Crystal Palace welcome Ipswich to Selhurst Park on 12 September with both sides desperate to shore up defences that have been badly exposed in recent weeks. Palace conceded four in a heavy loss to Man City, while Ipswich shipped five against Manchester United and two against Liverpool, making this a fixture where goals look almost guaranteed.

Oliver Glasner's Palace have shown two contrasting faces in their last two outings. The 3-2 victory over Fulham demonstrated their attacking potency and willingness to play on the front foot, but the 1-4 defeat to Man City laid bare the defensive frailties that continue to undermine their ambitions. Palace will take heart from the fact that they can hurt teams — three goals against a decent Fulham side is no small feat — but they must find a way to tighten up at the back if they are to build any momentum at home.

Ipswich, meanwhile, arrive in south London on the back of two bruising defeats. A 0-2 loss to Liverpool was perhaps understandable given the quality of the opposition, but conceding five to Manchester United — even while managing to score twice — paints the picture of a side that is competitive going forward yet alarmingly porous defensively. The Tractor Boys need points quickly, and a trip to Crystal Palace fixtures as one of their more realistic opportunities to get something on the board.

The key battle in this match will be in the wide areas and the transitions. Palace have thrived on quick, direct attacking play under Glasner, and Ipswich's struggles to contain opponents on the counter could be ruthlessly punished. Conversely, Ipswich showed against Man Utd that they are capable of finding the net, so Palace's own defensive vulnerabilities mean the visitors won't be without hope. Set pieces could also prove decisive, with both teams looking susceptible from dead-ball situations based on recent evidence.

What is at stake here is straightforward: both clubs need to start picking up points consistently to avoid being dragged into a relegation conversation. Palace have the advantage of home turf and the confidence boost from that Fulham win, whereas Ipswich are searching for any scrap of positivity after back-to-back losses in which they conceded seven goals.

Prediction: Palace's home advantage and superior attacking output should see them through, but expect Ipswich to find the net at least once. A 3-1 Crystal Palace victory feels the most likely outcome in what should be an open, entertaining contest.