Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole as another weekend of Premier League action concludes with Crystal Palace hosting Sunderland at Selhurst Park. Both sides come into this match off the back of disappointing spells of form and will be desperate for a win over fellow strugglers tonight, so we should be in for an intriguing contest. Let's start with a look at the hosts...

The season has been something of a mixed bag for Crystal Palace so far, who entered the campaign in far from ideal style as Tony Pulis left the club just days before their opening match. Considering how successful Pulis's short reign was, many tipped the Eagles for relegation following his departure, but it must be said that Neil Warnock has done an OK job so far. They are certainly not as far away from danger as they were under Pulis, but there have been promising signs for Warnock.

The Eagles put in spirited displays against both Arsenal and Chelsea, only to lose those matches by the odd goal, while victory over Everton at Goodison Park has undoubtedly been the highlight of their season so far. That remains just one of two wins in the league, however, and if they continue at their current pace of a point per game then it may not be enough to keep them in the division come May.

They certainly can't afford to throw away points like they did in their last outing too often. Palace were 2-0 up against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns, but let the Baggies back into the game. A 93rd-minute equaliser from Saido Berahino prevented Warnock's side from claiming three points that would have made them feel a lot more comfortable going into this game. As it is, they are now just one point clear of the relegation zone, and would drop to 17th with defeat tonight.

In all, they have now gone three matches without a win, losing to Hull City and Chelsea in addition to that draw with West Brom. Matches against the teams in and around them in the division could be crucial to their survival hopes, so it will be a concern for Warnock that his side have already dropped points against the likes of Burnley, Newcastle and Hull. Tonight's match is exactly the sort that they will need to win.

Indeed, they haven't gone four matches without a victory since February-March of this year, and doing so tonight would leave them in a rather perilous position going into matches against Manchester United and Liverpool. However, they will be confident of having the firepower to beat this Sunderland side having netted in all but two of their matches this season.

That statistic represents a move away from the style that suited them so well under Pulis last season, when defensive solidity was the number one priority and goals were at a premium. No team has scored more than Palace in the bottom half of the table this season, but 16 goals from their opening nine games is comparable to those around them at the wrong end of the standings. They have kept just three clean sheets this season and, perhaps more worryingly, have conceded at least two goals in 10 of their last 12 Premier League appearances.

Their home form isn't great either, having only won once at Selhurst Park since April. That victory, which came against Leicester City in the league earlier this season, stretches back seven matches now, with four ending in defeat and two draws. They also have an unwelcome tendency to concede late goals at the moment, with no side conceding more in the final 15 minutes than Palace's five already this term.

That may well be a weakness that Sunderland look to exploit tonight, but before they can think about that they must first sort out their own problems. Things were looking rosy for the Black Cats after they picked up their first league win of the season against Stoke last month, but two demoralising defeats in a row have left them in the bottom three and Poyet reportedly fighting for his job.

It is defensive errors that have cost them so dearly in recent weeks, and they reared their ugly head once again in their last outing. Their overall performance against Arsenal was not actually too bad, particularly considering what had happened the week before, but mistakes from Wes Brown and Vito Mannone handed Arsenal the winning goals and prevented the Black Cats from bouncing back from the mauling they received at the hands of Southampton.

It would certainly be no surprise if Sunderland were still reeling from that 8-0 defeat to the Saints, as it truly was a horror show. You would do well to pick out a worse example of defending over 90 minutes in Premier League history as Poyet's side simply collapsed and were humiliated by Southampton. They made the long, long journey back up North with their tails between their legs, and the fans will be hoping for a rather more enjoyable return home tonight. Vergini's comical own goal set the tone, and it didn't improve throughout in what Poyet dubbed afterwards as his "most embarrassing moment in football".

As a result of those back-to-back defeats, in which Sunderland have conceded 10 and scored none, Poyet has faced questions over his future recently and is now the second favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked. The Uruguayan did a good job with the club last season having taken over from Paolo Di Canio, and should he lose his job with defeat tonight then it would be very harsh on him, but he could really do with a victory to ensure that chairman Ellis Short isn't tempted into pulling the trigger.

