WEDNESDAY:
CRYSTAL PALACE V MAN UNITED
Crystal Palace head into this game not in great form having lost four of their last five games. There were positives to take from their defeat to Chelsea which was a game I thought they would win. But they just couldn't find that cutting edge in front of goal which has cost them on more than a few occasions.
I'm beginning to get the feeling that Palace are the new Brighton. Very good to watch but wasteful in the final third. They have some outstanding attacking players in their squad but are lacking a no.9 who can put the ball in the net on a regular basis. They've lacked that kind of players for years.
Man United were in some peoples eyes lucky in the Manchester Derby but they still deserved to win the game. They were the better side in every department and they showed character to come from behind and win the game. They deserve credit for the character they showed as they might've just given up after going a goal down in the past. Especially last season.
Erik Ten Hag's side head into this one just a point behind Man City and can leapfrog them if they win this one. They've been on an incredible run of form since the World Cup break and a win here will give them a lot of confidence going into their big match against Arsenal on Sunday.
United lost this fixture on the final day of last season with their performance on the day being their summary of their season as a whole. There is better feel about United going into this one with there being more positivity around the place with the results they've had. The mood around the club has changed a lot since that result and the start of the season.
PREDICTION: 0-2
I'm backing United to win here because they're full of confidence and will have more than enough quality to win the game. With Marcus Rashford being in the form he's in, I can see him bag another goal here and put in another top quality performance.
THURSDAY:
MAN CITY V TOTTENHAM
Man City have not been at their best since the World Cup break which has surprised me as I was full expecting them to come straight out the blocks and hungry to win another title. Erling Halland's form has surprisingly dried up after two quiet performances against Chelsea and Man United and I'm starting think that they're beginning to rely on him too much.
They'll need to put in a better display in this one because they need to get some wins under their belt with Arsenal storming ahead at the top. Their Manchester Derby defeat will hurt them due to the way they lost the game and they'll surely be looking to use that disappointment to drive them to victory here.
Spurs' defeat in the North London Derby was the majority of their games summed up. Start slowly but later improve in the second half. They didn't turn up in the first half as they offered very little going forward and they look to me like a side who don't enjoy playing under their current manager.
They put in an excellent counter attacking display in this fixture last season in what was undoubtedly one of the games of the season. They went into that one not in the best form and somehow put in a performance from absolute nowhere. They're in great form going into this one either and they're going to have to produce a performance from absolutely nothing again if they're to get something here.
PREDICTION: 3-1
I don't think it will be as entertaining as it was last season but I don think City will win though. Spurs' slow stat to games might suit City as they're a side who press high early on and can punish any side who starts slowly against them. They might not have produced their best performance since the World Cup but after losing the derby on Saturday, they'll want to show a reaction in this one and put that result firmly behind them.
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