THE race for Europe remains on after a dramatic week both on and off the field.
After a huge win for Chelsea over Norwich, attention now turns to Man Utd as they look to bounce back from Southampton’s dramatic equaliser on Monday.
Crystal Palace vs Man Utd (Thursday, 8.15pm)
We asked a fortnight ago if Ole really was back at the wheel.
There’s a steel and swagger to this Man Utd side that we haven’t seen in years, but just how damaging will that 96th minute equaliser from Southampton be?
They were slow to start at Old Trafford and Stuart Armstrong took advantage, but the way they just shrugged their shoulders and had the game turned around ten minutes later was very impressive.
If they’d held on to win, Champions League qualification would have been in their hands as they prepared to face the side second bottom of the form table here.
But United will surely have to rotate after FIVE games with the same starting XI, especially with a three-day turnaround.
Palace were in with an outside chance of Europe themselves just mere weeks ago after a confident 3-0 win over Sheffield United.
Since then, it’s five defeats on the bounce and Roy Hodgson was apoplectic as his side went down to Aston Villa at the weekend.
Will we see a reaction here?
We expect them to be better – although they couldn’t be any worse – and just look at how Palace ran Chelsea close here a week ago.
That was a game full of fast, attacking football with chances galore for both sides.
And goals. Plenty of them.
United are the over 2.5 goal kings at the moment with their last five Premier League games all featuring three or more goals.
Palace don’t tend to concede many here – just 17 all season, scoring 14.
That probably explains why it’s 2/3 on three or more goals, but with United in their current form going forward but leaky at the back, you take that price.
And we’re going to back both teams to score again, despite Palace’s recent woes.
Hodgson was so fuming after Villa that you’d expect a reaction with the chance to spoil the Champions League party.
Besides, both teams have netted in the last four meetings at this ground – at 23/20, that’s one of the steals of the week.
Marcus Rashford had just one goal in seven before that Saints game on Monday.
As ever with the packed fixture list, make sure you check who is starting before placing your goalscorer bet.
But at 13/8 – the longest out of Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood – he’s by far the value pick in what should be an open game.
SunSport’s best bets
- Over 2.5 goals at Selhurst Park: 2/3
- Both teams to score: 23/20
- Marcus Rashford to score: 13/8
*All odds from Ladbrokes and correct at time of publication.
