Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
WHO: Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
What: English Premier League
That: Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, United Kingdom
When: Wednesday, May 13, 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the construction Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT before our announcement.
Manchester City, who are in second place, kept themselves alive in the Premier League race with their own solid home win Beyond Brentford on Saturday, but Arsenal who are leading the league a controversial success at West Ham United the next day again saw City back in a two-way battle for the title.
Recommended Articles
list of 4 itemsend of series
Al Jazeera Sport previews City’s delayed matchday 31 match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday and ends the Sky Blues’ title race as the season draws to a close.
Where is the Premier League?
- Frontrunners Arsenal are in a good position in the Premier League ladder; enjoy a five-point lead over Man City, while the Gunners have two games remaining in the 38-round season.
- City have three games left including their home game against Palace.
What happens when City win against Palace?
If City beat Palace on Wednesday, they will close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to two points. Both teams have two games left.
A win against Palace will keep City alive in the title hunt, but they must beat Bournemouth in their last game to keep fighting for the play-offs on May 24.
What happens when City draw or lose to Palace?
If City play, they will be four points behind Arsenal, and if they lose, the difference will remain at five points. Dropping any points against Palace would mean City will just drop out of the competition, even if they have a mathematical advantage of competing all the way to the final.
In that case, Arsenal could be Premier League champions from Monday, May 18. A win over already relegated Burnley on Matchday 37 would mean Arsenal would have just seven points, with City only having six points from their last two games.
If the Gunners are crowned English champions, it will mark the end of the North London club’s 22-year wait for the honour.
What do City and Arsenal players look like?
After hosting Palace on Wednesday, City face sixth-placed Bournemouth on May 19 before facing fifth-placed Aston Villa in their final game on May 24. Both fixtures will be tough as City’s opponents fight for European football qualification next season.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have a very easy chance until the end of the season. They host previously relegated Burnley on May 18 and play at Palace on the final day of the season. Palace will probably name a weak team for this game, their eyes are on their first European final: The Conference League final vs Rayo Vallecano on May 27.
Is Arsenal’s Premier League title up for grabs?
Yes.
Arsenal’s big win on Sunday against their London rivals, West Ham, means they already have one hand in the competition. If they win their last two matches of the campaign, they will be champions, regardless of Man City’s result.
But any setback could allow the title contenders to bounce back.
Opta’s supercomputers have given the Gunners an 87.2% chance of winning the title as of now.
Can City and Arsenal end the season on equal points?
Yes, it is possible.
If City win all three of their remaining games, and Arsenal draw one of their two games, both teams will end the season on points.
What happens in this situation? Rule C.17 of the Premier League Handbook states that the final placing is determined by the following criteria, as follows:
- difference in goals
- scores have been scored
- points won for the winning game
- away goals scored in head-to-head matches
- the final game.
At the moment, the goal difference between Arsenal and City is very close. Arsenal have a goal difference of +42, and City is +40. It may come down to goals scored throughout the season: City’s current tally is 72, Arsenal’s is 68.
If the clubs finish level on points, goal difference, and goals scored, City will take the title on the next level – points won in the title game – because they have won four points against Arsenal this season, thanks to a win and a draw.
The odds of this sort of thing are very low, as City are just a short distance away from the playoffs, but if this happens, then the title race is very close. The previous competition was in 2011-12 when City came close to rivaling Manchester United on goal difference following Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day.
The City is still hunting twice for livestock
Although City’s chances of winning the league are slim, they are close to completing two league runs. City, who won the League Cup in March, face Chelsea in the FA Cup on Saturday. They are bidding for their eighth FA Cup, having lifted the trophy in 2023.
Manager Pep Guardiola has backed striker Omar Marmoush, who scored off the bench in the last game, to play a key role in England’s final season.
“We have talked many times,” said Guardiola. “I know it is not easy for them (football players), but I have faith in the next game they will play.”
“I want to change the team because maybe we won’t get to the final or Bournemouth a bit (new).
“Especially Omar is not easy because usually you only need one striker who is the best player but Erling (Haaland) is there.
“Erling is very important for us, but Omar’s contribution – the number of goals played – is much higher.”
‘I love it’ – Pep Guardiola enjoys the running head
Guardiola said he “loves” the Premier League runners-up, despite his side no longer controlling their fate in the competition.
“It’s in our hands now,” Guardiola said. “They have to give up points. All we can do is win again and see what happens.”
Guardiola said that win or lose, the exciting race to the end has been very exciting.
He also spoke of his team’s consistency, with their unbeaten run in the league starting in mid-January. With another grand final coming up, City have plenty to celebrate this season, regardless of how the Premier League ends.
“I like it. I like to come back, we will finish second in this season, at least,” said Guardiola. “Last season, we were fighting to qualify for the Champions League, it was very difficult.
“I also like the Carabao (League Cup) in our pocket. We play the FA Cup final at Wembley, it’s the most beautiful game of the season.”
What happened when City played Palace?
In their return match at Selhurst Park in December, City won 2-0, thanks to two goals from Haaland, including a penalty, and another from Phil Foden.
Head to head
Palace and City have met in 75 games in all competitions since 1921.
City have won 40 of those games, while Palace have won 18. All 17 games have ended in a draw.
Man City team news
Defenders Josko Gvardiol and Abdukodir Khusanov, along with defender Rodri, are injured.
He predicted the Man City game
Gianluigi Donnarumma (goalkeeper); Matheus Nunes, Marc Guehi, Nathan Ake, Nico O’Reilly; Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders; Antoine Semenyo, Ryan Cherki, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland
News about the Palace team
Edward Nketiah, Cheick Oumar Doucoure, Evann Guessand and Borna Sosa are out of the squad due to injuries.
He predicted the Palace line-up
Dean Henderson (goalkeeper); Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Jaydee Canvot; Daniel Munoz, Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada, Tyrick Mitchell; Brennan Johnson, Ismaila Sarr; Jorgen Strand Larsen
