Currently sitting in seventh place, Manchester United trail sixth-place Newcastle United by two points, while Crystal Palace holds 14th position, just behind Brighton & Hove Albion. Palace's coach, Oliver Glasner, who took over from Roy Hodgson in February, has made a solid start with four wins, three draws, and three losses in his first ten games.
Palace are in good form, having gone unbeaten in their last four matches, picking up ten points from a possible twelve. They've beaten Liverpool, West Ham United, and Newcastle United before a 1-1 draw with Fulham last time out.
So far this season, Palace has recorded ten wins, ten draws, and fifteen losses in their 35 league games, accumulating 40 points. They're currently eight points behind Bournemouth in 10th place but only four points from Fulham and Brighton, who are 12th and 13th.
Since they were promoted to the Premier League in 2013, Palace hasn't finished higher than 10th, with their best recent performance being 11th last season. This year, there's been a slight drop in their position, but they could make history by completing a league double over Manchester United. Earlier this season, Palace beat United 1-0 at Old Trafford. A win on Monday would also mark their third consecutive home win, a feat they haven't achieved since October 2022.
For Manchester United, the season has been challenging. They've faced 12 league defeats and have already missed out on a Champions League spot for next year. Now they're fighting for a Europa League or Conference League place in 2024-25. The team's been inconsistent lately, with only one win in their last four league games, and they were held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Burnley at Old Trafford last weekend.
Since their dramatic 4-3 loss to Chelsea in early April, United has been unbeaten, but they've struggled to find wins. Their away record this season has been mixed, with seven wins, three draws, and seven losses in 17 games. They'll be up against a Palace side that has also lost seven times at home in the league this season.
Historically, Manchester United has a strong record against Palace away, winning eight of their first 11 matches, but they've been winless in their last three trips, including a 1-1 draw in the 2022-23 season. With both teams having something to prove, this game could be crucial for their end-of-season aspirations.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
For Monday's clash with Manchester United, Crystal Palace will be missing a few key players due to injuries, including Sam Johnstone, Cheick Doucoure, Jefferson Lerma, Rob Holding, and Matheus Franca.However, there is some good news for Palace, with Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi returning to the squad. Guehi is back after recovering from knee surgery he had in February, but he probably won't start the game. Eze, on the other hand, is expected to play in the attacking trio alongside Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has scored 11 Premier League goals this season.
The team is likely to stick with a 3-4-3 formation, with Adam Wharton expected to continue impressing after joining from Blackburn Rovers in January.
For Manchester United, there's a bit of uncertainty around Bruno Fernandes, who was seen with a wrist brace on Friday. However, manager Erik ten Hag indicated that Fernandes should be available for the match.
Scott McTominay is also expected to return from a knee injury, which might mean Christian Eriksen will be on the bench. Jonny Evans returned to training on Thursday and could be in the starting lineup alongside Casemiro at center-back, as Harry Maguire is sidelined for three weeks due to a muscular injury.
Meanwhile, Anthony Martial isn't yet ready to rejoin full training, so he's out, and Marcus Rashford is also unavailable along with several others: Willy Kambwala, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Tyrell Malacia.
Antony, who scored in the recent 1-1 draw with Burnley, is expected to keep his spot on the right wing, even though Amad Diallo is pushing for a start.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:Henderson; Clyne, Andersen, Richards; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Olise, Mateta, Eze
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Evans, Dalot; McTominay, Mainoo; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
EXPERT PREDICTION
Crystal Palace 2-2 Manchester United