Indeed, victory tonight would make things look a lot brighter as a whole. It would lift the club out of the relegation zone and up to 15th in the table, but for that to happen they need to improve at both ends of the field. I have already talked about their defensive woes in recent weeks, with only the league's bottom two having conceded more goals, but they have also only found the net eight times in their nine games this season - the third worst tally in the division.

Even worse than that, they have failed to score in four of their last five Premier League outings, with the 3-1 win over Stoke being the only exception to that drought. That is also the only match in which the team's strikers have scored a league goal this season, so the likes of Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher need to step up and fire the club out of trouble.

The fans may not be too confident given their away form this season, however. Their last match on the road was that debacle at Southampton when they lost 8-0, but aside from that they are still without an away victory this season, picking up just two points from a possible 12. They have not even scored in their last three games away from the Stadium of Light, which is in stark contrast to how they ended the campaign last season, drawing with Manchester City at the Etihad before beating Chelsea and Manchester United in their own back yards.

TEAM NEWS: Okay, the team news is in, and the headline is that Vito Mannone has been dropped from the Sunderland side following his recent poor form. Costel Pantilimon comes in for his debut in one of four changes, with Anthony Reveillere another Black Cats debutant. Palace, meanwhile, welcome Scott Dann back from injury in their only change, while Delaney remains out of the squad entirely despite being available again after suspension. Full teams for both sides coming up...

PALACE STARTING XI: Speroni; Kelly, Hangeland, Dann, Ward; Jedinak, Ledley, Zaha, Bolasie; Chamakh, Campbell

PALACE SUBS: Hennessey, Mariappa, Bannan, McArthur, Puncheon, Doyle, Gayle

SUNDERLAND STARTING XI: Pantilimon; Reveillere, van Aanholt, O'Shea, Vergini; Cattermole, Larsson, Gomez, Buckley; Wickham, Fletcher

SUNDERLAND SUBS: Bridcutt, Brown, Johnson, Altidore, Mavrias, Graham, Mannone

So, what can we make of those two sides? Well, as far as Palace are concerned, they will be glad to have Speroni back available following the head injury that forced him off against West Brom in their last outing, with Hennessey dropping back to the bench having replaced him in that match. Dann returns to the side having passed a late fitness test to overcome a knee injury, and he joins a defence that will be looking to tighten up tonight. It is something of a surprise to see Delaney left out following his suspension, but Warnock has opted to keep faith with Kelly, Hangeland and Ward in his back four.

Arguably the hosts' most impressive player this season has been Mile Jedinak, who has established himself as a key figure in the middle of the park. He has made more tackles and interceptions than anyone else in the Premier League this season, with 76, and has also scored four and assisted two goals in his last 13 appearances, having managed none of either in his first 34 outings in the Premier League. He partners Ledley in midfield, while Zaha and Bolasie should provide the flair out wide.

Up front, Frazier Campbell has weighed in with a few goals already this season, and he will be licking his lips at the chance to get at this Sunderland defence tonight. He is always lively and alert, and given the Black Cats' recent trend of giving goals away very easily, he will be looking for any opportunity to take advantage of low confidence levels tonight.

As for Sunderland, it is no surprise to see Pantilimon come into the starting lineup, but it is a major blow to Mannone, whose already shattered confidence must have plunged even lower when he heard the news. Still, you cannot afford to make such costly errors in the Premier League, and 10 goals shipped in two games - even if they weren't all his fault - is poor. Pantilimon, meanwhile, will be looking to make the most of his time as number one, as he did for a spell with Manchester City last season when Joe Hart was dropped to the bench.

Wes Brown joins Mannone in being punished for his mistake last week, also dropping to the bench to make way for experienced French full-back Reveillere. He will be making his Sunderland debut tonight, filling in at right-back while Van Aanholt moves into the middle and Vergini plays on the left. O'Shea continues in central defence, and his experience and leadership will be vital to getting his players through a tough period right now.

Sunderland's midfield could have a big say in this match, with many of the players involved capable of deciding a game if on form. The midfield performance in the defeat at Southampton was almost as bad as the defensive one, but the likes of Larsson and Gomez have the ability to trouble Speroni in the Palace goal, while Buckley has made a good start to life at the club and Cattermole can act as a driving force in the middle. Johnson is another who has been dropped to the bench, but he is a good weapon to have at your disposal should he be needed.

