Crystal Palace vs Manchester United

High-flying Manchester United take a trip to Selhurst Park to encounter mid-table Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace this midweek.

Kai Havertz’s lone strike condemned Crystal Palace to an 11th successive H2H loss to Chelsea at the weekend, marking their fourth defeat ‘to nil’ across their last five Premier League outings (W1). Stuck in mid-table, albeit closer to the relegation zone than the European spots, the ‘Eagles’ come into this matchday having lost their last home league matches without scoring and risk making it three in a row for the first time since 2017. Despite winning this corresponding fixture in 2021/22 by a narrow 1-0 scoreline, Man Utd’s visit to Selhurst Park doesn’t bode well for Palace’s bid to bounce back, as that remains their solitary home league triumph over the ‘Red Devils’ since 1991 (D4, L9). On a more positive note, they’ve been victorious in three of their last six Premier League H2Hs against United (D1, L2).

In the meantime, Man Utd pulled off a stunning blitzkrieg to beat cross-town rivals Manchester City last weekend, turning a 1-0 second-half deficit into a 2-1 win in only four minutes. Erik ten Hag’s men will take the field in a buoyant mood after stringing together nine straight victories in all competitions for the first time since 2017. Additionally, after suffering seven consecutive Premier League defeats on the road, the ‘Red Devils’ have mustered five wins on their last eight league travels (D1, L2) and could win three on the trot for the first time in over two years. It’s also worth noting that they’ve netted 2+ goals in six of their seven competitive games after the World Cup, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring contest.