Crystal Palace vs Manchester City

The stakes are high for relegation-threatened Crystal Palace and perennial Premier League champions Manchester City as they lock horns at Selhurst Park this weekend.

Stuck perilously close to the Premier League bottom three pre-round, Crystal Palace claimed a much-needed 1-0 triumph at newcomers Ipswich Town during midweek to arrest a four-game winless streak (D3, L1), steering three points clear of the drop zone. It was only their second win in 14 top-flight matches this season (D6, L6), suggesting under-pressure manager Oliver Glasner cannot afford to rest easy. That rings particularly true when factoring in Palace’s dreadful run of just one win from their last seven home league outings (D3, L3). It’s also worth noting that they only scored four goals in that sequence. However, the Eagles have already demonstrated their capacity to outperform the odds numerous times this season, avoiding defeat in six of their nine league games as betting outsiders (W1, D5).

 Visiting Manchester City cannot afford to fall victim to Palace’s ability to upset the bookies after losing significant ground on Premier League leaders Liverpool during the worst winless streak in Pep Guardiola’s managerial career (D1, L6). Man City narrowly closed the distance in midweek top-flight action as a commanding 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest saw them halt a four-game losing run in the Premier League. However, reducing a nine-point distance requires a substantial winning streak. The Citizens must start immediately, seeking a way out of an embarrassing five-game losing run away from home – their worst spell on the road since 2015! Another defeat would mark Man City’s sixth consecutive away loss for the first time since 1995, but they’ve not lost any of their last ten visits to Palace’s home ground (W8, D2).