Up front, Wickham and Fletcher simply must improve sooner rather than later. They were both brilliant in the victory over Stoke, with Wickham arguably the best player on the park and Fletcher netting a brace, but they have only got those three goals between them this season. Palace have been fairly leaky at the back recently, and if the Black Cats' strikers can start finding their form then they stand a very good chance of coming away from Selhurst Park with a victory tonight. That is a big if, however, given their form so far in the season.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Selhurst Park, which can only mean one thing - its prediction time! Neither side come into this game in very good form, but I am expecting goals given the shaky neither of both defences recently. Sunderland may be misfiring a bit now, but I do expect their strikers to come good tonight. It is a tough one to call, so I'm going to sit on the fence with a 2-2 draw.

So, those are my views, but how about the Sports Mole Sofa? You can see what our panel had to say about this match in the preview below:

Palace's home record might not be too impressive in recent weeks, but they do boast the better recent history here against Sunderland. They have won their last four against the Black Cats at Selhurst Park, while Sunderland have not won on this ground since a 1-0 victory in October 1995 - 19 years ago. That remains their only victory at Palace in the league in the last 33 years.

Their record on Mondays won't do too much to fill the fans with confidence either. They have failed to win any of their last 20 Premier League matches on a Monday night, drawing eight and losing 12 since a 2-1 victory over Leicester in April 2002. Palace, meanwhile, have seen 17 goals in their last three Monday night fixtures, including a famous comeback against title-chasing Liverpool last season to draw 3-3. The Eagles have not won any of those three games, though, losing the other two.

Last time these two sides met it ended in a goalless draw, but Tony Pulis was in charge of the Eagles then, and they saw a lot less goals in their games. The last meeting between Palace and Sunderland here ended 3-1 to the home side, with Gabbison, Gayle and O'Keefe nullifying Fletcher's strike.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Palace get us underway at Selhurst Park as they look to drag themselves away from danger, while Sunderland look to lift themselves out of the bottom three.

PENALTY SHOUT! Great start to the match from Palacem and they could have a penalty after just 25 seconds. Campbell nods the ball past Vergini and using his pace to collect it on the other side before going down under the challenge of the Argentine. Phil Dowd waves the claims away, but it could very easily have been given.

Dowd must have been influenced by how early in the game that incident took place as Vergini certainly caught Campbell and didn't get any of the ball. Meanwhile, Zaha skips beyond his full-back and puts a low ball into the box, but no teammates are attacking the front post.

The Eagles have made a flying start to this match here, with their two wingers causing Sunderland early problems. They are looking to get at a Sunderland defence, which is looking very shaky in the opening exchanges.

Sunderland break forward for the first time tonight and, after seeing that the visitors wouldn't have an advantage, Dowd awards a free kick in a very dangerous position. Good chance for the Black Cats to test Speroni here...

Jordi Gomez is the man who takes it, but he fires his effort straight into the wall. I suspect Larsson will be having the next one.

Better from Sunderland in the last few moments as they get their foot on the ball for the first time tonight, keeping possession and looking to ease their way into the match. Going forward, they do look capable of creating something, but it is in defence where the vulnerabilities lie at the moment.

This is exactly what Sunderland needed to do here. After such a shaky start, in which Palace should have had a penalty inside 25 seconds, Sunderland have settled now and are controlling possession at the moment. That is pinning the Palace wingers back and forcing them to defend, preventing them from causing the sort of problems that troubled the visitors in the opening exchanges.

Phil Dowd has a word with Warnock on the touchline after the manager was left unhappy with the lack of a decision for an apparent foul on Zaha. Moments later, Cattermole brings down Chamakh and must already be nearing a caution via the totting up process.

Palace break quickly with their front four leading the way, but Zaha's dinked cross is just behind Campbell, while Chamakh also can't get onto the end of it.

Zaha again looks to turn provider from the right wing, and this time it is a better ball in as he swings it towards the six-yard box. Campbell rises highest in the box, but still can't meet it as Sunderland eventually clear the danger.

