Manchester United will be looking for their tenth consecutive victory in all competitions when they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Wednesday.
The Red Devils defeated bitter rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the derby on Saturday, while Patrick Vieira’s side fell short of their local rivals Chelsea, losing 1-0.There was a lot to like about this Palace team under Vieira in the autumn, but as the weather has turned colder, results have become more difficult to come by for the Eagles, who now sit 12th in the table and six points off the top half, albeit with a game in hand on Chelsea.
While admitting that his team’s performance had left him frustrated, Vieira had a few complaints about referee Peter Bankes at Stamford Bridge, but officiating squabbles must now take a back seat as the Eagles manager seeks only Palace’s second win in their last six Premier League games.
Four of the Eagles’ last five Premier League games have ended in defeat, with all of those defeats ending in defeat and only one win coming against Bournemouth, but the hosts have not lost three consecutive games at Selhurst Park without scoring since September 2017. The most recent bizarre interpretation of the offside rule was on display in Saturday’s Manchester derby when Jack Grealish headed Man City ahead before Bruno
Fernandes controversially levelled after Marcus Rashford was deemed not to have interfered with play. The England international then scored a perfectly good goal in the dying minutes to turn the Old Trafford clash on its head and seal Man United’s ninth consecutive victory in all tournaments, allowing fans to dream of Premier League title glory after closing the gap on the reigning champions.
Man United have not won 10 games in a row in all competitions since Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign in 2009, but Ten Hag watched from the stands with a glum expression as Palace beat the Red Devils 1-0 at Selhurst Park in the final weekend of last season, and the hosts have only lost twice in their last six meetings with their esteemed visitors.
Team News- Crystal Palace
Injury added insult to injury for Palace in their defeat to Chelsea, as ever-present centre-back Joachim Andersen was forced off in the first half with a calf problem, though Vieira is unsure of the severity of the Dane’s problem.
Anderson joins long-term absentees James McArthur and Nathan Ferguson in the infirmary, but Vieira has no other issues to deal with ahead of Wednesday’s game against his former club.Zaha has already scored three Premier League goals against Manchester United and could set a new record for players who have previously played for the 20-time English champions with a fourth, while James Tomkins should take Andersen’s place in the backline.
Team News- Manchester United
Man United did not escape their match against Manchester City unscathed, as Anthony Martial was forced off at halftime with an unspecified injury, while Marcus Rashford took a whack to the hip but managed to play until stoppage time.
Donny van de Beek, Axel Tuanzebe, and Jadon Sancho are still out for the visitors, who are also unlikely to have Diogo Dalot back from a hamstring injury any time soon, meaning that ex-Eagles right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka should start.
If Martial’s latest injury prevents him from playing, Antony will be called up, while Lisandro Martinez was limited to a substitute appearance in the derby as he recovers from the World Cup, but the Argentine should be in contention for a start here. With Martial doubtful, Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst should be in line for a full debut, but the Dutchman will most likely be named on the bench.
Match Prediction
If Man United can score first, the in-form Red Devils can be confident of keeping the goal-shy Eagles at bay – even if Zaha comes out with a point to prove – and we fully expect Ten Hag’s side to extend their winning streak into double figures while keeping a clean sheet.
Crystal Palace 1-3 Manchester United
