Crystal Palace vs Manchester City betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
Football betting tips: Premier League
1pt Daniel Munoz to be shown a card at 11/4 (Paddy Power, Betfair)
1pt Jack Grealish to be shown a card at 5/1 (General)
When Manchester City rock up at Selhurst Park on Saturday, it will be exactly four months to the day that Pep Guardiola's side lost a game of association football. FOUR MONTHS.
It deserves capping up the way scores over SIX used to be highlighted on the Grandstand videprinter.
Since their loss at Villa Park on December 6, which they gained ample revenge for in midweek, City have won 21 and drawn four in all competitions. Not bad for a side who, by various accounts, have not been at the top of their powers this term.
Can Crystal Palace throw a spanner in the works? Odds of 9/1 around a home win, plus a record of one victory in five under new boss Oliver Glasner, suggest probably not.
What are the best bets?
Admittedly, Palace tend to be one of the clubs not overawed by City - they drew 2-2 from 2-0 down at Etihad Stadium in December and won there in both 2018 and 2021, although they've not scored at home against City since April 2019.
As usual, there's little value backing City, short in every market you look at - and there's also the uncertainty over their line-up to factor in, with a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid and an FA Cup semi-final all coming up.
Instead, in the belief that Pep Guardiola is far more likely to start firecracker JACK GREALISH in this one than the midweek trip to the Bernabeu, I'm focusing my stakes on the man who tends to attract aggro whenever he's on the pitch.
There's every chance Grealish will be up against DANIEL MUNOZ, the Colombian wing-back who's proved no shrinking violet since his January move from Genk, averaging 2.4 tackles and 1.6 fouls per game, as well as three bookings in eight matches.
Those are numbers that light up the eyes if he's facing Grealish, a player always nearly the top of 'fouls won' charts.
But the England man is no saint himself - he's easily triggered and has amassed seven yellow cards in just 823 minutes of Premier League action this season, five of those coming as a sub!
I'm going to split stakes on these players - Munoz at 11/4 and Grealish at 5s - to be SHOWN A CARD, a ploy boosted by the appointment of referee Paul Tierney to this game. He's dished out 96 yellows and three reds in 24 games this season.
BuildABet @ 95/1
- Munoz 3+ fouls
- Rodri 1+ shots on target
- Andersen 1+ shots on target
CLICK HERE to back with Sky Bet
Munoz has committed three fouls in two of his eight games so far and will reach that figure again if Grealish has anything to do with it - while City midfield maestro Rodri is averaging two shots on target every three matches this term.
Eagles defender Joachim Andersen has tested the goalkeeper eight times in 30 league appearances this season and his 8/1 price to do so again here is worth consideration as a single as well as a hefty boost to our BuildABet.
Team news
With an eye on Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg to Real Madrid, Guardiola could be tempted to make a handful of changes for the trip to Palace as he attempts to cope with an increasingly hectic schedule during the run-in.
Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland, both unused substitutes against Aston Villa in midweek, are in contention to return to the line-up but Nathan Ake (calf) and Kyle Walker (hamstring) remain out, as does goalkeeper Ederson (muscle injury).
For Palace, Michael Olise could return from his hamstring injury but is unlikely to be risked from the start. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is out for the season, as is Cheick Doucoure while defenders Marc Guehi and Chris Richards are sidelined too.
Predicted line-ups
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Ward, Andersen, Lerma; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Mateta, Ayew.
Manchester City: Ortega; Lewis, Ruben Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Nunes, De Bruyne, Grealish; Alvarez.
Match facts
- Crystal Palace came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Manchester City in the reverse fixture in December. Only in 1992-93, 1994-95, and 2021-22 have they avoided defeat in both Premier League meetings with the Citizens in a season.
- Man City are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League away games against Crystal Palace (W6 D2), since a 2-1 loss in April 2015. They’ve kept six clean sheets and conceded just two goals in that run.
- Crystal Palace have failed to score in any of their last four Premier League home games against Man City, with Luka Milivojevic in April 2019 the last Eagles player to score against them at Selhurst Park.
- Having won just one of their first nine Premier League home games this season (D3 L5), Palace have now won three of their last five at Selhurst Park (D1 L1). They’ve scored exactly three goals in all four of their home league wins this season.
- After a run of just one win in five Premier League away games between September and December (D2 L2), Man City have since won five of their last six on the road (D1). They’ve come from behind to win in four of those five victories.
- Crystal Palace managed just three shots and an xG of 0.19 against Bournemouth last time out, both lows for the Eagles in a Premier League match this season.
- Eberechi Eze has netted five goals in eight home games for Crystal Palace in the Premier League this season; the last Englishman to score more at home in a top-flight campaign for the Eagles was Andrew Johnson in 2004-05 (11).
- Phil Foden has scored five goals in his last five Premier League away games for Man City. He has six in total on the road this season, only netting more in a single campaign in 2020-21 (7).
- Erling Haaland has been involved in seven goals in his last six away games for Man City in the Premier League, scoring four and assisting three. However, he’s not scored in his last four, his longest run without an away goal in the competition.
Odds correct at 1445 BST (04/04/24)
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