Preview & Prediction: Manchester City FC vs Crystal Palace FC
In the imminent encounter between Manchester City FC and Crystal Palace FC at the Etihad Stadium, it promises to be an intriguing showdown, akin to a classic David vs Goliath clash.
Manchester City has enjoyed a solid run of form, managing to claim 6 points in their latest 5 fixtures, averaging 1.2 points per game. Their attacking prowess is not to be undermined, scoring in all of their home fixtures this season and netting 10 goals in their last 5 matches. Unbeaten in 7 home games, City will seek to extend this run. Having only lost one in their preceding five games, the team will look to maintain the rhythm.
Contrastingly, Crystal Palace has been struggling form lately, scraping together a mere single point from their previous 5 matches. They have failed to secure a victory in any of their last five outings, drawing once and suffering four losses. However, they have managed to find the back of the net five times in their last 5 outings and 2 goals or more have been netted in the past 8 games they’ve played.
The teams have met 23 times in the past with Manchester City emerging victorious 17 times and Crystal Palace being able to trump them only three times with 3 matches ending in a stalemate.
Manchester City’s home form has been commendable this season, having earned an average of 2.43 points per home game, whereas Crystal Palace hasn’t been exceptional on the road, averaging a mere 1.38 points in their away fixtures.
Given their current form, Manchester City will confidently go into the match on 16th December 2023 with a hope to continue their successful home run. In contrast, Crystal Palace will be under pressure to disrupt their underwhelming streak and turn their fortunes around. Prepare for an exciting fixture lined up at the Etihad, with both clubs likely to score, as per observed trends this season.
Key Insights:
– Manchester City FC appears in good form with 6 points from the last 5 games and remaining unbeaten in their last 7 home games
– Manchester City FC has scored 10 times in their last 5 fixtures and has consistently scored in every single home game this season drawing bigger chances that they will score in the upcoming match
– Crystal Palace FC has comparatively struggled lately, garnering only 1 point from their last 5 fixtures although they managed to score in 4 of these games
– I expect a high chance of both teams scoring due to both have a prior trend of ending a significant proportion of their games with ‘BTTS landing’ (63% for Manchester City and 50% for Crystal Palace)
– Crystal Palace needs to significantly ramp up their game having not won in their last 5 games with 1 draw and 4 defeats
– The previous match between these two teams ended with a dominant victory for Manchester City with a score of 5-0
– Historically, out of 23 previous meetings, Manchester City has shown an upper hand with 17 wins over Crystal Palace’s 3 wins, with the remaining 3 matches ending in a draw
– Crystal Palace’s performance tends to drop while playing away matches, which is something to look out for considering the match is at Manchester City’s home turf
– In terms of goal average, previous matches between Manchester City and Crystal Palace have witnessed an average of 2.96 goals; however, BTTS has only happened 30% of the time
– In the current Premier League season, Manchester City averages 2.43 points per game at home, while Crystal Palace lags behind with an average of 1.38 points per game at away matches.
Match Forecast:
– Manchester City will likely dominate possession and control the game in Crystal Palace’s half due to their strength in possession football and Palace’s weakness in keeping possession.
– Manchester City will likely focus their attacks through the middle, exploiting Crystal Palace’s weakness in defending against attacks down the wings.
– Crystal Palace may steal the ball quite a few times due to their strength in taking possession from the opposition, coupled with City’s short-passing playstyle.
– Manchester City, being very strong at finishing scoring chances and Crystal Palace being weak at the same, might result in a higher score for Manchester City.
– Aerial duels could be a common event, given it is a strength for Crystal Palace and a weakness for Manchester City.
– Crystal Palace is expected to hold their ground if they take the lead, as they are strong in protecting the lead and Manchester City is weak.
– Manchester City, being strong at defending set pieces, will likely neutralise Crystal Palace’s strength of scoring from direct free kicks.
– Manchester City’s constant rotation of their first eleven could give them a freshness advantage over Crystal Palace’s consistent first eleven.
Match Facts:
In the past 16 fixtures hosted by Manchester City, the club has won 11, drawn 3, and lost 2 to Crystal Palace, with a goal difference of 43-14 favoring Manchester City. In their 33 total encounters, Manchester City has triumphed 21 times, drawn 6 times and lost 6 times. The goal difference here is significantly in their favour, standing at 68-27.
In the previous season, Manchester City defeated Crystal Palace in both matches with scores of 4-2 at home and 1-0 away. It’s interesting that 24% of Manchester City’s goals are scored in the 76-90 minute mark and Crystal Palace tends to score 33% of their goals in the 46-60 minute timeframe.
Despite their sterling home performance, not having lost in their last 30 matches, Manchester City has conceded in each of their last 6 matches. As for Crystal Palace, they are currently on an unwelcome run, having not won or scored in their last 5 games and previous away game, respectively. Manchester City has an unblemished home record this season, standing at 5 wins, 2 draws, and no losses.
Erling Haaland is leading Manchester City’s goal charts with 14 while Odsonne Edouard has netted 6 times for Crystal Palace. Manchester City typically wins 52% of their first-half games, whereas Crystal Palace only secures a first half lead 15% of the time. Most recently, Manchester City came out victorious, winning by a single goal when they last met Crystal Palace.
When leading by 1-0 at home, Manchester City boasts an impressive 89% win rate. Conversely, when Crystal Palace takes a 0-1 lead away, they have a lower win rate of 66%. Despite their better performance in Premier League, Manchester City has only lost once in their last 5 games against Crystal Palace across all competitions.
Matches between these clubs average around 2.2 goals, with 1.4 coming from Manchester City and just 0.8 from Crystal Palace. Unfortunately, neither team managed to win their most recent Premier League match. Additionally, when playing at home, Manchester City usually scores an impressive 2.8 goals per match, while Crystal Palace manages 1.25 on average during their away fixtures.
