Crystal Palace Vs Manchester United, PL Preview: Players To Watch, Battles, Head-To-Head, Prediction

Rashford scored twice as United routed the th🐲ird-tier side 7-0 at Old Trafford, reaching the fourth round of a competition they won in Ten Hag's first season at the♌ helm in 2022-23.

On Sat🅺urday, they return to the scene of one of their most humiliating defeats under the Dutchman, facing a Crystal Palace side that thrashed them 4-0 in May.

Rashford – who also opened his Premier League account for the season in last week's 3-0 victory at Southampton – believes the confidence garnered from United's midweek win could take them🦹 far.

"It's important to have those relationships on the pitch but I think as a front unit, linking 🐽with the midfield, we did very well," Rashford told Sky Sports.

"Before the fir💖st goal, it was a little difficult but afℱter the first one, we found better spaces and we probably made better decisions in order to score."

Asked if the goal🔯s would now start to flow for him, Rashford said: "It's early to say but I hope so. We'll move onto the next game now and just rest, recover and focus on the next one.

"Football is football, sometimes you have ups and sometimes you have downs. We have toꦡ use these games to find momentum and find consistency.♑"

Palace, meanwhile, are 16th in the table with two points from four matches, though they did earn a 2-1 EFL Cup win at Quee♚ns Pꦅark Rangers on Tuesday.

Havi💜ng netted on his return to his former club, attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze꧟ said: "Of course, to come back here and to score is a great feeling.

"That was the ma💦in thing as to what we wanted to come here and do: win, g♓o through to the next round, and put in a performance.

"It's a difficult place to come. You can see the atmosphere, it's not easy to play under, but we did what we needed to do, and tha🦋t's the most important thing."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta

Since Glasner's first game in charge in February, only Erling Haaland (19) has scored more Premier League goals 𝔍than Mateta (15 in 17 games), including a goal in May's 🍎4-0 rout of the Red Devils.

In that time, he hasꦯ also scored multiple goals on four occasions (three braces, one hat-trick) – only Wilfried Zaha has ever scored more than once in more different Premier League games for the Eagles (six braces).

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes

United captain Fernandes has had more shots 🎶without scoring than any other player in the Premier Lꦦeague so far this season (13).

Overall, United have the third-highest expected goals total in the Premier League this term (7.9 xG) but have s🅘cored five goals, with only Southampton (4.6 xG, one goal) registering a worse underperformance. They will hope Fernandes can lead from the front here.

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

Glasner's Palace beat United 4-0 in the Pre🎐mier Lᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚeague last season – only eight managers have ever won their first two games against the Red Devils in the competition, most recently Roberto De Zerbi with Brighton in September 2023.

That victoཧry was part of a Premier League doubl🌌e by the Eagles, the first time they have ever beaten United in consecutive league matches.

United have now lost two of their last three away league games against Palace (one draw), hꦺaving gone unbeaten through their previous 13 such visits to Selhurst Park, winning nine and d꧟rawing four.

The Red Devils have struggled in London more generally under Ten Hag, only winning two of their last 16 away Premier League games in the capital (four dr🌼aws, 10 defeats), with both victories 𝓀coming at Fulham (2-1 in November 2022, 1-0 in November 2023).

With Palace winless in the Premier League so far t🤡his season (two draws, two defeats) after ending 2023-24 with six victories in their final seven games (one draw), it may not be a surprise to see the spoils s🍎hared.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Crystal Palace – 35.9%

Manchester United – 39.1%

Draw – 25%