These two teams had vastly different summers, with Crystal Palace’s Euro-heavy lineup hosting a West Brom side has done very little business this summer heading into their season opener at Selhurst Park at 10am E.T. live online at NBCSports.com.
The difference between the sides is evident in the questions the managers faced. Alan Pardew was able to discuss the Euro campaigns of his Welsh and French players, and new signing Andros Townsend was also a popular talking point. On the other end, Tony Pulis had to ward off suggestions that he could resign at the start of the season due to transfer window frustrations.
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It’s poetic justice that, with just one new signings yet this window, Pulis opens the season against Palace, the side he abandoned just 48 hours before the start of the 2014/15 season for similar reasons.
Townsend starts for Palace in a pacey attacking midfield with Wilfried Zaha on the other end and Jason Puncheon in as well. Yannick Bolasie, meanwhile, starts on the bench amid speculation he could leave the club for Everton shortly. James Tomkins, Bakary Sako and Fraizer Campbell are all out injured.
For the visitors, they have just one new player in Matt Phillips, who joined from QPR and starts on the wing. Sadio Berahino begins up front after yet another tumultuous summer linking him with moves away.
Crystal Palace will be happy to start the season in front of their home fans, but they have won just one of their last eight home openers in league play.
LINEUPS:
Crystal Palace - Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Jedinak, Puncheon; Zaha, Lee, Townsend; Wickham.
Bench - Speroni, Kelly, Ledley, Cabaye, Bolasie, Ladapo, Anderson.
West Brom - Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Evans; Gardner, Fletcher, Yacob, Phillips; Rondon, Berahino
Bench - Myhill; Morrison, McClean, Lambert, Leko, Field, Wilson