Manchester City can move back above Liverpool in the title race with a win over Crystal Palace today. On paper, this is no contest. Crystal Palace have already lost eight home games this season, and scored only 13 times in 16 matches, and are now without both first-choice centre-halves.
Palace have won just 41% of their Premier League points in home games this season (16/39), the lowest such ratio in the division
Manchester City will spy it as an opportunity. Yet Roy Hodgson’s side were one of two clubs to stop City scoring in the league last season, missing a last minute penalty which might have won this fixture, and remain the only team to claim points from the Etihad Stadium this term.
Crystal Palace are looking to complete the top-flight double over Manchester City for the first time since the 1972-73 campaign. Indeed, the last non-big six side to beat the Citizens twice in the same Premier League season were Everton back in 2010-11
Manchester City have won their last eight Premier League games, keeping a clean sheet in six of the last seven.
City boss Pep Guardiola has won 23 of his 27 Premier League matches against English managers (D3 L1), with his only such defeat to date coming against Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
City will check on left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko and playmaker Bernardo Silva. The pair missed the Champions League defeat at Tottenham on Tuesday with hamstring and thigh injuries respectively.
Benjamin Mendy, who is being eased back into action after knee trouble, could come back into contention while Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane might start after late substitute roles at Spurs.
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