Crystal Palace take on Manchester United at Selhurst Park in Saturday's late Premier League kick-off.
Crystal Palace completed a first league double over Manchester United with a dominant 4-0 victory at Selhurst Park last season.
The Eagles are still struggling to rekindle the spark of their fantastic form demonstrated under Oliver Glasner in the final weeks of the 2023-24 campaign.
Oliver Glasner's side are one of six Premier League teams yet to claim victory in their opening four matches, having collected just two points from draws against Chelsea and Leicester City. Following defeats to Brentford and West Ham United in their opening two games, Palace showed resilience in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea before battling back to earn a 2-2 home draw against Leicester City last weekend.
Looking for their first league win of the season, Crystal Palace will host Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool in their next two home matches before next month's international break.
However, in cup competitions, Palace have impressed, advancing to the League Cup fourth round following a hard-fought 2-1 win at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday. Goals from summer signing Eddie Nketiah and former QPR star Eberechi Eze saw the Eagles progress, adding to their earlier 4-0 demolition of Norwich City in the second round.
Jean-Philippe Mateta was the hero against Leicester, netting a crucial second-half brace, including a stoppage-time penalty to salvage a point after Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi had put the Foxes ahead. Mateta's resurgence will be key for Palace as they look to turn their fortunes around, particularly against a United side that has proven vulnerable at Selhurst Park in recent years.
The Crystal Palace boss will be eager to see his side carry that Cup form into the Premier League, starting with Saturday's clash against United-a team they defeated home and away last season by a combined score of 5-0.
Like their opponents, Palace also faces injury concerns, with summer signing Chadi Riad and influential midfielder Cheick Doucoure both sidelined for the foreseeable future. Elsewhere, Trevoh Chalobah and Matheus Franca have progressed in their recoveries but are not expected to feature this weekend.
Glasner will likely stick with Maxence Lacroix in central defense alongside Marc Guehi, with Nathaniel Clyne and Chris Richards competing for the final spot in a back three.
In the middle, Adam Wharton could return to the starting lineup in place of either Daichi Kamada or Jefferson Lerma. At the same time, Eddie Nketiah may continue to lead the line, supported by Eze and Mateta, who will look to build on his recent goalscoring form.
Manchester United are finding their feet after a rocky start to the new campaign. Back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Liverpool had intensified pressure on Ten Hag before the international break, but the Red Devils have since rebounded in style. The Red Devils got back on track with a 3-0 win at Southampton last weekend, before putting seven past League One side Barnsley in the League Cup on Tuesday - results that have lifted spirits in the United camp.
With that said, United will look to secure their third consecutive victory across all competitions when they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday. Erik ten Hag's side will aim to carry their recent momentum into Saturday's clash and seek retribution for last season's heavy 4-0 defeat in South London, which dealt another blow to their otherwise disappointing league campaign.
While victories against a newly promoted Premier League side and a third-tier club shouldn't prompt overconfidence, the morale boost could not have come at a better time for Ten Hag's squad as they prepare for five matches in 16 days across the Premier League and the Europa League.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho have been pivotal during this upturn, each scoring three goals across the two wins. The former, in particular, looks to have rediscovered his clinical edge, while Christian Eriksen and Antony also got on the scoresheet against Barnsley, helping United advance to the next round of the League Cup.
Sitting 10th in the Premier League, United are eager to improve on their poor recent record in London. Since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013, United have won only two of their last 16 league matches in the capital, losing 10 in that period - a stark contrast to the success they enjoyed during Ferguson's tenure. A win against Palace would provide a much-needed lift as they seek to climb the table.
Manchester United also has its own injury list to manage, with Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Victor Lindelof, and new signing Leny Yoro all unavailable for selection. However, there is some positive news: Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund have returned to training, with Ten Hag suggesting a late fitness test will determine their involvement.
Having made several changes midweek, the Dutch manager is expected to revert to a lineup similar to the one that triumphed on the south coast, with Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, Bruno Fernandes, and Joshua Zirkzee all in contention for starting spots.
Crystal Palace: Dean Henderson - Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guehi, Chris Richards - Daniel Munoz, Adam Wharton, Will Hughes, Tyrick Mitchell - Eberechi Eze - Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eddie Nketiah. (3-4-1-2)
Manchester United: Andre Onana - Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro MartÃnez, Diogo Dalot - Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo - Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford - Joshua Zirkzee. (4-2-3-1)
Crystal Palace will be desperate to break their winless streak in the Premier League and will pose a threat in the final third, particularly given Manchester United's recent struggles at Selhurst Park. United have failed to win on their last four visits to this ground, a trend Palace will hope to extend. Nevertheless, buoyed by recent results and rejuvenated performances, United could be confident of ending that run and securing maximum points on Saturday.
