Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Champions backed to return to winning ways

Manchester City will be looking to close the gap on leaders Liverpool when they travel to London on Saturday evening to face Crystal Palace.

The hosts sit just two points off last season’s champions after their strong start to the season.

Pep Guardiola will be out to right a few wrongs after their latest loss at home to Wolves, just his fourth ever home defeat as City boss.

Despite their disappointment against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, they remain strong favourites at 2/9 to overcome Palace.

Whataretheodds.co.uk spokesman Spencer James commented:

Crystal Palace have a surprised a few sides already this season. Can they shock Premier League champions Manchester City? Probably not. But they could nick a goal – which would see the 13/8 on the City win/both teams to score market reap dividends.

Only City and Liverpool have now won more league points away from home than Palace in 2019. But the Eagles have been just as impressive at home in the early stages of the current campaign.

Roy Hodgson has already witnessed his men defeat the red half of Manchester this season. His side are currently 11/1 to win against the blue half.

It’s 6/1 for a draw, but with City only drawing once this campaign – a controversial 2-2 draw with Spurs – it’s hard to see such an outcome, particularly after their disappointing result with Wolves at Etihad Stadium.

Palace have drawn a few blanks in front of goal this season. And they have been given 4/1 odds to score over 1.5 goals against a much-weakened City defence. 

And one player who could indeed be the goalscoring hero yet again is Jordan Ayew who, after finding the net in their latest victory at West Ham, now has three goals in six league games.

The Ghanaian forward is 15/4 to score anytime, and is at 14/1 odds to score the first goal of the game.

He will, however, be battling it out with team-mate Luka Milivojevic, who looks set to return to the starting 11 after five yellow cards forced him out of the West Ham match through suspension.

He scored a penalty last season as Roy Hodgson’s side stunned City in a 3-2 victory in Manchester.

It’s a massive 66/1 if that scoreline can be repeated this season in London.

12 percent of Palace’s Premier League goals have come from the penalty spot, the highest ratio of teams to have scored at least 100 goals in the competition.

They are 12/1 to find the net against City from the spot.

For the away side, striker Sergio Aguero has been in rich goalscoring form this season. The Argentinian sits atop the league goalscoring charts with eight – He’s 11/4 to open the scoring at Selhurst Park. 

Fellow City forward Raheem Sterling has also been in fine form. He has six league goals to his name in this campaign.

The England international is 15/4 to score first.