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Match Preview: Manchester City vs Crystal Palace

Find all the team news and key statistics for Manchester City’s match against Crystal Palace.

Phil Foden is Manchester City's top scorer so far this season.

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace| Premier League| Etihad Stadium| KO 19:15| Sky Sports

Manchester City host Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace looking to win their fifth consecutive league game.

However, the Blues have struggled in this fixture in recent years, drawing and losing for the past two seasons.

City beat Brighton Hove Albion 1-0 thanks to a Phil Foden goal, on Wednesday.

The win against Brighton extended their unbeaten run to 14 games and City have conceded just three goals during that run.

With Manchester United travelling to Anfield ahead of the game, another win could put Manchester City in the driving seat with regards to the title race.

Team News

Pep Guardiola will be without City’s all-time record goal scorer again.

Manchester City are still without striker, Sergio Aguero, who is still in self-isolation.

Other absentees are centre-backs, Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake, who are both injured.

Eric Garcia, who has been heavily linked with a move away, is once again available but a lack of match fitness means a start would be unlikely.

Guardiola is expected to make changes from the team that beat Brighton, with Jesus, Sterling and Walker all pushing for a return to the team.

Walker’s expected return could see Joao Cancelo switch to left-back.

Phil Foden, once again, shone against Brighton and he is likely to be involved from the start again.

The Opposition

Crystal Palace have caused Manchester City problems at the Etihad in recent years.

Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last three league games, winning once and drawing twice.

Most recently, Palace picked up a valuable point at the Emirates, but they have failed to score in four of their past six away league matches.

However, Hodgson’s Palace have been somewhat of a bogey team for Manchester City under Guardiola and all of Hodgson’s wins against City have come at the Etihad.

Crystal Palace are assessing their squad after their goalless draw at arsenal, with fit-again James Tomkins a key figure in that game.

Wickham, Schlupp, Sakho, Kelly, Hennessey and Ferguson all remain unavailable for Palace.

They drew this fixture 2-2 last season.

Key Statistics

  • Manchester City have won six of their 10 home Premier League games against Crystal Palace (D3 L1), though they are winless in their last two (D1 L1).
  • Crystal Palace have lost 12 of their last 16 Premier League matches against Man City (W2 D2).
  • The home team hasn’t won any of the last five Premier League matches between Man City and Crystal Palace (D2 L3) since a 5-0 win for City at the Etihad in September 2017.
  • Man City haven’t won any of their last two home league matches against Crystal Palace (D1 L1) – in Pep Guardiola’s league managerial career, he has never failed to win in three consecutive home matches against an opponent.
  • Crystal Palace are looking to become the first team to win away against both Manchester clubs (City and United) in a single Premier League season since Liverpool in 2008-09. The last London club to do so in the top-flight were Arsenal in 1990-91.
  • Man City have won each of their last four Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 11 in the competition. No side has kept more Premier League clean sheets this season than the Citizens (8).
  • Only Manchester United (11) are on a longer current unbeaten run in the Premier League than Man City (8). The Citizens have conceded just two goals in this run, while keeping six clean sheets.
  • Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne has been involved in eight goals in 10 Premier League games against Crystal Palace (2 goals, 6 assists) – only against Southampton (2 goals, 7 assists) has the Belgian been involved in more in the competition.
  • No Premier League player has provided more assists in all competitions than Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne (14). The Belgian’s next assist will be his 100th in all competitions for the Citizens.

Prediction:

Roy Hodgson teams are always incredibly difficult to break down and if they stop an early City goal, they may fancy their chances. But Manchester City have improved massively defensively and are re-finding their clinical edge. It will be a tough game for City but in the end they’ll have too much quality. Manchester City 3-1 Crystal Palace

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