Crystal Palace vs Manchester City preview: Guardiola expected to rotate heavily ahead of PSG second leg

By Ric Turner, Fri 30 April 2021 14:36


Crystal Palace vs Manchester City preview: Guardiola expected to rotate heavily ahead of PSG second legAymeric Laporte, Fernandinho, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus all expected to return to starting XI

Crystal Palace vs Manchester City

Competition: F.A. Premier League

Date: 12.30 pm, Saturday 1st May 2021

Venue: Selhurst Park, London

Referee: David Coote Assistants: M Perry, N Hopton Fourth Official: S Atwell VAR: J Moss

Odds: Palace 9/1, Draw 4/1, City 1/3

TV: BT Sport

Crystal Palace

Manager: Roy Hodgson

Squad (from): Butland, Hennessey, Guaita, Ward, van Aanholt, Tomkins, Dann, Sakho, Clyne, Cahill, Mitchell, Kelly, Milivojevic, Kouyate, Townsend, Schlupp, McCarthy, Eze, Riedewald, Ayew, Zaha, Mateta, Benteke, Batshuayi

Injured: McArthur, Wickham, Ferguson

Doubtful: Cahill, Sakho, Tomkins

Suspended: None

Form guide: LWDLL

Manchester City

Manager: Pep Guardiola

Squad (from): Ederson, Steffen, Carson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Zinchenko, Laporte, Mendy, Cancelo, Garcia, Gundogan, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Silva, Fernandinho, Foden, Sterling, Jesus, Aguero, Torres, Mahrez

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Stones

Form guide: WLWWW

City have no fresh injuries ahead of their visit to Selhurst Park, but John Stones serves the second game of a three match suspension. Pep Guardiola is likely to ring the changes ahead of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, with the likes of Aymeric Laporte, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus expected to return to the starting XI. A victory against Palace could see the Blues crowned as champions this weekend, should United lose at home to Liverpool, but Guardiola was quick to play down the prospect.

“Let me try to win at Crystal Palace,” he said. “Don't ask me what I will feel when I haven't felt it. I am sorry I know you are curious because you anticipate it.

“United are an extraordinary team and we need five points. Tomorrow we have an incredible opportunity to make that step.

"When it happens, you can ask me anything you want about my feelings. I can't answer now because I didn't experience it.

“We now need to recover from Paris - it’s our sixth game in a row away. We are tired in many aspects.

“Tomorrow we play at 12.30, so we don't have extra time to recover from Paris. This is my only concern.

"I am sorry not to answer your questions. But it is Crystal Palace, Roy Hodgson's team. Every time we faced them, we had a lot of problems to win the game.

“Let me travel to London, wake up good and try to win the game. The rest we cannot control.

"It’s a tough job to do. Always, I don’t remember an easy game against them."

City won their last game at Selhurst Park 2-0, with Gabriel Jesus and David Silva scoring for the Blues. Overall City have won 34 of the 64 games played against the Eagles, with 14 draws and 16 defeats.

Predicted line-up: Ederson, Cancelo, Laporte, Ake, Mendy, Fernandinho, Rodri, Torres, Sterling, Jesus, Aguero

Score prediction: Palace 1 City 1