The punters at the Football Transfer Tavern enjoyed watching England beat Scotland, but have been missing domestic football during the international break.
They’re now looking forward to having the Premier League back and one team that they’re looking forward to seeing is Manchester City.
After having a faultless start under Pep Guardiola, City have had some bad results by their standards in recent times, most recently a draw with Middlesbrough.
However, they still have plenty of quality in their side and will be confident coming into the game against Crystal Palace.
The Transfer Tavern punters also feel like they are going to come out of this game victorious and are debating who they think will be starting the match.
There are a couple of players who seem to be recovering from injury scares and others who have really impressed during the international break.
The landlord highlights who he thinks will be in Manchester City’s ELEVEN that will annihilate Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Do you agree with these picks and who would you have playing? Let us know….
GOALKEEPER: Claudio Bravo
The Chilean goalkeeper had an injury scare during the international break, as he came off with a bad hip in his country’s match against Colombia.
However, Manchester City have said that they are confident their first choice keeper will be fit to face Crystal Palace on the weekend.
He has had a mixed start to life in Manchester, but Bravo is a quality goalkeeper and will be hoping to kick on and show how good he is on Saturday.
RIGHT BACK: Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta is a very reliable player that Pep Guardiola will know he can always call upon.
The Argentinian right back will fly up and down the line and will make sure that he doesn’t neglect his defensive duties.
City definitely have more fire power than their opponents, but will have to be wary of Palace’s wingers and Zabaleta will make sure that the threat of the likes of Andros Townsend, Wilfried Zaha or Jason Puncheon are nullified down the right hand side.
CENTRE BACK: John Stones
He was criticised for taking unnecessary risks against Scotland in the international break, but John Stones’ composure on the ball suits Pep Guardiola’s style perfectly.
The young Englishman has shown time and time again that he is not afraid to have the ball at his feet and will play out from the back.
With the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva and Vincent Kompany next to him, he has the platform to continue his progression.
CENTRE BACK: Vincent Kompany
He wasn’t able to play for Belgium, due to an injury that he sustained before their friendly with Netherlands.
However, Manchester City have said that Vincent Kompany will be fit to play against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Their club captain has had his injury troubles in recent seasons, but it has to be recognised that he is a brilliant defender and when he is fit he has to play.
If the Belgian can stay fit it would be a massive boost for Manchester City’s title challenge.
LEFT BACK: Aleksander Kolarov
Aleksander Kolarov has been deployed at both centre back and left back throughout the season, but should be playing in his more preferred position on the left of the defence at Selhurst Park.
The Serbian has a great delivery, both from set pieces and normal play and will be a threat that Crystal Palace will have to make sure they deal with.
HOLDING MIDFIELDER: Fernandinho
The main defensive midfielder in Manchester City’s team, will act as a shield for the defence and aim to break down any play going through the middle and then help the team to retain possession.
If Crystal Palace are going to try to go through the middle of the pitch, they are going to have to find a way to get around Fernandinho, before they can even have a go at Manchester City’s defence.
RIGHT WING: Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling is showing how important confidence can be with his performances this season.
Pep Guardiola made sure that the winger knew how highly he was rated by his new manager and has had the rewards of that, as Sterling has kicked on and been one of City’s best performers.
The England international has improved in-front of goal and despite not scoring for a while, could get on the score sheet against Crystal Palace.
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER: Ilkay Gundogan
It took a while for Ilkay Gundogan to get going at Manchester City due to injury, but he has been worth the wait.
He is fantastic on the ball and is able to pick out passes with great vision and precision to help his side dominate matches.
He has also been notching up the goals and his double against Barcelona showed that he can be the influential player for Manchester City.
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER: Kevin De Bruyne
Another who can take a game by the scruff of the neck and turn it in his team’s favour is Kevin de Bruyne.
His technical ability is second to none and he will most likely run the show and make sure that the Crystal Palace defence is bombarded with dangerous balls and runs.
There have been games where the Belgian star as struggled, but he will be looking to get back to his best in this game.
LEFT WING: David Silva
David Silva may not have masses of pace to burn, but his technical ability mean that he will still be a threat from the left hand side.
The Spaniard is likely to drift infield, which will open up space for Kolarov to burst down the line.
He will be able to impact the game a lot with his intricate passes and close control and will make it very difficult for Crystal Palace to keep City out of dangerous areas.
If things are tight, David Silva could be the man to unlock the Palace defence.
STRIKER: Sergio Aguero
One of the most clinical strikers on the planet, Crystal Palace will have a big job on their hands keeping Sergio Aguero out.
The Argentinian hitman has eight goals so far this season and will be looking to add to that tally on Saturday.
He is amongst the best finishers in the world and is able to run behind the defence and take the ball to feet and create something in both scenarios, and so it is likely that he will be too much for Crystal Palace to cope with.
