BET BUILDER
Manchester City -1
Phil Foden to Score Anytime
Rodri to Commit 2 or more Fouls
Erling Haaland to have 5 or more Shots
Over 9.5 Corners
The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com now
Crystal Palace v Man City
Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London
TV: TNT Sports, 12:30pm
Manchester City -1
There is a sense that Crystal Palace are Manchester City’s bogey team under Pep Guardiola, but the Eagles have won just twice in 16 attempts since Guardiola took the reins in 2016. Palace have also held City to four draws in that era, but it is undeniable that they have been more dangerous to City at the Etihad.
Both of Palace’s wins over City have come away from home, while they have also drawn there on two occasions, battling back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw before Christmas.
The hosts have won just once in their last eight games – and that came at home against 10-man Burnley – and there is little hope of them getting a result against a City side fully focused on the Premier League title.
City brushed Aston Villa aside on Wednesday night and should have no trouble doing the same against Palace on Saturday afternoon.
Phil Foden to Score Anytime
Phil Foden was the main reason for City’s comfortable win over Villa on Wednesday, completing his second hattrick of the season in stunning fashion. Foden is enjoying by far his best season in a City shirt, already surpassing his best-ever season by five goals with well over a month of the campaign left to play.
He has scored a hugely impressive 14 goals in 30 league appearances this season and is the reason why City remain in the title hunt, scoring six goals in his last five games. Each of his ten goals have been crucial to earning City points in the title race and he is good value to inspire City to another important three points in the early kickoff.
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Rodri to Commit 2 or more Fouls
It is now over a year since Rodri lost a game of professional football of any description, underlining his importance to Guardiola’s side. The Spanish midfielder is probably the most important component of Guardiola’s all-conquering side and arguably the best midfielder in world football, but there is certainly a dark side to his game.
Rodri has received eight yellow cards in the Premier League in addition to a sending-off against Nottingham Forest at the start of the season, with City losing each of their three games when he was serving a suspension.
He averages 1.3 fouls per game in the Premier League this season, the most of any City player, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he made at least two on Saturday to stop any Palace counterattacks in their tracks.
Erling Haaland to have 5 or more Shots
It has been a strange season for Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker has scored 18 goals in 24 league appearances, which is certainly nothing to be sneered at, but he has not come close to scaling the heights that he reached last year.
Haaland has scored just twice in his last six league appearances, with one of those goals coming against Manchester United in injury time when City were already leading. His relative struggle in front of goal has not been for want of trying.
He averages four shots per game in the Premier League, by far the most of any City player and the most of any player in the Premier League. He could easily better that average on Saturday as he looks to end a mini drought of three games without a goal in all competitions.
Over 9.5 Corners
City will dominate the ball on Saturday, of that there is absolutely no question. Guardiola’s side average 65.5% possession in the league this season, the most of any side, while Palace average just 41.3% – the sixth-lowest in the division.
Palace will almost certainly sit in and look to pick City off on the counter, meaning that most of the game will be played in Palace’s half. No club has won more corners than City’s 228 this season (over seven per game) and it wouldn’t be surprising if they reached ten corners on their own, especially if Palace can hold out for a significant amount of time.
BET BUILDER
Manchester City -1
Phil Foden to Score Anytime
Rodri to Commit 2 or more Fouls
Erling Haaland to have 5 or more Shots
Over 9.5 Corners
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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