Manchester City sitting outside the top three? Wow! that is a weird sight to see. Sorry, we did not think this was the time, to produce a rhyme, but it just kind of happened. City will certainly have a point to prove against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
They just cannot afford to lose any more ground in the Premier League title race, especially when you consider how their two best players, Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne, are out injured.
Manchester City vs Crystal Palace FYIs
Kick: Sat. Dec. 16, 3pm, The Etihad
Man City Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Position: Manchester City 4th, 33 pts Crystal Palace 15th, 16 pts
Form Guide: Manchester City WLDDD Crystal Palace LLDLL
Google Result Probability: Manchester City 8% Crystal Palace 6% Draw 12%
And while Haaland should have won the Ballon d’Or this year, and De Bruyne is arguably the best midfielder in world, the man who truly makes this engine hum is Rodri. If you want to look for a pattern, as to when City are getting results versus when they are dropping points, look no further than the games where Rodri misses out.
He’ll be here against Palace on Saturday. Haaland, we’re thinking, may not be ready in time.
Man City Starting 11 Prediction vs Crystal Palace
Ederson; Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Diaz, Sergio Gomez; Mateo Kovacic, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish; Julian Alvarez
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.