The Eagles head into a match for the first time this season being mathematically assured of Premier League football for next season.
Manager Tony Pulis however has insisted that the hard work isn’t over and that Palace will be looking to cause an upset in the title race as they did recently over Chelsea.
The defeat of West Ham last weekend made it five wins in a row and is Palace’s best top flight run since December 1992. Another win would create a new club record and surely make Tony Pulis a contender for manager of the season.
Visitors Manchester City have seen themselves go from title contenders to outsider’s after their inconsistencies have meant that they have lost 13 points to the bottom six clubs.
Argentine striker Sergio Aguero has been in and out of fitness while Spaniard Alavaro Negredo is without a goal in nearly three months. Both of these have been contributing factors in City’s failure to capture the title earlier in the season.
They will have to do without Spanish Winger Jésus Navas who misses out with a hamstring injury. Fellow Spaniard David Silva’s ankle problem will keep him out of the trip to Selhurst Park while defender Mateja Nastasic is out with a groin injury and Yaya Toure is a doubt.
Palace may be once again without Marouane Chamakh who missed out Saturdays win at Upton Park. South African midfielder Kagisho Dikacgoi was a surprise return against West Ham and is likely to feature once again should he be fit. There are no other injury concerns for the Eagles at the time of writing.
Here are some statistics from our friends at Who Scored;
- Last six games between the two teams it’s five wins for City and one for Palace
- Only two of those six games three were at Selhurst with City winning two and Palace one
- The aggregate score from the six games is 4-10 City
- Form guide – Palace LWWWWW – West Ham WDWLDW
- Form players – Aguero (7.68), Jedinak (7.57)
- Top scorers – Toure (18), Puncheon (7)
- Top assists – Silva (9), Bolasie (3)
- Appearances – Jedinak (35), Speroni (35), Toure (31)
- Bookings – Zabelata (10), Chamakh (8), Delaney (8), Fernandhino (8)
- Shots per game – Aguero (3.8), Puncheon (2.3)
- Pass success – Nasri (91.2%), Ledley (80.3%)
- Aeriel duels won – Chamakh (5.0), Dzeko (2.8)
- Popular prediction – Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City
Last Time Out:
Manchester City 1-0 (Dzěko 66′)
Saturday 28th December 2013 – Etihad Stadium
Manchester City XI:
01 Hart
38 Boyata (Negredo 55′)
22 Clichy
25 Fernandinho (Nasri 55′)
04 Kompany
33 Nastasic
15 Jesús Navas
14 Javi García
10 Dzeko
21 Silva
07 Milner (Kolarov 75′)
Crystal Palace XI:
01 Speroni
03 Mariappa
04 Parr
02 Ward
19 Gabbidon
27 Delaney
13 Puncheon
15 Jedinak
30 Jerome (Chamakh 35′)
46 Bannan (Gayle 81′)
07 Bolasie (Williams 76′)
Referee: Andre Marriner
Attendance: 47,107
Article by our fan in the North, Adam Johnson.
