Manchester City haven't exactly impressed lately, but they have a chance to get back on the right foot with a win over Crystal Palace -- unless the Eagles have an upset brewing under their wings.
It hasn't been the most pleasant ride for Manchester City of late, getting slapped out of the Champions League by Barcelona and losing ground in the Premier League title race. With losses in their last two EPL road matches, they very, very much need to find a way to beat Crystal Palace in London to avoid further disappointment or, worse, falling out of the second place position they held coming in to the weekend.
If anyone can pull off such an upset, it might just be Crystal Palace. They've won two matches on the trot, and Alan Pardew has his side playing good football. While they don't necessarily have much to gain from this fixture -- at best, they can close the gap on tenth place Stoke to three points -- a win over City could be a big launching point for Palace down the stretch of the season as they try to establish themselves as a top-half side in England.
With the Monday night spotlight on London, this should be quite a fun match to watch.
Key player - David Silva (Manchester City)
Silva is always one of City's most important players, but with Palace bringing a seriously depleted midfield to bear, he could have a chance to really shine today. He scored a brace against a Crystal Palace side closer to full strength in December, and now with less talent lining up against him, he has a chance to make even more noise. This could be a long day for Palace's defense if they can't figure out how to slow down the smooth-passing Spaniard.
Key Matchup - James McArthur (Crystal Palace) vs. Yaya Toure (Manchester City)
Toure hasn't been quite the same dominating force as normal of late, and if Palace can take him out of the match in a meaningful way, that could give them a big leg up as they try to create an upset. With Mile Jedinak out and Joe Ledley questionable, that means that the task falls on McArthur's shoulders. If he's up to the task, Crystal Palace might just be able to shock England and the world.
Crystal Palace injuries and suspensions
Out: Mile Jedinak (suspended), Lee Chung-Young (ankle), Jordan Mutch (thigh), Frazier Campbell (hamstring) In doubt: Joe Ledley (thigh), Marouane Chamakh (hamstring), Jerome Thomas (muscular)
Manchester City injuries and suspensions
Out: None In doubt: James Milner (knee)
While Palace don't have many injuries, at least not compared to some of their rivals, but what injuries they do have leave their attack and midfield pretty seriously depleted. That's going to seriously hamper their odds of finding a way to upset Manchester City, who only have an injury to reserve midfielder Milner to consider.
Match Date/Time: Day, 3:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. local
Venue: Selhurst Park, London, England
TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Sports 1/HD (U.K.)
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky GO (U.K.)
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1JfgUQr
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