Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
TEAM NEWS
Manchester City top scorer Sergio Aguero is sidelined with a groin injury picked up in Sunday’s draw against Middlesbrough.
It is hoped Aguero will be fit for the game with Leicester on 15 May but Claudio Bravo will not play again this season because of a calf problem.
John Stones is out and David Silva is doubtful with a hamstring injury.
Andros Townsend is a doubt for Crystal Palace after experiencing discomfort in his Achilles during training on Friday.
Palace are still missing a raft of key players including Scott Dann, Mamadou Sakho, James Tomkins and Yohan Cabaye.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Manchester City have won eight of their last nine league games against Crystal Palace.
- Palace haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League meetings dating back to May 1993 under Steve Coppell.
- The Eagles last won away at City in 1991 and they have failed to score on their last three visits. The last Palace player to score at the Etihad in the Premier League was Darren Powell in January 2005.
Manchester City
- Manchester City have won just two of their last eight league games, drawing five and losing one.
- Two of their last four home league games have finished 0-0 – only one of their previous 119 top-flight matches at the Etihad had finished goalless.
- They have kept just 10 clean sheets in the league this season, the same total as Bournemouth, Burnley and Middlesbrough.
- City have already equalled their final tally of 66 points and 19 wins from last season.
- Gabriel Jesus has been involved in five goals in his four Premier League starts.
Crystal Palace
- The Eagles have earned 19 points from their last 10 games, two more than Manchester City.
- Palace are hoping to become only the fourth team to win away at Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in the same Premier League season – emulating Blackburn in 1993-94, Arsenal in 2003-04 and Manchester United in 2012-13. They would be the first of those sides not to finish in the top two places.
- Having kept four clean sheets in six games, they have conceded in each of their last four matches.
- Christian Benteke has failed to score in seven previous league appearances against Manchester City.
With thanks to the BBC Sport website – I have man flu, not been a good couple of weekends for me
