Crystal Palace have secured Premier League safety once again, with Alan Pardew overseeing a solid if unspectacular resurgence in form for his squad. They’ve stumbled a bit of late, losing their last three matches after getting above the crucial 40-point line, but now they have a chance to make life difficult for one of the giants of English football, and that’s always a good incentive to play for.
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Crystal Palace are safe from relegation despite a three-match losing skid, leaving them free to try and extend Manchester United’s own three-game tailspin.
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You see, Manchester United are on their own three-match losing skid. Their blistering hot form seems to have gone away in the blink of an eye, losing to Chelsea before dropping matches to Everton and West Brom. With Liverpool suddenly just four points behind them with three matches to go, United can’t afford to lose this match, especially with Arsenal and suddenly-hot Hull City as their last two opponents. If Palace find a way to win, Manchester may suddenly find themselves fighting desperately to hold on to their top four place to qualify for the Champions League.
Key player - Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Manchester’s losing streak can be attributed to a number of factors, including several key injuries, but one of the biggest has been a poor run of form from Rooney. Without him wreaking havoc in attack, United have lacked a lot of their usual flair and panache, and they’ve paid the price for it. Especially against a team that plays a fairly conservative game like Palace does, United very much needs Rooney to play well again in order to stand as good a chance at winning as possible.
Key Matchup - Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace) vs. Ander Herrera (Manchester United)
Herrera has been very good for United for the most part in recent months, but his recent stint at filling in for Michael Carrick in midfield has been somewhat overwhelming. Herrera is good at a lot of things, but he doesn’t operate as a deeper playmaker at quite the same level as Carrick does. Especially when he’s put under pressure in possession, he doesn’t have the same range or accuracy to his passes that Carrick does, and with Jedinak in Palace’s midfield, he’s going to be dealing with a lot of pressure. Crystal Palace’s Australian midfielder has been very impressive this season, and he’s got a chance to gain even more acclaim if he can keep Herrera off balance, and much of United’s attacking gameplan with him.
Crystal Palace injuries and suspensions
Out: Jerome Thomas (ankle) In doubt: Frazier Campbell (hamstring), Marouane Chamakh (hamstring)
Manchester United injuries and suspensions
Out: Rafael (ribs), Michael Carrick (calf) In doubt: Jonny Evans (back), Luke Shaw (groin), Marcos Rojo (groin), James Wilson (ill)
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m.local
Venue: Selhurst Part, London, England
TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), NBC Universo (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Sports 1/HD (U.K.)
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. - English), NBC Universo Now (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go (U.K.)
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