The momentum has swung back in favour of the hosts in the last few minutes, with their wingers going forwards rather than backwards now. Zaha and Bolasie look like they will be key figures for Palace if they are to win this match, while stopping them will be important for Sunderland.

There is a really good battle emerging on Palace's right flank between Zaha and Van Aanholt. The Palace winger has seen plenty of the ball in these opening 19 minutes, but Van Aanholt appears to have the pace to deal with him so far.

Palace have shaded the opening 20 or so minutes here, with 30% of the play taking place in the Sunderland third compared to just 10% in the hosts'. Sunderland are at least looking a little more sturdy at the back now than they were in the opening minutes, however.

Good defending from Reveillere as he switches across from left-back to right-back, filling in for Van Aanholt to deal with Zaha. He gets the challenge in, but Palace come forward again moments later. There is nothing for Pantilimon to worry about here, however, as Bolasie's wild effort goes out for a throw.

Palace have the chance to test the Sunderland defence from a set piece, but the defenders are soon on their way back to their positions as Bolasie's cross is cleared by the first man. Still no chances for either side to speak of.

As usual, there is a cracking atmosphere inside Selhurst Park tonight, and the fact that it is being played under the floodlights only seems to exaggerate that. The fans have kept up the noise all match despite not much happening on the field so far.

SHOT! Well, he sliced his last effort out for a throw, and this time Bolasie drags his effort well wide of the near post. Another disappointing attempt from the winger, who had done well to create space for himself to shoot.

Sunderland enjoy a decent spell of possession inside the Palace half, but Cattermole and Van Aanholt aren't on the same page as the former looks to pick out a run the latter hadn't made.

First blood goes to Sunderland, who get their first away goal since the opening day of the season! It is a decent move from the visitors, who play it down the left to create space for Van Aanholt to deliver the cross. He floats it in to Fletcher, who nods it into the bottom corner with a fine header. He needed to generate all the power himself there, so it was a very good finish.

PENALTY SHOUT! Palace have a big penalty shout moments after the goal as Zaha skips past Van Aanholt right on the right edge of the box. It is a messy challenge from the Sunderland man and he doesn't appear to get anything on the ball, bringing down Zaha in the process. It is certainly a foul, but the question is whether he was in or outside the box. However, Dowd fails to even award a free kick.

Big worry for Sunderland here as Van Aanholt looks to have injured himself while making that challenge. He stayed down with a shoulder injury that looked a lot like the one suffered by Rojo in the Manchester derby yesterday. It could be dislocated, like it was with Rojo, but whatever it is he won't be able to continue. That is a huge blow as Van Aanholt had been heavily involved in the opening 35 minutes.

SUNDERLAND SUB: Van Aanholt is carried off on a stretcher whilst being given oxygen. It looks like he could be out for a while, which is never good to see. Wes Brown is the man who replaces him.

How can Palace respond to going behind, then? In truth, they don't deserve to trail as they have been the better side so far, but they are yet to really test Pantilimon. They have had two penalty appeals turned down, but that is about as much as you can say about their attacking performance so far.

SAVE! Lovely play from Fletcher as he takes the ball under his spell while turning into the box. He is faced with a tight angle, but hits his shot well and draws a save from Speroni at his near post.

SAVE! Speroni is called into action once again, but this too is a fairly comfortable one for the Palace keeper. It came following a corner that Palace were unable to clear, with Vergini nodding it to Wickham, whose header lacked the power to create too many problems for Speroni.

Superb defending from O'Shea as he mops up behind Vergini, who had lost Zaha. The Palace winger had spun away from the defender and into the box before O'Shea came steaming in to make a strong, but fair tackle. He had to get that one right!

Bolasie and Zaha have switched wings now as they look to keep the Sunderland defence guessing. Both have shown signs of their skill and pace causing Sunderland problems, but the final ball has just been lacking so far.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of four minutes added time at the end of this first half due to that injury suffered by Van Aanholt..

CHANCE! Lovely football from Sunderland as they come forward in numbers, including Vergini getting up from the back. He thinks about the shot before giving it out wide for Buckley, who returns the favour with a cross back to the defender. Vergini hits it first time on the half-volley and strikes it well, but it is straight at the keeper.

