Manchester United vs Crystal Palace
Manchester United are out to cement their place in the Top 4 when they host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford for their next Premier League match on Sunday. After what happened in Matchday 27, Michael Carrick’s men claimed solo fourth with 48 points, three points ahead of fifth-seeded Chelsea and sixth-seeded Liverpool. The Red Devils remain unbeaten under Carrick, following their narrow 1-0 win against Everton. Despite this, they cannot afford to be complacent, as they’ll face a side with nothing to lose.
Crystal Palace are 13th in the English top-flight table and are coming off a 1-0 league win against Wolves. The Eagles followed it up with a 3-1 aggregate win over Zrinjski in the Europa Conference League knockout play-offs. Despite this, the mood around Crystal Palace remains gloomy after Oliver Glasner’s confirmation that he’ll leave the team at the end of the season.
Talking Points
Lammens is a gem for Manchester United
Senne Lammens was named Man of the Match in Manchester United’s 1-0 road win against Everton, as the Belgian goalkeeper put in a commendable shift between the sticks. Since he has taken over as the Red Devils’ first-choice goalie, Lammens has been the unsung hero during their unbeaten run.
Lammens’ early saves helped set up Benjamin Sesko’s winning goal in the 71st minute. He was able to grab James Garner’s free-kick volley in the first half, and stopped Harrison Armstrong’s attempt early in the second half after a nice dish from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Everton desperately pushed for a late equaliser after Sesko scored, but the Toffees couldn’t break through. Lammens tipped Michael Keane’s thunderbolt over the crossbar, and he also saved Tyrique George’s long-range effort to thwart the counterattack.
Most of Lammens’ numbers may look inferior compared to Andre Onana’s, but Manchester United fans would undoubtedly rather have the 23-year-old in goal, despite the smaller sample size. The best statistic to cover Lammens’ impact is his goals prevented rate (+1.23), with only Aston Villa’s Dibu Martinez having a higher rate.
In the injury front, Manchester United will be without Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, and Patrick Dorgu, while Mason Mount and Bryan Mbeumo are doubts.
Winter additions trying to keep Crystal Palace afloat
Crystal Palace were one of the busiest teams during the winter transfer window, having acquired Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves, Brennan Johnson from Tottenham, and Evann Guessand from Aston Villa (on loan). Among them, Guessand and Strand Larsen have recently opened their Eagles accounts.
Strand Larsen notched his first brace for Crystal Palace in their 3-2 loss against Burnley earlier this month. Guessand scored the late winner against 10-man Wolves before helping the Eagles advance to the Europa Conference League Round of 16 with his dagger against Zrinjski yesterday.
Given their recent outings, head coach Oliver Glasner will likely have them start alongside Ismaila Sarr because Jean Philippe-Mateta has an injured knee.
History
Manchester United won 2-1 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in their reverse fixture last November, as Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount overturned a one-goal deficit created by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty in the first half. This Sunday, the Red Devils are aiming for their first league double over the Eagles since 2017-18.
They are the only team that hasn’t lost in the Premier League since Boxing Day (W6, D4), while no side has won more points than them (22) in this period. Michael Carrick is gunning to become the first Manchester United manager to win his first five home league games in charge since Frank O’Farrell in 1971 (W6).
Crystal Palace have won two of their last three Premier League games (L1), picking up twice as many points in these games (six) as they did in their previous nine (D3, L6).
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2026 odds predict Manchester United to maintain their unbeaten run under Michael Carrick this weekend. The Red Devils are 1.49 favourites to win, whereas the Eagles are 5.30 underdogs, and a stalemate is at 4.07 in the 1X2 market.
Manchester United will be eager to produce new Premier League 2026 highlights in front of their home crowd on Sunday while limiting Crystal Palace. Besides rooting for the Red Devils to win, SBOTOP punters may also consider adding Under 3.00 at 1.77, Under 2.75 at 2.05, Under 2.50 at 2.33, and Total Goals 2-3 at 2.05 to the parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of Manchester United – offers a robust payday of 7.30 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
