Manchester City will attempt to return to winning ways in the Premier League againstCrystal Palacethis evening.
Citytravel to Selhurst Park looking to narrow the gap to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League to five points ahead of their game at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola has welcomed John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne and Benjamin Mendy back into his matchday squad for the game in London, but Nicolas Otamendi and Kyle Walker are both missing.
Guardiola’s decision to start Stones on the bench means Fernandinho and Rodri are playing together at center-back, with Joao Cancelo and Mendy on the right and left flanks respectively.
City starting XI vs Palace:Ederson, Cancelo, Fernandinho, Rodrigo, Mendy, Gundogan, Silva (C), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Jesus
Subs:Bravo, Stones, Aguero, Angelino, Mahrez, Foden, E Garcia
We ‘ll bring you early team news, live match updates and post-match reaction from Selhurst Park in our live blog below.
12 ‘- CPFC 0-0 MCFC
Milivojevic goes in the book
Luka Milivojevic hacks at Gabriel Jesus and earns the first booking of the season. Remarkably, it’s his sixth booking of the season.
10 ‘- CPFC 0-0 MCFCSimon Bajkowski
Lining up to put the cross in
City getting some early joy on the right flank. Bernardo has already teed up Kevin De Bruyne for one of his crosses into the corridor of uncertainty and Joao Cancelo has linked up with them without hesitation.
City are not short of people ready to whip and excellent ball into the box, so Gabriel Jesus can expect plenty of service.
8 ‘- CPFC 0-0 MCFC
City’s tactic becoming clear
Kevin de Bruyne, operating from the right side of midfield, has already put three or four lovely crosses into Gabriel Jesus to get his head on.
Crystal Palace’s defense are doing well to deal with it, but it seems that is the early tactic from Pep Guardiola’s side.
4 ‘- CPFC 0-0 MCFC
Jesus making his presence felt
Gabriel Jesus had a good international break, but you suspect one reason he is starting today is because he is better at easing pressure on his own defense.
We have already seen him pressing Palace high and forcing them to hurry the clearance.
3 ‘- CPFC 0-0 MCFC
City start the game with the ball
City have been knocking the ball around for the opening two minutes, but Palace looked to set off Wilfried Zaha as soon as it broke their way.
Ederson was out quickly and the flag was up, but that was an indication of how the hosts intend to play on the break.
2 ‘- CPFC 0-0 MCFCSimon Bajkowski
Hodgson looking forward to this one
Roy Hodgson with a big grin on his face as he shook hands with Pep Guardiola before kick-off – not sure whether that’s because he is confident they can hurt City at the back or fears a team without any defenders could run riot at the other end.
Simon Bajkowski
Update on Zinchenko
For anyone wondering, we’ve been told that Zinchenko is not 100 per cent either – illness rather than injury.
Given the amount of bugs going round offices in the last few weeks, perhaps understandable that football camps haven’t been exempt.
Teams coming out
City’s makeshift team make their way onto the Selhurst Park pitch.
Record in sight for Jesus
Stuart Brennan
Guardiola’s gamble
With this back four, Pep Guardiola is taking a gamble on having control.
His options are clearly restricted by injury and illness, but playing this way is fraught with problems.
Not the least of those will be set pieces – Palace will actively seek corners and free kicks deep in City territory, because the Blues simply have no-one especially good in such situations.
This could be a Hairy 90 minutes for City fans.
Simon Bajkowski
Exciting game in prospect
It was after this game last season that City got called boring by a leading sports website, so good were they at crushing the game.
This looks like it can’t help but be exciting, but that doesn’t usually bode well for the Blues!
Simon Bajkowski
Will luck be on City’s side?
Palace’s victory last season, however bad City were, needed a hell of a lot of luck.
City have already drawn a game they should have won this season in Tottenham and been utterly dominant in a number of matches so will hope that they have already had their share of bad luck for this campaign.
The fortune of the two main contenders for the title has certainly been a theme in the opening weeks.
Guardiola explains team selection
Pep Guardiola was in a frosty mood speaking to Sky Sports.
