Kevin De Bruyne within touching distance of mammoth record – Stat Preview: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City (Premier League)

Manchester City travel to south London on Saturday evening as they take on Patrick Vieira’s struggling Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola and his squad will be hoping to once again put the pressure on league leaders Arsenal, through taking all three points prior to Mikel Arteta’s side playing again.

The Gunners travel to Fulham on Sunday afternoon, by which time they will be well aware of the outcome of Manchester City’s visit to face Crystal Palace – who will be looking to win their first game of 2023.

City on the other hand are in a rich vein of form, and appear to be opening up the start of winning streak that has benefitted them on so many occasions in previous Premier League title run-ins.

Goals from Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva last weekend were enough to move Manchester City past Eddie Howe’s top-four chasing Newcastle United, only for Arsenal to respond with another victory of their own and retain a five-point gap at the top of the table.

Ahead of a fixture that has traditionally caused Manchester City numerous problems on previous occasions, here are all the notable statistics and possible landmarks to look out for at Selhurst Park!

Crystal Palace

• Crystal Palace are winless in nine Premier League games (D5, L4) – the longest ongoing run among sides currently in the competition.

• No side has fewer Premier League points in 2023 than Crystal Palace (5, level with Bournemouth).

• Crystal Palace‘s last four home league games have all been drawn. The Eagles last drew five straight home league games in March 2000 in the second tier.

• Leicester, who play earlier on Saturday, and Crystal Palace could become the first teams to go three consecutive Premier League games without managing an attempt on target since such data was first recorded in 2003/04.

• Crystal Palace side are winless in all 15 league encounters this season against teams currently in the top half of the table (D8, L7).

• Crystal Palace are unbeaten in each of their last 13 home league games vs non-London opposition (W6, D7).

Manchester City

• Though they are unbeaten in their last three away league games, Manchester City have already dropped more points in away Premier League games this season (15) than they did in the whole of 2021/22 (11).

• Phil Foden can score in four successive Manchester City appearances in all competitions for the first time.

• Manchester City have dropped 20 points this season, compared to 21 in the whole of 2021/22.

• Manchester City‘s nine most recent league goals in this fixture have come after half time.

• Manchester City can equal their longest Premier League winning streak this season of three games.

• Manchester City are vying to keep consecutive league clean sheets for the first time since their opening two fixtures of the season.

• Manchester City have gone five successive away league matches without a clean sheet for the first time since a run of seven from April to October 2016.

Previous Meetings

• Crystal Palace are winless in their last seven Premier League home games against Manchester City (D2, L5) since a 2-1 win in April 2015.

• Crystal Palace have failed to score in five of their last seven Premier League home games against Manchester City, including in each of the last three.

• Each of Manchester City’s last nine goals against Crystal Palace in the Premier League have come in the second-half of games, with the Citizens failing to score in the opening 45 minutes in each of their last four against the Eagles.

Potential Landmarks

• Phil Foden is just one league goal away from reaching a career-best 10 in a season.

• Kevin De Bruyne is one short of 100 career league goals.

• Aymeric Laporte requires a clean sheet to hit 50 in a Manchester City shirt.

• Kevin De Bruyne is two assists away from 100 in his Premier League career.