Crystal Palace have churned a decent start to the 2019-20 Premier League campaign. They are placed sixth in the standings after having collected 14 points from 8 league outings so far.
The Eagles went into the international break on a high following their 1-2 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium. They have won both of their last two games and the element of momentum is on their side.
On Saturday, Roy Hodgson’s side will face a stern test as they are due to host Manchester City at the Selhurst Park and it will be interesting to see how they face against the defending Premier League champions
Crystal Palace Team News
Luka Milivojevic will make his return following his suspension during the clash against the Hammers prior to the international break for racking up five yellow cards. Mamadou Sakho remains sidelined owing to a muscle strain.
Predicted Crystal Palace Lineup vs Manchester City (4-5-1)
Defence
Vicente Guaita is expected to be in goal as usual for the London based outfit. To shield the custodian, we expect Hodgson to persist with the central defensive pair comprising of Gary Cahill and Martin Kelly.
Meanwhile, Joel Ward and Patrick van Aanholt are seemingly likely to start as the full-backs in the Crystal lineup. Both of them have the pace to burn and are capable enough to cause a lot of trouble for Manchester City’s backline.
Notably, van Aanholt has been one of the best performers for Hodgson’s side so far this season. Apart from scoring 2 goals in 8 league games, the 29-year-old left-back has mustered 1.1 tackles and 1.5 clearances per game on an average.
Midfield
Milivojevic is set to start deep in the midfield to cushion the defensive setup of his side and he is expected to replace James McCarthy in the Crystal Palace lineup. He will have a lot of expectations nested on his shoulders.
James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate are likely to get the nod to start in the central midfield. They must intercept the attacking endeavours of the opposition and have to maraud forward to create chances for their teammates.
Jeffrey Schlupp and Wilfried Zaha are expected to start on the wide areas. Intriguingly, Zaha completed 6 dribbles against West Ham United but he has to improve his final product substantially.
Attack
Upfront, Jordan Ayew might start once again. The 28-year-old has scored 3 goals in 7 league outings so far this campaign and will be desperate to find the back of the net this weekend against a top-quality outfit.
Crystal Palace lineup
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
