A defining spell in quintuple-chasing Manchester City’s grinding Premier League defence begins with their fraught trip to Crystal Palace.
Selhurst Park’s reputation as a graveyard for title aspirations is well established. Current leaders Liverpool’s hopes met a definitive end there in 2013/14 – little more than a week after the infamous ‘slip’ match against Chelsea whose approaching five-year anniversary is being marked with Sunday’s repeat – and the Blues’ went the same way a season later.
Pep Guardiola must also avoid a repeat of the Eagles’ shock 3-2 raid on Etihad Stadium in December, while managing resources ahead of an intense fortnight of action across two competitions.
Here are the talking points:
GUARDIOLA’S MIND GAMES
An uncomfortable record has been repeated and nauseam since City went down 1-0 at Spurs in Tuesday’s continental first leg.
Guardiola last won an away Champions League quarter or semi-final back in 2011, against Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk.
This statistic, plus the four changes made for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, has been weaponised in the wake of a first defeat since January 30 in all competitions.
‘Overthinking’ was to blame, a trope that is dusted off by critics on the rare occasion Guardiola slips up. Never mind the genius that propelled City to a perfect 14-successive victories beforehand…
What could be of more pertinence was Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan’s suggestion – shot down by Guardiola – that City were “too nervous” on this grand occasion.
Extrapolate this viewpoint to the top flight and another stat becomes pertinent.
Guardiola was last involved in a legitimate title fight back in 2011/12, when Jose Mourinho’s free-scoring Real Madrid bumped Barcelona into second spot.
2013-16’s trio of Bundesliga crowns at Bayern Munich were claimed with an average points margin of 13. City got nowhere close in 2016/17, then broke every record standing last season.
Guardiola’s brilliance means he is out of practice when it comes to a two-team fight to the finish.
If the pressure of a big European night truly can get to him and his “nervous” players, could this clash with Palace with the finishing line in sight? We’ll see.
⚽ #CRYMCI previews
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WHERE EAGLES DARE?
Attention on Sunday will, inevitably, be focused nearly 300 kilometres away from south London.
The Merseyside clash between Liverpool and Chelsea is layered with drama. But both City, and for their part Palace, can ramp up the tension even further in a match that will finish 30 minutes before kick-off in the day’s grandstand clash.
A trio of points for the Blues will put them, temporarily at least, back on top of the standings. If Palace emerge victorious, a glorious opportunity to end 29 years of hurt will abound for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
City are winless in their last two meetings with Roy Hodgson’s men. With top flight clashes to come next week against both Tottenham Hotspur – the same side for whom they are battling for a berth in the Champions League semi-finals – and Manchester United, a third could prove fatal in the title scrap.
Guardiola, however, should not be unduly concerned. Palace have triumphed in just four of their preceding 16 games at Selhurst, plus Hodgson labelled last weekend’s 1-0 victory at Newcastle United as putting his side “virtually over the line” in regards to avoiding relegation.
October’s pulsating 2-2 draw with Arsenal is, furthermore, the only this time they’ve not lost on home soil to top-six opposition this campaign.
📸 See how the lads have been preparing for the #CRYMCI game.
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) April 13, 2019
SERGIO’S NOT SPOT ON
This week’s narrative could have been changed.
Sergio Aguero stained his return to the City XI after two games away through injury with a weak 12th-minute penalty, comfortably stopped by Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
The miss represented the nadir of a poor return from the Argentina marksman. From a trio of attempts only the missed spot-kick was on target, while in 20 minutes on the pitch replacement Gabriel Jesus (12) only had six fewer touches.
This drab display has left Guardiola in a quandary. Would a start at Palace provide his star striker with essential minutes to gain full-match fitness, or risk an upset that may be terminal to hopes of retaining the title?
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