Manchester United vs Crystal Palace

Manchester United will be looking to post another comprehensive win over Crystal Palace when the two sides meet at Old Trafford in a mid-table Premier League contest.

Only a few days ago, Manchester United trounced Crystal Palace 3-0 at Old Trafford in midweek League Cup action, continuing to build a head of steam after last weekend’s narrow 1-0 Premier League win at Burnley. However, Erik ten Hag’s men cannot afford to rest on their laurels after the club’s worst-ever five-game Premier League start (W2, L3) left them stranded in mid-table lethargy. United’s stellar 31-game unbeaten home run across all competitions ended abruptly in their most recent top-flight outing at the Theatre of Dreams, as high-flying Brighton thumped Ten Hag’s charges 3-1. Palace’s upcoming visit could be just what the doctor ordered for the ‘Red Devils,’ considering they’ve lost just three of their 28 Premier League H2Hs (W19, D6).

But since each of those three wins came since August 2019 and two coming at Old Trafford, Crystal Palace won’t be fazed by a midweek humiliation. Indeed, only one point separates the two sides ahead of the kick-off despite Palace’s indifferent six-game Premier League start (W2, D2, L2). Roy Hodgson’s side shared the spoils with Fulham in a goalless home draw last weekend, marking their second scoring blank in five league matches. That’s a potentially ominous sign for Palace’s bid to extend a three-game scoring streak against Man Utd in the Premier League (W1, D1, L1) and arrest an underwhelming run of back-to-back competitive away losses. Yet, since they conceded precisely three goals on both occasions, the ‘Eagles’ may want to pay more attention to their defensive display.