Phil Dowd brings an end to the first half, and it is Sunderland who go into the break with the lead over Crystal Palace. The hosts began the match very brightly but faded as the half went on, ending up with less possession than their opponents. It could have been very different had a couple of refereeing decision gone their way, but they once again find themselves up against it at home going into the second half here.

It was Steven Fletcher who got the goal, and it was a very good finish from the Scotland international. He planted a firm header into the bottom corner having been picked out by Van Aanholt's cross, creating all of the power himself to beat a helpless Speroni. I mentioned before the game that Sunderland's strikers had been misfiring this season, so that was a big goal for Fletcher to get.

Palace could have had a penalty inside 25 seconds, however, as they attacked straight from kickoff, with Campbell skipping past Vergini into the box. The Argentine defender lunged in on the striker and got none of the ball, while tripping Campbell in the process. Dowd was in a good position, but failed to give the decision, perhaps due to it being so early in the match.

The hosts had another big shout for a penalty shortly after the opening goal, but once again Dowd looked the other way. Van Aanholt was the man under the spotlight this time, sliding in and bringing Zaha down right on the edge of the box. The big question should have been whether it was a free kick or a penalty, but Dowd did not give anything as the ball ran out for a goal kick. The challenge did come at a price for the visitors, however, as Van Aanholt was stretchered off with what looks like a serious shoulder injury.

Aside from that, there hasn't been much goalmouth action at either end, with the best chances falling the way of Sunderland towards the end of the first half. Speroni was forced into saves from Fletcher and Wickham in quick succession with five minutes remaining, while Vergini tested the keeper with a wicked half-volley from just inside the box.

Palace began the game really well and caused Sunderland plenty of problems with their width. Bolasie and Zaha look to be central to their success in this match, but the final ball has been off so far. The Sunderland defence looked incredibly shaky in the opening exchanges following their recent troubles, but still Palace have not tested Pantilimon anywhere near enough.

KICKOFF: We're back underway at Selhurst Park as Sunderland kick us off for the second half looking to hold onto their lead in the coming 45 minutes.

Decent start to the half from Palace as they win a free kick in a deep position. Sunderland cannot get the initial delivery clear and it is eventually shifted to Zaha, whose powerful low effort is brilliantly blocked by Brown.

Palace are piling the pressure on in the opening exchanges of this second half, with four corners in succession. Sunderland hold firm, however, and an overhit cross from Zaha gives the visitors a chance to clear their lines.

SAVE! Zaha wins a free kick for his side with some lively play down the left, and is alert enough to receive a quickly-taken pass. He cuts inside to create the angle to shoot, but his low effort is fairly comfortable for Pantilimon at his near post.

Zaha has been a handful in the opening stages of this second half and, just like he did in the first, he looks like Palace's most likely avenue of success at the moment. Sunderland are struggling to deal with his pace and quick feet, although they have done a good job of clearing the crosses into the box that usually follow.

Palace are level, and it is another defensive error that gifts them the goal! Pantilimon is desperately unlucky as moments before he had made an unbelievable stop to deny Chamakh's header from close range when it looked like the striker couldn't miss. There was some confusion as to whether it crossed the line, but Campbell did the right thing by playing on, back-heeling the ball into the middle, where Brown turned it into his own net via the post.

That was a very messy goal, but Palace will not care one bit. It showcased the good and the bad of defending too, with Pantilimon's save being one of the best you will see for a long, long time. Brown's own goal was a poor one, however, and it s already the fourth own goal they have scored this season. Incredible.

This is an important part of the match for Sunderland. Palace had been piling the pressure on in the opening stages of the second half and, in truth, the goal had been coming, but the Black Cats can't afford to get nervous and undo the good work they put in in the first half. This is a real test of their character.

Decent response from Sunderland, who have stemmed the tide a little in the last few minutes. They need to keep hold of the ball for a while now and just take the sting out of the game.

SAVE! Fine stop from Speroni as he denies another well-struck Vergini effort! Again, it was pretty much straight at the keeper, but there was enough power on the strike to make it a hard one for the Palace man.