When asked who will play at center-back, he said:
Rodri and Dinho. Nico trained yesterday but had a big kick, and I decided to not risk him. John Stones has had a long time away and we’ve got a game in a few days.
When asked if the task will be to keep possession and restrict Palace’s opportunities to get at the makeshift defense, he said:
Well done, congratulations, that is our dream. They have top players, so we know how difficult it is at Selhurst Park but we try.
Man City fans worried after controversial Guardiola decision
Manchester City fans are concerned after Pep Guardiola named his team for the Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace – without any central defenders.
While there were plenty of controversial talking points to come out of the team announcement, such as Aguero being named on the bench, some fans reckon the decision to play two unorthodox center-backs could come back to haunt the manager …
Where’s Zinchenko?
One of the many talking points from that team is the absence of Aleks Zinchenko from the matchday squad – especially after we were told Benjamin Mendy was unlikely to play at all.
Zinchenko has had a brilliant week, securing Euro 2020 qualification with Ukraine and getting engaged, but he will feel aggrieved not to feature here.
Full story – Why Walker and Otamendi are missing
Simon Bajkowski
Pressure on the full-backs
Rodri, Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan are not blessed with pace, so that puts a lot of responsibility on Cancelo and Mendy today – as well as Berna rdo and Raheem Sterling – to get back and help out in defense.
Walker was disciplined enough to stay back and inside against Wolves while he was on the pitch but can the two full-backs show off their defensive skills? They’re more known for bombing forward.
Stuart Brennan
Rodri and Fernandinho at the back?
That City teamsheet makes it look very much like this season’s defensive midfielder, Rodri, and last season’s, Fernandinho, are now the center back pairing.
John Stones is not risked after just one game in ten weeks, and that means Pep Guardiola is banking on his team owning possession – and on the football adaptability of Rodri and Ferna, with Nicolas Otamendi not in the squad after taking a blow to the back on international duty.
Kyle Walker’s absence through illness means Joao Cancelo goes at right back, while Ilkay Gundogan steps in as the midfield anchor.
Simon Bajkowski
Why Walker and Otamendi are out
KEY EVENT
Team news confirmed
Fernandinho and Rodri look to be starting at center-back.
Simon Bajkowski
Team news in five minutes
You’d expect John Stones will have to start with Nicolas Otamendi abs ent, and he should partner Fernandinho at the back.
Kyle Walker’s absence should give Joao Cancelo a start on the right, with Benjamin Mendy giving Guardiola a decision to make
Simon Bajkowski
City squad confirmed
This is the full City squad that arrived at the game today.
No Nicolas Otamendi or Kyle Walker in the squad.
Carson, Bernardo, Rodri, Angelino, Garcia, Bravo, Sterling, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Silva, Ederson, Cancelo, Jesus, Fernandinho, Foden, Stones, Mahrez, Zinchenko, Mendy, Aguero.
Simon Bajkowski
No Kyle Walker in the squad
Simon Bajkowski
Mendy arrives at Selhurst Park
Benjamin Mendy is among the players who have just arrived at Selhurst Park.
Pep Guardiola yesterday said the game might come too soon for the Frenchman.
Stuart Brennan
No easy ride ahead for City
Sounds odd but Palace come into this game as a Premier League form team.
Only City, Liverpool and Arsenal have racked up more points in 2019 – and a win for the Eagles today would see them go above the Blues in the table.
But City have a decent recent record at Selhurst. They are the only team to have won here in the last eight fixtures.
Simon Bajkowski
Who partners De Bruyne ?
Ilkay Gundogan played a starring role here last season but can he make the team?
He was savaged for his performance at Wolves before the international break and then missed a Germany game with injury, although he did return to help them to victory over Estonia.
Guardiola will surely throw De Bruyne back into the starting XI, which makes it either Gundogan or Silva in the midfield alongside him.
A lovely day for football
The calm before the
Stuart Brennan
Hodgson’s message to S terling
Some nice words from Roy Hodgson in the Palace program: on the Bulgaria racism storm:
“Raheem Sterling knows better than anyone how abuse can affect form and well-being and his stance has shed a beacon of light on this disgraceful human trait andmjst surely have made the culprits take a long, hard look at themselves. ”
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