are to build on their 3-1 home win over Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle arrive after losing three of their past four league games and suffering successive 4-0 away defeats against Leeds United and Coventry City. Palace can also draw encouragement from Newcastle's record at Selhurst Park: the Magpies have won just once in their past 11 league visits, alongside six draws and four defeats.
