With three games left to play in the Premier League, the Eagles travel to Manchester knowing that a win will secure mathematical safety.
Sam Allardyce will know that a win against Pep Guardiola’s miss-firing City side will not be easy, particularly with a depleted back line combined with the fact that the hosts are still looking to achieve a place in the Champions League next season.
Both sides will be missing key players for the televised early kick off on Saturday which would normally be the first Premier League game of the weekend but West Ham United play Tottenham Hotspur on Friday evening.
There will have to be some improvement in the performance of the Palace back line if they are to keep City at bay after they struggled to deal with a difficult Burnley front line last weekend which ended in defeat. There are suggestions that Yohan Cabaye and Scott Dann may be fit to start but are likely to face late fitness tests.
TEAM NEWS
CRYSTAL PALACE – Neither Mamadou Sakho (knee), Connor Wickham (knee) or Pape Souare (leg) will feature while Scott Dann (knee), Yohan Cabaye (knock) and James Tomkins (ankle) are doubts.
MANCHESTER CITY – Sergio Aguero (groin) is a slight doubt as is David Silva (knee) and John Stones (knee). Claudio Bravo (calf) and Ilkay Gundogan (knee) will not feature.
ACTION REPLAY
The last time these two sides met was in the FA Cup at Selhurst Park in January. It was not to be another cup run for the Eagles as goals from Raheem Sterling just before the break, Leroy Sane and Yaya Toure sealed a place in the next round for an in form City side.
FORM GUIDE
Last FIVE meetings between the two sides;
- 28/01/2017 Crystal Palace 0-3 Manchester City
- 19/11/2016 Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester City
- 16/01/2016 Manchester City 4-0 Crystal Palace
- 28/10/2015 Manchester City 5-1 Crystal Palace
- 12/09/2015 Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City
Last FIVE results for Palace;
- 29/04/2017 Crystal Palace 0-2 Burnley
- 26/04/2017 Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
- 23/04/2017 Liverpool 1-2 Crystal Palace
- 15/04/2017 Crystal Palace 2-2 Leicester City
- 10/04/2017 Crystal Palace 3-0 Manchester City
Last FIVE results for Manchester City;
- 30/04/2017 Middlesbrough 2-2 Manchester City
- 27/04/2017 Manchester City 0-0 Manchester United
- 23/04/2017 Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City
- 15/04/2017 Southampton 0-3 Manchester City
- 08/04/2017 Manchester City 3-1 Hull City
FORM PLAYERS (courtesy of Who Scored)
Top two rated players from each team so far this season;
- Kevin de Bruyne 7.45
- Nicolas Otamendi 7.43
- Wilfried Zaha 7.42
- Christian Benteke 7.36
ONE TO WATCH
GABRIEL FERNANDO DE JESUS
Former clubs – Anhanguera, Palmeiras
Born in Sao Paulo, the striker began his football career in the youth set up at Anhanguera in 2010 before moving to Palmeiras in 2013. He made his professional debut for the club in 2015 and went on to score 16 goals in 47 appearances before signing for Manchester City in January for £27million. The 20 year old has represented Brazil at under 20 and under 23 level along with six full international appearances.
PREDICTION
Final league position – 4th
It has not been the season that City fans expected from their side following the appointment of Pep Guardiola in the summer. They can take solace however in securing a Champions League spot for next season in the absence of any silverware but improvement will be expected from the off in 2017/18. It will be interested what changes the Spaniard will make to the already talented squad at the Etihad as he prepares to raise the bar ahead of next season.
- TEB prediction – draw
- 1894 Group prediction (see link below) – away win
- Who Scored prediction – home win
BETTING ODDS (courtesy of Paddy Power)
- Home 1/4
- Draw 11/2
- Away 10/1
- Both teams to score 4/7
FIND OUT WHAT THE GUYS FROM MANCHESTER CITY’S 1894 GROUP TOLD TEB THIS WEEK IN THE CITY VIEW
