Prediction: Manchester City vs Crystal Palace

Verdict: Manchester City total goals over 4.5

Best Odds: 10/3

Bookmaker: bet365

The Premier League returns for another enthralling game week as the competition at both the top and bottom of the table heats up. Indeed, Manchester City and Crystal Palace constitute perfectly-polarised teams in this year’s competition, with City top and Palace dead last.

Manchester City

Following a difficult first season in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s side is beginning to answer their critics with some outstanding football. In fact, the Citizens are the team to watch in this year’s competition as their slick style of play is cutting teams to ribbons, before clinical finishes by incisive forwards finishes their opponents off. Guardiola’s side have enjoyed a very good start to their league campaign picking up 13 of a possible 15 points, and scoring 16 goals. Their newfound defensive solidity has been most impressive too as they have picked the ball out of the back of the net just twice thus far. In their last game, they were superb; they scored six goals against Watford and looked ruthless throughout the game.

Team News

Vincent Kompany remains sidelined with a thigh injury, while Ilkay Gundogan, who made his long-awaited return from an injury he sustained last December, has picked up a knock which will likely keep him out of this weekend’s game.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace are now under new management following the sacking of Frank De Boer. Former England manager Roy Hodgson was installed in his place and he has the unenviable job of trying to arrest their awful slump in form which sees them bottom of the league. Hodgson witnessed his new side fall to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton last week, but it was a much-improved performance from the struggling outfit. Improved or not, it constituted their fifth defeat in a row this season and they have also gone five games without finding the back of the net. It is in the biggest of interest for everybody involved with the club that Hodgson is able to get the best out of Christian Benteke again. The usually combative striker has been almost incapable of using his best attribute, which is his strength, while he has been very poor in front of goal too.

Team News

Connor Wickham remains sidelined for Palace and Mamadou Sakho could be in contention for the game; while the one player that could turn around their fortunes is Wilfried Zaha, but his return is still some way off.

Key Factors To Consider

• Manchester City have scored 16 goals in five games, the joint highest of any Premier League team.
• In their last 10 games in all competitions against Crystal Palace, City have lost just once and won the other nine.
• City have scored 19 goals in their last five matches against Palace.
• Palace are yet to score in the league this season and are the first side in Premier League history to fail to find the back of the net across five games.
• Christian Benteke has received more yellow cards this season than he has scored (three yellow cards, no goals).

Conclusion

Manchester City are in superb form going into the match and their last home game ended in the 5-0 trouncing of Liverpool. Palace, on the other hand, are winless and their confidence is at rock-bottom. Hodgson will be desperate to get a result to lift his side, but this probably won’t be the game to do it.

Verdict: Manchester City total goals over 4.5

Best Odds: 10/3

Bookmaker: bet365