LET'S TALK TACTICS: MANCHESTER UNITED VS CRYSTAL PALACE
By Saheed Yusuf
CURRENT FORM
Manchester United come into this fixture fresh off their 7-0 thrashing of EFL League One side Barnsley in mid-week. Erik ten Hag and his men will no doubt be eager to replicate their performance in the cup and build on what looks like good form in their opening couple of games this season. This match will give them the chance to win back-to-back away matches after their impressive win against Southampton the last time they featured in the premier league. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, hasn’t quite reached everyone's lofty expectations of Oliver Glasner and his men this season.
Crystal Palace have only managed two points from a possible 12 so far this season, yet to win a game in the Premier League. Their win against fellow Londoners Queens Park Rangers (Carabao Cup) will surely be a boost for Glasner’s men, though, as there were many positives to take from the game. The Austrian had the Eagles flying at the back end of last season, implementing an organized and effective 3-4-3 formation that saw the side win against top six opposition like United last season, even doing the double against the Red Devils. Their 4-0 humbling of Ten Hag's side was one of the highlights of their last season, and they will without a doubt be hoping to build on their bragging rights come Saturday.
SHAPE
Crystal Palace have lined up in a 3-4-3 ever since Glasner took over the side from Roy Hodgson last season. He has been consistent with this system, as it helped bring out the best of the team’s two best players last season: Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, the latter of which completed a famous move to Bavarian side Bayern Munich earlier in the summer. Eddie Nketiah was signed as a possible replacement for the Frenchman but hasn’t really been a constant in the side since his arrival. He managed a goal in midweek though and is expected to start against the Red Devils come Saturday.
Manchester United have maintained a 4-2-4 shape so far this season, with Ten Hag still indecisive about who he wants as his starting striker. Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, and Joshua Zirkzee have all featured in the position, each with differing outcomes. Rashford, the latest to play as a striker for Ten Hag scored a brace in the cup on Tuesday and will be eager to add to his tally of three so far this season. The Englishman is likeliest to start down the middle on Saturday. However, United may benefit a lot more from playing Zirkzee as he tends to not only complement the two current starting United wingers in Rashford and Diallo but also acts as a spare man in build-up, helping united overload certain areas of the pitch to transition the ball into the final third much easier. Zirkzee also creates more space for the wingers to invert into as we saw in the game against Southampton, where his clever movement opened up the space and opportunity for Rashford and his counterpart Amad to attack the center halves 1v1.
KEY BATTLES
In the same fixture last season United were made to return to Manchester with tails tucked firmly between their legs. Glasner’s men managed 4 goals past a disorganized United side who played key players out of position like Casemiro and Wan Bissaka. The match was decided in transitions, as United’s Achilles heel last season was ruthlessly attacked by the London outfit and to great success as well. The massive gaps between the midfield and United’s patched-up back-four on the night were exploited by the two Palace talismen: Olise and Eze. Olise came up with two goals and an assist that game, embarrassing the likes of Casemiro and the rest of the United defence. This season it will be no different, with the two teams still lining up in the same formations so far.
United have addressed the defensive issues that plagued them last season with the signings of Matthijs De Ligt, Leny Yoro, and Manuel Ugarte who’s expected to start the game at the weekend. If they want to stand a chance against Palace they must fill in those spaces and ensure they aren’t left vulnerable to the home team’s counterattacks. If Ugarte does start this shouldn’t be an issue, as we saw glimpses of his tenacity in his start against Barnsley on Tuesday. Kobbie Mainoo will be a key factor in that battle as well. The Englishman has completed the most interceptions in the Premier League so far this season, already looking like an established part of the United midfield at only 20 years old.
Going down the other end United will need to be able to fashion out chances for their forwards, and must dispatch those chances with utmost clinicality. If Zirkzee starts he will aid this, as the Dutchman’s creativity and clever movement will open up spaces for the likes of Rashford to exploit, potentially being left to take on the Palace center halves 1V1.
PREDICTIONS
United will need to be at their absolute best if they are to walk away with all three points at Selhurst Park on Saturday. They should have a full-strength starting XI available to them with some other important players resuming group training this weekend. All in all, I back United to win this game with the final scoreline being 2:0.