Manchester United will go in search of their 10th consecutive victory in all competitions when they meet Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in Wednesday’s Premier League fixture.
Crystal Palace found themselves on a receiving end of a 1-0 scoreline against Chelsea last weekend, courtesy of Kai Havertz’s second-half winner.
Havertz did not only condemn Palace to an 11th top-flight defeat to the Blues in a row but inflicted a fourth loss ‘to nil’ on the Eagles in their last five Premier League matches (W1).
Patrick Vieira’s men are now closer to the relegation zone than the European spots, and their hopes of turning the corner look bleak, given their upcoming opposition.
Only four minutes were enough for Manchester United to turn a 1-0 second-half deficit into a 2-1 derby win over Manchester City on Saturday, maintaining their 100% win ratio in the post-World Cup period.
In addition to winning all six competitive games since club football’s resumption in December, Erik ten Hag’s lads have climbed their way up the Premier League ladder, moving only one point away from Man City.
While it’s still too soon to speak of the Red Devils’ unlikely push for the title, they’ve already built a solid case in the top-four race, going five points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Match Preview
Crystal Palace
Palace claimed a narrow 1-0 win in this corresponding fixture last season. However, that’s barely a reason for consolation, let alone celebration, with their recent home league fortunes against this visitor reading damningly.
Wilfried Zaha’s first-half strike gave the Eagles a first home win over Man Utd in the Premier League since 1991, ending an underwhelming run of 13 winless H2Hs in London (D4, L9).
If that’s not concerning enough, Vieira’s men have lost their last two Premier League home matches by an aggregate score of 7-0 and could make it three straight top-flight home defeats without scoring for the first time since 2017.
Manchester United
Unlike their hosts, Man Utd have hit a purple patch following ten Hag’s troublesome managerial start, registering nine successive wins in all competitions for the first time since 2017.
Moreover, after losing seven straight Premier League away matches, the Red Devils have been victorious on five of their last eight league travels (D1, L2), all of which yielded a narrow one-goal margin.
However, their recent trips to the capital have proved rather unpleasant, as witnessed by a dreadful run of three defeats from their last five Premier League contests in London (W1, D1).
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United Potential Line-ups
Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Vicente Guaita; Nathaniel Clyne, James Tomkins, Marc Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell; Jeffrey Schlupp, Cheick Doucoure, Eberechi Eze; Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Wilfried Zaha.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw; Fred, Casemiro; Antony, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes; Marcus Rashford.