(Football news) The Eagles are mired in 15th position and are starting to look over their shoulders after a dismal run of play, while the Citizens are fourth in the premier division rankings.
Manchester City maintained their perfect record in the Champions League this season when, in their last Group G match on Wednesday, a significantly-reformed team defeated Red Star Belgrade 3-2. This came after Manchester City ended their four-game winless streak in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory against Luton Town last weekend.
Following goals from Hwang In-beom and Aleksandar Katai for Red Star, academy graduates Micah Hamilton and Oscar Bobb celebrated scoring their first senior goals for the Citizens. Hamilton scored his first goal just 19 minutes into his full debut, while Phillips received a rare start and scored the team’s first goal from the penalty spot five minutes from time.
With a flawless record of six wins from six games in the group stage, Pep Guardiola’s team has advanced to the round of 16, shattering a record in the Champions League after their victory in Serbia. They will now return their attention to the Premier League before departing for the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia the following week.
Due to Man City’s recent stumble in the Premier League, Liverpool, Arsenal, and surprise team Aston Villa have surpassed the defending champions in the standings. After 16 games, Guardiola’s team is currently four points behind the leaders.
Even though they have plenty of time to turn things around, the Citizens will be optimistic about their chances of winning on Saturday because they have won their last 18 league games played at the Etihad and have only lost two of their previous 16 encounters with Crystal Palace, both of which came at home.
