Thanks to recently favorable results elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester United have a very real shot at cracking the coveted top four and potentially earning a place in the Champions League next season. Arsenal have drawn their last two matches, and Manchester City could only scrape a draw in their most recent match, meaning that at the end of this round of play, United could be as little as one point out of fourth place with just four matches to go.
Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Manchester United still have a shot at finishing in the top four, but they need to beat Crystal Palace in order to keep the dream alive.
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The Red Devils would need one other result to go their way for that to happen — West Brom would have to beat Arsenal on Thursday — but even in the worst-case scenario, a win for Manchester United would have them within two points of fourth, a very desirable place to be in considering the recent struggles of their rivals. Of course, all that assumes a win, and while Crystal Palace haven't exactly been a bastion of quality of late, Alan Pardew and company still won't be eager to just let Manchester have whatever they want. United will have to be at their best in this match, bringing the same focus and intensity that has seen them succeed of late. If they are at all lackluster, however, United fans could be in for a world of disappointment.
Key player — Juan Mata (Manchester United)
Despite all their flaws, Crystal Palace are still a fairly tough team to break down and create opportunities against. That means that Manchester will need their creative play in the final third to be top-notch — and that in turn means that they need Mata to have a good performance. If the Spaniard can regularly get the best of Yohan Cabaye and company, Manchester should be able to handle this match fairly easily. If Mata struggles, however, they’re going to have a much, much tougher time trying to create dangerous attacks.
Key matchup — Marcos Rojo (Manchester United) vs. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Zaha was an abject failure as a project for Manchester United’s attack, but this season he’s finally started to realize some of his considerable potential as an attacker. He’s still very much a work in progress, make no mistake, but his pace and willingness to play a disruptive game to open up holes for his teammates to exploit is the exact kind of wide play that Manchester has struggled against all season long. Rojo will need to be on high alert from the first whistle in order to try to keep Zaha in check, but if he can’t contain the speedy winger on his own, Manchester might have a much tougher match at hand than they bargained for.
Manchester United injuries and suspensions
Out: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Adnan Januzaj, Will Keane, Luke Shaw In doubt: Ander Herrera
Crystal Palace injuries and suspensions
Out: Scott Dann, Joel Ward, Yannick Bolasie, Joe Ledley, Dwight Gayle, Marouane Chamakh, Kwesi Appiah In doubt: James McArthur, Brede Hangeland
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 3 p.m.ET, 8 p.m. local
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
TV: TSN4 (Canada)
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.)
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