Pep Guardiola: Playing against Crystal Palace will be

Speaking ahead of the Manchester City game against Crystal Palace on Saturday, 19 November, manager Pep Guardiola explains why he never looks at the position of the opposite team in the league. But he says Alan Pardews experienced and fast players will make the match against Crystal Palace on of the most difficult games for City to play.

Crystal Palace host Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, 19th November with Alan Pardew looking for his first win in his last five games, having lost four of the same. Meanwhile, Manchester City succumbed to yet another draw against Middlesbrough before the international break and will be desperate to go back on track in the race for the title.

Where to Watch

Kick-off is set for 3pm GMT. Highlights of the game will be available on BBC Match of the Day on BBC One from 10:30pm GMT.

Overview

Palace lost their last game 3-2 against Burnley and will be without goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, who is out for two weeks with injury. The Eagles scored two goals against Liverpool in the previous game but are unable to keep the ball off the back of their net, something Pardew has to drill into his players. The hosts have not kept a clean sheet in their last 16 attempts and have to improve on that front if they do not want to get involved in a relegation scrap.

However, Connor Wickham has scored three goals against City, his best performance against any team in the league since joining Palace. Pardews men have been abysmal in the first half off late and would have been bottom of the table had the games ended after the first period.

Meanwhile, City have a brilliant record against Palace, having won 10 of their last 11 meetings between the two clubs, only losing in April, 2015 to the Eagles at Selhurst Park. They will welcome back Bacary Sagna to the side, who was out with a hamstring injury, while Vincent Kompany is also available for selection after missing almost the entire season with a series of injuries.

Pep Guardiola will be fancying his chances against a relatively open Palace side, who have let in seven in their last two games, given the attacking talent City have at their disposal. He will also be buoyed by Sergio Agueros participation in the international break, who has played only 45 minutes over the two weeks and will be relatively fresh for the fixture.

What Managers Say

Alan Pardew: We need to improve, theres no doubt about that. The result at Burnley was a big blow for us. That defeat has put pressure on us and that pressure is what well have to deal with. Im not thinking were in a relegation battle at all, if Im honest. We need to make sure we get some results in the next few weeks.

Pep Guardiola: I have had time to see many of their games, it will be tough. They have a coach with a lot of experience in England. They are fast, one against one. We know the situation. They cross a lot of balls - [Christian] Benteke in the box is unstoppable.

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