Manchester City face one of the best away teams this season in the form of Crystal Palace on Saturday at the Etihad.
Perhaps for the first time in their Sheikh Mansour-owned era, Man City find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Out of the title race and languishing in the 6th spot with 7 more games to go in the season.
No City fan can expect this to be a walkover as Oliver Glasner is eyeing Palace’s best-ever Premier League finish. For that, they will need to do better than 2015/16s ninth position. The Eagles are on a club-record 10-match unbeaten streak on the road at the moment.
Form Guide and Team Performance
Man City’s defence is not in the best of shapes, their offence lacks desire and Pep continues to tinker. With 2 losses in their last 5 games, Gvardiol and co were tested in the goalless draw against United, and since Palace have better finishing than the Red Devils, they are bound to cause problems.
Close to six teams are fighting for the 4th & 5th Champions League spots, so City cannot afford to slip up.
Glasner’s Palace are sitting 11th with 43 points from 30 games. They’ve lost just two of their last 17 matches across all competitions and are unbeaten in seven league games, capped by a dramatic 2-1 win over Brighton despite finishing with nine players last weekend.
Recent H2H Games
Though Manchester City have only lost only once to Crystal Palace in their last 12 meetings, the performances suggests Eagles have all the recipe to be Pep’s bogey team.
The 2021/22 season saw a Conor Gallagher masterclass pull off a 2-0 upset at City. In 2022/23, Palace took a 2-0 lead, only for Erling Haaland’s hat-trick to claw back a 4-2 win. A tense 0-0 draw in 2022 showed Palace’s stubbornness, while 2023’s clash ended with Haaland’s late penalty snatching a 1-0 victory. Last season’s 2-2 draw, sealed by Michael Olise’s stoppage-time penalty, and this season’s 2-2 epic with Palace leading twice confirms City fans never rest easy before facing their bogey team.
Players to Watch
Manchester City
- Kevin De Bruyne: Perhaps the best CM to play in the Premier League, KDB would want to leave City on a high. Against Palace, he’s recorded 4 goals and 8 assists in 15 Premier League games.
- Omar Marmoush: The summer signing can single-handedly change the game. He has 11 goals across all competitions, with 7 in the league, including 5 in his last 4 home games.
- Savinho: The Brazilian starboy just turned 21 and he’s just getting started with 2 goals and 3 assists in 25 appearances
Crystal Palace
- Jean-Philippe Mateta: The 27-year-old forward is enjoying one of the greatest Premier League career turnaround at the moment. 9 goals in his last 10 games, and 16 across all competitions.
- Ismaila Sarr: The Senegalese winger on the counter against the high line of City is a juicy thought for Palace fans.
- Eberechi Eze: In A good form at the moment. On most of the set-pieces, without penalties, Eze has 4 goals and 8 assists in 27 games.
Scoreline Prediction: Manchester City 1-2 Crystal Palace
Man of the Match: Jean-Philippe Mateta
- Both Teams to Score (BTTS): Five of the last seven Manchester City vs. Crystal Palace Premier League meetings have seen both teams score.
- Anytime Goalscorer: Mateta scored in the 2-2 draw earlier this season and has 3 goals in his last 4 away games.
- Over 2.5 Goals: Palace have scored 18 goals in their last 10 away games. Always expect City to respond.
This is going to be an open and entertaining game as City have been easy to play through this season. Pep will need to get City at their defensive best to keep the Palace train at bay.
