Manchester United
Manchester United’s wait for silverware has been shorter compared to other English clubs. Erik ten Hag aims to establish a winning culture at the club which has been lacking since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. They secured a comfortable victory over Nottingham Forest in the two-legged semi-final of the League Cup and will play in the final later this month.
The manager wants his players to put the final aside and focus on the Premier League in the next eight days, with three fixtures scheduled. While winning silverware is significant, it’s crucial for Manchester United to return to the Champions League and maintain their 4th place position in the Premier League table. They have a strong home record of 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss at Old Trafford in the top flight, turning it into a fortress since the opening League game loss.
Diogo Dalot is close to returning to the team, while key players like David De Gea and Marcus Rashford are set to return to the starting line-up. Anthony Martial, who scored after returning from injury on Wednesday, is also hoping to start, while new acquisition Marcel Sabitzer is expected to be included in the squad. Sabitzer was brought in to fill the void left by the long-term absence of Christian Eriksen.
Manchester United have triumphed in 3 cup games since the narrow 3-2 loss in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium and they aim to secure their first league win since the Manchester derby. The victory took place at Old Trafford, where the club has won its last 12 home games in all competitions after the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United Last 5 Results
✅ 01/02/23. 21:00 Manchester United v Nottingham Forest: 2 – 0 (0 – 0) (2 – 0) League Cup
✅ 28/01/23. 21:00 Manchester United v Reading: 3 – 1 (0 – 0) (3 – 1) FA Cup
✅ 25/01/23. 21:00 Nottingham Forest v Manchester United: 0 – 3 (0 – 2) (0 – 1) League Cup
❌ 22/01/23. 17:30 Arsenal v Manchester United: 3 – 2 (1 – 1) (2 – 1) Premier League
➖ 18/01/23. 21:00 Crystal Palace v Manchester United: 1 – 1 (0 – 1) (1 – 0) Premier League
Crystal Palace
January was a challenging month for Patrick Vieira and his Crystal Palace team, but the manager hopes to turn things around in February. The two-week break between Premier League games provided Vieira an opportunity to stabilize his team, however, a challenging schedule awaits the Crystal Palace players in the coming weeks.
Crystal Palace still aims to move into the top half of the Premier League table and currently stands in 12th place, 5 points behind 10th place Chelsea. Their away record of 2 wins, 3 draws, and 4 losses has not favoured their pursuit, with 7 goals scored and 11 conceded in those Premier League matches.
Crystal Palace defeated Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve but has not won any of their last 5 games across all competitions. After three consecutive losses, they managed back-to-back home draws against Manchester United and Newcastle United. In their last 5 away Premier League games, they won 2 and lost 3, with a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in their most recent away fixture.
Crystal Place Last 5 Results
➖ 21/01/23. 18:30 Crystal Palace – Newcastle United 0 – 0 (0 : 0) (0 : 0) Premier League
➖ 18/01/23. 21:00 Crystal Palace – Manchester United 1 – 1 (0 : 1) (1 : 0) Premier League
❌ 15/01/23. 15:00 Chelsea – Crystal Palace 1 – 0 (0 – 0) (1 – 0) Premier League
❌ 07/01/23. 13:30 Crystal Palace – Southampton 1 – 2 (1 – 1) (0 – 1) FA Cup
❌ 04/01/23. 21:00 Crystal Palace – Tottenham Hotspur 0 – 4 (0 – 0) (0 – 4) Premier League
Head to Head
A late injury-time goal secured a 1-1 home draw for Crystal Palace against Manchester United last month. The team had been unbeaten in their last 3 visits to Old Trafford and had won 2 consecutive games there before suffering a 1-0 defeat in December 2021.
Premier League
18/01/23, 21:00 Crystal Palace v Manchester United 1 – 1 (0 : 1) (1 : 0)
22/05/22, 17:00 Crystal Palace v Manchester United 1 – 0 (1 : 0) (0 : 0)
05/12/21, 15:00 Manchester United v Crystal Palace 1 – 0 (0 : 0) (1 : 0)
03/03/21, 21:15 Crystal Palace v Manchester United 0 – 0 (0 : 0) (0 : 0)
19/09/20, 18:30 Manchester United v Crystal Palace 1 – 3 (0 : 1) (1 : 2)
TWV Sport Team Thoughts
Erik ten Hag selected a stronger line-up than expected as Manchester United clinched a spot in the League Cup Final on Wednesday. Despite winning 0-3 in the First Leg away from home, the manager has stated his intention to field strong teams in every game to maintain Manchester United’s momentum.
The next month will be hectic for Manchester United, but they will be feeling confident when they play at Old Trafford. The win over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday extended their home winning streak to 12 games in all competitions, and they have found a steady flow of goals in front of their fans.
I anticipate that the home team will generate opportunities, and the return of key players such as Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho only adds to their attacking options from the bench if needed.
Erik ten Hag hopes for a more merciless performance from his team than in their January match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Manchester United was leading 0-1, but their sloppy play resulted in a 1-1 draw, which was seen as a point gained for Crystal Palace rather than two points lost for Manchester United.
Patrick Vieira was pleased with his team’s performance in their subsequent home draw with Newcastle United, but Crystal Palace were outperformed and fortunate for Newcastle’s missed opportunities.
Crystal Palace have a good record at Old Trafford in recent seasons and have won games away from home.
However, they have had difficulty scoring on their travels, netting only 7 goals all season, and may struggle against a strong Manchester United team. Although they will have the addition of Joachim Andersen to strengthen their defence, the team allowed many chances in January matches and this trend could continue on Saturday.
Match Result Prediction
Manchester United to win.
Score Prediction
Manchester United 1 – 0 Crystal Palace
