Football Tips: Our 3 best bets for Man City v Crystal Palace on Sunday night

Our tipster Andrew Cunneen is expecting one-way traffic at The Etihad on Sunday night.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change

Manchester City have won four Premier League games in a row and while that in and of itself is the best form available in the Premier League over that spell, there still seems to be a level of discontent – like Pep is going to develop a passion for break dancing and just get up and leave.

Of course, the chances of that happening are about as slim as Leeds defending deep, but there are signs that Pep maybe has too many options on his plate now, resulting in performances (bar maybe the first half against Chelsea) that don’t feel like league-winning displays. Then again, the way this season is going, I’d be slow to rule out Chris Wilder from making a late title push, but you know what I mean.

Sunday 7.15pm: Manchester City v Crystal Palace
Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League

That 1-0 win over Brighton was tetchy to say the least, and another performance in that vain could easily see them come undone here against a team who’ve clearly gotten a metaphorical clip ‘round the ear. In November, Palace had consecutive embarrassing defeats without a scoring a goal. They went on to take five points from their next three games in impressive fashion.

Either side of Boxing Day, they lost 10-0 on aggregate, before taking five points from their next three games. This is their next game. One run is about to be thrown out, but whose? Here’s three crafty wagers before we find out.

READ MORE: Our Trader’s Best Bets For Sheff U V Spurs & Man City V Palace

Man City to Win to Nil

An opposition player hasn’t scored against Manchester City in regulation time since November 21st when Gio Lo Ceslo netted in a 2-0 defeat to Spurs. While their control of games clearly lends to this statistic, it’s also worth noting that this Man City system is very different to the one that wielded the best-ever Premier League season not so long ago.

There aren’t as many overlaps. Sergio Aguero is missing from both a finishing perspective and a defensive point of view – an element of his game so overlooked it’s unfair. City can’t press the opposition as high anymore, so they keep defenders in place.

When they do this, combined with the consistency of a settled back four, they’re borderline unbreachable because of the opposition’s fear of committing men forward to exploit it. Man City To Win To Nil. Welcome to the matrix.

Gabriel Jesus to Score First

I know that City are generally avoiding a central striker in recent weeks, and just using a false nine to create space for wide players to nip in behind – and maybe as a wakeup call to Jesus – but Palace’s obsession with conceding goals from central areas must alert Pep.

When the middle of the penalty area is left vacant, it just allows Palace to step up, and we know how clumsy they are when the ball is in the box. It’s their primary weakness; defensive lapses in concentration when they’ve to worry about a central figure tapping in from pullbacks and drilled crosses.

And given how conservative City have gone in recent weeks, it wouldn’t surprise me to see very few goals scored in this game at all – meaning that even if he doesn’t start, there’s every chance Jesus is the First Goal Scorer when he’s introduced.

Phil Foden to Have Four or More Shots

He’s on fire, and he’s now become Man City’s most likely game-winner at the tender age of about 13. Does that speak volumes to City’s academy system that’s being pumped with millions upon millions of pounds in an era where squeaky clean footballers are being produced en-masse to complement their technical ability?

Absolutely not – Foden is a street footballer from Stockport and you absolutely love to see it. Expect him to try his luck again here with Foden having 4 or More Shots.

Tips for Man City v Crystal Palace

Man City to Win to Nil
Gabriel Jesus to Score First
Phil Foden To Have 4 or More Shots

These three selections in a Bet Builder will give you odds of around 8/1 with Paddy Power.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change

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