Manchester City travels to Selhurst Park on Saturday when they’ll return from the international break hoping to beat Crystal Palace in response to their second defeat of this Premier League season. Pep Guardiola’s side has an eight-point deficit to make up on leaders Liverpool entering Week 9, and the Citizens side knows all too well how it feels to be stung by the Eagles.
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City
- When: Saturday, October 19
- Where: Selhurst Park, London
- Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
Kevin De Bruyne is a doubt for the trip to south London, which is a worrying precursor considering he also started on their bench when Palace beat City 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium in December.
A thundering Andros Townsend strike highlighted a historic win for Palace that day, though City got their revenge by beating Roy Hodgson’s men in April en route to last season’s top-flight crown.
Guardiola’s side is hoping to avoid back-to-back Premier League defeats after they lost 2-0 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last outing. Aymeric Laporte’s injury absence has hurt the Citizens, and a makeshift centre-back partnership of Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi hasn’t been as reliable as the coach would have hoped.
Palace defender Mamadou Sakho has already had to contend with injury concerns this season and is a doubt for the visit of City due to a muscle strain.
Guardiola could welcome left-back Benjamin Mendy back into the fold following the international break, while centre-back John Stones is also targeting a comeback from injury after he returned to training.
De Bruyne has been missing from the starting lineup in each of City’s two league defeats this season, and they’ll hope to avoid that bad omen by seeing the Belgium return to the XI on Saturday.
All signs suggest City will be able to rely on their talisman announcing his return to the side, though the defending champions will still be wary considering they’ve won only one of their last three meetings with Palace.
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