Under Roy Hodgson’s guidance, the “Eagles” finished at a fairly respectable 11th place last season. In the summer, the club bid farewell to long-time leader Zaha, and it was clear then that climbing higher would hardly be possible. Along the season, old-timer Roy Hodgson stepped down from his post, as doctors advised him to retire from football. Under Oliver Glasner’s leadership, the “Eagles,” frankly speaking, do not impress. Last weekend, Crystal Palace played an away match against Bournemouth, in which they lost 0-1, conceding the only goal in the 79th minute. This defeat extended Crystal Palace’s winless streak to four matches – two draws and two losses. Currently, Crystal Palace occupies the 14th place in the table, with an eight-point gap from the relegation zone.
The “Citizens” are going through a tough stretch of fixtures, and as expected, it has not been without dropped points. In two consecutive matches against Liverpool and Arsenal, Pep Guardiola’s team stumbled, resulting in draws. Arsenal, taking advantage of this, climbed to the top spot in the Premier League table. However, in terms of lost points, the Premier League leader is Liverpool, who has the same number of points as “City,” but with a game in hand. Midweek, Manchester City defeated Aston Villa 4-1 at home. Interestingly, it was Villa who was the last team to defeat the “Citizens.” This happened in early December 2023, and at present, City’s unbeaten streak counts 24 matches in all competitions. It is also worth noting that next Tuesday, the “Citizens” will play the first leg of the quarter-final against Real Madrid in Madrid.
