Manchester City and Manchester United tied in 1st place
Rivals Man City and Man United tied on top of England Premier League Table
Arch-rivals Manchester City and Manchester United are currently tied for first place with 13 points apiece on the 2017-18 England Premier League Table after playing 5 matches to date. Both giant Manchester clubs are also competing in the Champions League and Carabao Cup this season. Man City manager Pep Guardiola recently questioned his side’s participation in the Carabao Cup, saying it takes too much time and energy, and his side gets little credit for winning. The City boss made eight changes for City's 2-1 Carabao Cup win at West Brom on Wednesday.
"The prize is good when you win another one, but you waste a lot of energy," said Spaniard Guardiola. Coming up, Man City clash with EPL club Crystal Palace on Saturday before hosting Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday. City then travel to Chelsea for a league game the following Saturday. "You can't imagine going to play a Tony Pulis team at West Bromwich Albion, play 90 minutes there in those conditions. And then after three or four hours - bus, come back, three days later Crystal Palace, three days later Shakhtar Donetsk, three or four days later Stamford Bridge," added Guardiola. "For the managers it is a lot of wasted energy, but we knew that before, so it is not a complaint in those terms. If we have to play we have to play."
The popular League Cup gives winning teams a spot in the third qualifying round of the Europa League. City have won The League Cup twice in the past four seasons. Guardiola's side host Championship side Wolves in the fourth round of the League Cup on 24 October, three days after they take on Burnley in the Premier League and four days prior to their top-flight trip to West Brom. "If you have to play the competition, you have to play the competition. But it is a title that when you win, it is ok, but after that people don't give too much credit," said Guardiola. Meanwhile Manchester United’s “Special One”, manager Jose Mourinho, made nine changes to his squad but still fielded a strong side containing 11 internationals as holders Manchester United beat Championship side Burton 4-1 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. "If you ask me 'could English football survive or be even be better without this competition?' Maybe,” said Mourinho after the game. "Maybe we would be fresher for European competition."
City gave debut starts for the season to Yaya Toure and Ilkay Gundogan at West Brom, with recalled player Leroy Sane scoring twice in only his second start of the campaign. Guardiola also gave surprising starts to internationals Claudio Bravo, Fabian Delph and Eliaquim Mangala. Manchester City striker Sergio “Kun” Aguero is currently the top goal scorer in the England Premier League tied with Manchester United’s Romulu Lukaku. City manager Pep Guardiola praised "legend" Aguero, after the striker moved two goals away from equalling the club's all-time record. The superstar Argentina forward scored his sixth Premier League hat-trick as Manchester City beat Watford 6-0 on Saturday. Twenty-nine-year-old Aguero has scored 175 goals since joining Man City in 2011, with Eric Brook currently holding the club record of 177 goals. Ex-England winger Brook, who was at City from 1928-1940, scored his goals in 494 appearances, while Aguero has scored his in 259 games. "Hopefully that [the record] will happen very soon, and we can have a big celebration," said Guardiola. "He's a legend, and it's a part of history in the club. Aguero's numbers speak for themselves - he is amazing."
Aguero's hat-trick at Vicarage Road gave him 127 Premier League goals, moving him above Robbie Keane and Nicolas Anelka and level with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on the competition's all-time list. He has already scored 5 goals in 5 games this season. Former England striker and record England Premier League goalscorer Alan Shearer (260 in 441 appearances) challenged Aguero to get 30 league goals this campaign. Aguero has scored 20-plus goals in four of the past six seasons, 26 being was his highest total in the 2014-15 campaign. Ex-Liverpool and current Barcelona striker Luis Suarez was the latest player to score 30, in the 2013-14 season. Tottenham striker Harry Kane was the Premier League's top scorer in the past two seasons with 29 and 25 goals. "It was a top performance. For a centre-forward to play in this City team must be an absolute dream, with the chances created and the pace going forward,” said Shearer on Match of the Day. "I think you are looking for Aguero to get 30 league goals this year."
"Aguero does two things really well. When he goes short, he takes a defender into an area he's not comfortable with,” added former England defender Phil Neville. "But when he runs in behind it's very difficult because he's so small with a low centre of gravity." Goal machine Aguero has a tally of the most Premier League goals by a non-European football player having scored 20+ Premier League goals in four of the past six seasons. Aguero is 12th on the all-time EPL goalscorers list with Robin van Persie 11thwith 144 goals, and Teddy Sheringham 10th with 146 goals.Aguero has scored six Premier League hat-tricks, only Alan Shearer (11), Robbie Fowler (9), Michael Owen and Thierry Henry (8) have more.
Man City v Crystal Palace Squad Update
Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany is expected to be available to compete against Crystal Palace after a calf injury. Ilkay Gundogan will not feature after suffering a minor knee injury in midweek in his first game back following nine months on the sidelines. Crystal Palace will hand centre-back Mamadou Sakho his first league start since he joined the club permanently last month. Wilfried Zaha and Connor Wickham remain sidelined by injuries. Crystal Palace as they face Man City this weekend and Man United seven days later before facing Chelsea at Selhurst Park in an incredibly tough period. Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson will need to pull together all his experience to try to put the brakes on City's early-season pace, with Pep Guardiola's team already averaging three goals a game and looking imperious going forward. Hodgson surely hopes Palace's players will have learnt some lessons as they return to the Eitihad.
"The pressure's never off. It would be foolish to say that to the players. We need points and performances every week,” said Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson. "One shouldn't be worried, anxious or scared by the challenge ahead. We must embrace it." Pep Guardiola commented about the upcomimg match. "I have a lot of respect for Palace from what I saw against Southampton and especially what they did against Burnley, when they created a lot of chances,” said Guardiola. "My players have to have respect for the opponent. They have to know they can lose the game. They have to go to sleep tonight knowing they can lose. When that happens, we will be closer to winning the game." Manchester City are in fantastic form this season and have won 13 of their last 14 competitive matches against Crystal Palace, scoring 35 goals in the process. The Eagles have lost on their last five Premier League trips to the Etihad Stadium, conceding 16 goals and scoring only once.
Manchester City Facts
To date, Man City are unbeaten in 13 England Premier League matches, winning 10 of them. City have lost just one of their last 24 league matches at the Etihad Stadium (W14, D9) and are averaging more than 3 goals per league game to date this season. Gabriel Jesus has scored 11 goals in 15 Premier League games. He has made a Premier League record 15 appearances without being on the losing side (W11, D4).
Crystal Palace Facts
Crystal Palace are the first EPL club to lose their opening five top-flight games without scoring. The only team ever to lose their opening six Premier League games were Portsmouth in 2009-10 who ended the season bottom of the table. Crystal Palace hold the Premier League record for the longest wait for a first goal - 450 minutes. The Eagles have lost nine of their last 10 league matches, failing to score in each defeat. Watch Sergio Aguero play live! Buy Manchester City tickets now securely online at 1st4FootballTickets.com! Watch Romulu Lukaku play in live action for Manchester United! Buy Manchester United tickets from the 1st4FootballTickets.com marketplace at cheap prices.
