The return to Premier League action following the international break sees league leaders Manchester City traveling to Selhurst Park for a showdown with second placed Crystal Palace on Saturday night.
Alan Pardew’s side has had a great start to the season, already having upset a the reigning champions in Chelsea and will be looking to continue that form. City have also been playing at their peak, currently undefeated and yet to concede a goal at all this season after four games.
This is building as another really good test of where Palace will finish this season, after already showing that they can run with the bigger clubs in the league.
Key Battle – Palace defence vs City’s attacking power.
One of the stand-out things from the Eagles run so far is their defensive capabilities, holding the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal fairly well and keeping the danger limited to long shots from outside the box.
Captain Damien Delaney and Scott Dann have been able to deal with the threats of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal, plus Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa from Chelsea with quite a bit of success, however, those that City possess are more built around speed and agility. This is something that the Eagles have not had to deal with yet this season and the success in the game could depend on how well they content with the likes of Sergio Aguero and David Silva.
The way that Palace played against Chelsea with a deep lying defensive line worked well and if they are able to do that successfully again, that may put them in a good position, yet the long-range shooting ability of Yaya Toure has been shown, scoring four goals in four games against the Eagles.
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Team News
Crystal Palace have some concerns on the team selection front, with Yohan Cabaye under a cloud due to a groin injury, however, it is expect that he will recover for the start of the game and given that Joe Ledley and Mile Jedinak are both injured, Pardew will be hoping the Frenchman can take to the field. There is also the potential for first choice goalkeeper Julian Speroni’s return, nearing full fitness, yet it would be tough to drop Alex McCarthy given that he has been in good form lately.
City also have their own issues from the international break. Fabian Delph sustained a hamstring injury after 15 seconds on the field in England’s Euro 2016 qualifier 2-0 win over Switzerland, only having just recovered from an injury picked up during the Australian International Champions Cup during the preseason. Another area of concern for the Sky Blues is they have no recognised right-back to choose from, as both Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta are hurt and are doubtful to play this weekend.
In terms of possible selection Pellegrini can choose from Kevin De Bruyne, signed on deadline day, along with Fernando and Wilfired Bony, who have both recovered from injury. Given City start their Champions League campaign with a match at home against Juventus, the chance to rest some star names might appeal to the manager.
Head to Head
In the 35 previous meetings between the two sides City have the advantage on 16 wins, while Palace have recorded 10 victories with nine draws between the two sides.
Previous Meeting
In the previous meeting on the 6th of April it was Crystal Palace that ran out victorious in a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park, thanks to goals from Glenn Murray and Jason Puncheon.
Prediction
It is hard to see Palace able to get the three points out of this game, however, they have shown enough to possibly snatch at least a draw and should be able to use the lack of right-backs for Pellegrini as an advantage. However, the class up front from City will be too much for the Eagles to deal with.
Crystal Palace 1 Manchester City 3
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