YELLOW CARD! Will Buckley becomes the first man in the book tonight as he trips Zaha, who had skipped beyond the midfielder. No complaints about that one.

SAVE! Zaha and Bolasie are really beginning to cause problems here. They link up down the left channel and eventually the former finds space to cross the ball, and his delivery is tipped wide by Pantilimon. Yet another corner for Palace, who have bombarded the Sunderland box in this second half.

At this moment in time, it is hard to see any other outcome than a Palace victory. It is one-way traffic at the moment, with Palace's pressure on the Sunderland defence relentless. They have played very well in the opening 20 minutes of this second half.

Palace have had 60% of the ball in this second half, compared to the 45% they had in the first. They failed to keep up their bright start to the opening 45 minutes, so Warnock will be keen to see his side maintain this intensity until the closing stages this time around.

Good defending from Hangeland and Kelly just as it looked Buckley might have broken through. It was good link-up play between Fletcher, Gomez and Buckley, the latter of whom showed good footwork to break into the box, only to be crowded out by Palace's defence.

YELLOW CARD! Costel Pantilimon goes into the book for time wasting having tried to steal a few yards with a free kick.

Jedinak is fortunate not to get a second yellow here as he trips his man cynically, but Dowd misses it and fails to even award a free kick. Jedinak had been booked off-camera for an earlier shove on Brown in the corner.

YELLOW CARD! Cattermole gets his obligatory yellow card for a foul on Chamakh, and he can have no complaints at joining the list of names in the book. He will now miss Sunderland's next match.

PALACE SUB: The first home change of the evening sees Chamakh make way to be replaced by Jason Puncheon.

SUNDERLAND SUB: The visitors respond with a change of their own as Wickham is replaced by Jozy Altidore, who makes a rare appearance for Sunderland.

Sunderland are back in front, and it is a lovely strike from Jordi Gomez to hand his side their lead back. Buckley travels down the right wing before cutting inside and playing a square ball to the summer signing, who lets it run across his body before firing a clean strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards out. The defence could have been quicker out to him, but take nothing away from the finish.

Suddenly Palace find themselves in need of another equalise despite being on top for the vast majority of this second half. Sunderland have shown great character to see off the hosts' barrage and regain their lead, especially considering their recent form.

SUNDERLAND SUB: The visitors make their final change as they look to see this match out, with Liam Bridcutt replacing Buckley.

PALACE SUB: It's kitchen sink time for Warnock now as he calls upon Dwight Gayle for the final stages of this match. The striker replaces centre-back Hangeland in a bold attacking move from the hosts.

A flashpoint here as Reveillere goes down following an apparent stray arm from Bolasie. Phil Dowd allows play to continue despite it being a head injury, before finally stopping it once Palace's attack had come to an end. Reveillere certainly made the most of that one.

Things go from bad to worse for Palace as skipper Mile Jedinak receives his marching orders for a second yellow. At first it appears to be a very harsh decision from Phil Dowd, but while on the floor following a challenge on Gomez he had a little kick out at the Sunderland goalscorer.

It's all getting a bit scrappy and heated here, with players both both sides committing untidy and niggly challenges. Sunderland are just breaking the play up now, which is suiting them quite nicely.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of FIVE minutes added time here. Can Crystal Palace come up with a dramatic finale?

Really good play from Pantilimon as he comes to claim a corner and take the pressure completely off his side. However, moments later his kick out is terrible, and puts the pressure right back on!

That's game well and truly over as Sunderland double their lead with a goal in the last minute of injury time. It is poor for Puncheon, who was caught in possession by Bridcutt deep in his own half. The sub moved it along once more to Fletcher, who showed good composure to find the bottom corner from inside the box.

Sunderland pick up their first away victory of the season to climb out of the bottom three, beating Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park this evening. It is a huge win for the visitors, who were helped on the way by a Fletcher brace either side of a Jordi Gomez strike. Palace had levelled the scores in the second half courtesy of a Wes Brown own goal, but ended the match with just 10 men after Mile Jedinak was sent off.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was an entertaining encounter between two struggling teams. It is Sunderland who get the much-needed victory, while Palace are now only out of the relegation zone on goals scored. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!