Crystal Palace will welcome a Manchester City side who are looking to put their new found inconsistency aside and get their balance right. City started off in a marvellous fashion before a string of poor results pushed them down to 3rd place, dropping points in winnable matches in the process. But Pep will look to start on a positive note after the International break.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have endured a typical Alan Pardew season with a topsy-turvy ride with the full quota of highs and lows but unfortunately for them there has been a belated overdose of lows as a result of which they find themselves in the 16th spot, perilously close to the relegation zone with a solitary point separating them from 18th placed Hull City.
It will be a battle of unequals on paper but as both the teams have shown in the recent past. they have the tendency to come up with the unexpected. City have shown a frustrating habit of failing to apply the finishing touches to a match and Palace have the requisite players to cause them all sorts of headaches.
TEAM NEWS
CRYSTAL PALACE
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Steve Mandanda will be out for a couple of weeks with a knee injury so Wayne Hennessey will be recalled on Saturday.
Joe Ledley and Lee Chung-Yong both face late fitness tests but will be hopeful of featuring.
MANCHESTER CITY
Manchester City could welcome back Bacary Sagna, who has recovered from a hamstring problem, but Fabian Delph remains out with a groin injury. Vincent Kompany is fit with his withdrawal more of a precaution taken by Belgium. The South American players have come in tired but they have no fitness issues.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-2-3-1)
Hennessey; Ward, Delaney, Dann, Kelly; McArthur, Cabaye; Zaha, Puncheon, Townsend; Benteke
MANCHESTER CITY (4-1-4-1)
Bravo; Sagna, Otamendi, Stones, Clichy; Fernando; Sterling, Silva, De Bruyne, Nolito; Aguero
KEY MEN
CRYSTAL PALACE
CHRISTIAN BENTEKE
The big Belgian, with his aerial prowess and physical presence, will be more than a handful for the jittery City defence. He has the ability to cause them all sorts of problems with the amount of creative influence around him. City will have to be wary of the Belgian and Stones and Otamendi, in particular, have to be pro-active to keep him under check.
MANCHESTER CITY
KEVIN DE BRUYNE
Another Belgian who has the ability to take the game away from the opposition. Kevin has been fantastic for City this season and after a slow start has settled well into Pep’s set-up. He will be constantly buzzing in and around the box and his passes and crosses and shots all have the finesse and sting to dismantle the Palace backline.
BETTING ODDS
CRYSTAL PALACE- 11/2
DRAW- 7/2
MANCHESTER CITY- 8/15
