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PREVIEW: Manchester United vs Crystal Palace – 24/11/2018

Manchester United vs Crystal Palace

Date: 24/11/2018

K/O: 15.00

Venue: Old Trafford

Referee: Lee Mason

Saturday at Old Trafford sees the resumption of a head-to-head in which one side have performed exceptionally, and the other has lacked a clinical cutting edge dating back 27 years in the league.

The last time Crystal Palace gained a victory over Manchester United in a league game, there was no such thing as the Premier League. In fact, since the 3-0 win Palace left Old Trafford with in 1991, they have only beaten their hosts once, that being a 2-1 away win in the League Cup in 2011.

Since 1991, the two sides have met in the league a total of twenty times, with the Red Devils coming out on top in seventeen of them. They are currently on a six-game winning streak in all competitions against their visitors from the capital, including a 4-0 victory in the corresponding fixture last season. Goals from Mata, Lukaku and a brace from Fellaini gave Mourinho’s men all three points that day, and on current form it is likely to end up being a similar story on Saturday.

Prior to the Manchester Derby last time out, United had been on an unbeaten run of four games in the league, their longest of the current campaign. Wins over Newcastle, Everton, Bournemouth, and a last minute Barkley goal at Stamford Bridge denying the Red Devils a maximum twelve points have seen the home side climb back up the table after a sticky start. They now lie in 8th place, level on points with Watford and the aforementioned Bournemouth, but below them on goal difference.

The turn around in form has coincided with the resurgence in form of Anthony Martial, who has scored in each of the last five games, including a brace against Chelsea. United fans will be hoping that he can carry on his goalscoring run against a Palace defence that has been leaky at best.

Palace, on the other hand, have not had a good time of it in the last couple of months, with their last victory coming away to Huddersfield on the 15th September. Now winless in last seven league games, only picking up two points in the process, they have plummeted down the table, now lying in 16th place, after flirting briefly with the relegation zone. The game at Old Trafford signals the last of what has been a horrible run of games on paper against four of the traditional ‘Big Six’ sides, with a point at home to Arsenal all they have to show for their efforts thus far.

After United, Palace have what some would call tough but winnable games, with away trips to rivals Brighton and West Ham, sandwiched between home games against Burnley and Leicester. The Eagles will need to be picking up as many points as they can from these games, before a tricky series of games over the busy festive period, if they are to stave away another relegation threatening season.

The men from Manchester have a much nicer run over the festive period, with games against Arsenal and Liverpool their only real tricky fixtures before the turn of the new year, at least on paper. But they can’t be too overconfident going into this nice run of games, having already lost games to the likes of Brighton and West Ham earlier in the season.



Team News

Manchester United

There is one name that is certain to be missing from the home team sheet, and that’s of left-back Luke Shaw, who fulfils his one-match suspension for collecting five yellow cards.

He’ll likely be replaced by Ashley Young who performed so well in that position last season, who will in turn be replaced by Darmian or Dalot, filling in on the right side. However, this could see a return to the side for captain Antonio Valencia, who scored for Ecuador during this latest round of international fixtures. Although, the player himself said that his exclusion from the side was one of a tactical nature rather than an injury, down to the form of Young.

There have been a few players that have fallen into the ‘doubtful’ category over the period of the international break. The previously mentioned Dalot, as well as inform goal scorer Martial, have both been pictured in training this week as they recover from a knock and hip injuries respectively, so should be fit and ready for selection. Lindelöf was another doubt, after not finishing the Sweden game against Turkey, but he played the full ninety minutes in the following game, scoring a goal in the process, and thus should be fine to start after recovering from an illness.

Pogba and Fellaini remain big doubts after picking up thigh and groin injuries respectively before the break, whereas Rashford suffered a knock in the England’s game against Croatia. All will be assessed before the weekend, though the duo of Lukaku and Bailly look to set to miss out this weekend.

Crystal Palace

Palace’s main concern will be over the fitness of talisman Wilfried Zaha, after he missed the home game with Tottenham owing to a hamstring injury. He missed the African Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea, and Hodgson will be hoping that the rehab focused on getting him ready for this weekend’s game against former side Manchester United will have worked.

The Palace defence has not faired well in the injury stakes, with Sakho and Wan-Bissaka joining Tomkins and Dann on the treatment table. It emerged after the Tottenham game that right-back Wan-Bissaka had picked up a shoulder injury, and subsequently withdrew from the England U21 squad. He will be assessed alongside Sakho who was taken off during France’s win over Uruguay with a back problem, and as a result is a doubt for the United game. Tomkins suffered a knock on his knee against Spurs and was subbed off just before the hour mark, but there doesn’t seem to be any tears or significant damage, just a clash of knees. Dann is to be assessed ahead of a possible return, but Benteke and Wickham are again ruled out.

Predicted Starting XI’s

Manchester United (4-3-3): De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Lindelöf, Young; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Lingard, Sanchez, Martial.

Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt; McArthur, Kouyaté, Milivojević, Meyer; Townsend, Zaha.



Prediction: Manchester United 2 Crystal Palace 0

The home side have started most of their games slowly, but in a team like Palace, they may have found a side that will struggle to take advantage of such an opportunity. United have only kept one clean sheet in the league so far, but with Palace struggling to score goals from open play, it might only be a United defensive mistake that allows Palace to get on to the score sheet, probably from the penalty spot.

Migtavius

A Crystal Palace fan in my 30's, I co-host a podcast about Fantasy Premier League (FPL) with YouTuber Nymfria.

Can easily contact me on Twitter, where I'm normally posting somethings about some stuff.

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