13 Goals In 24 Games: Palace Will Need To Find A Way To Stop Alvaro Negredo

Manchester City have been incredible at home this season so far. Manuel Pellegrini’s side have won all nine of their league ties at the Etihad, scoring 37 and conceding just six along the way. They have ploughed through everything that has been put in front of them and it has been the major reason why they are so close to top spot. A daunting test for Crystal Palace, then, as the Eagles travel to Manchester to take on the Citizens tomorrow afternoon looking to climb away from the bottom.

There has been a few reasons why City have been so strong this season, but the one which I think will hurt Palace the most tomorrow is the form of Alvaro Negredo. The Spaniard arrived in the summer from Sevilla having scored 31 goals in the season previous, and he’s taken no time to settle in the English top tier.

So far in his 24 games for the club he has scored 13 goals, eight of which have come in the Premier League. He has also created 16 chances, too, which Palace will have to be wary about.

He has formed a formidable partnership with Argentine forward Sergio Aguero, who is currently injured, but he proved against Liverpool that he doesn’t need him to run the game from the front.

Negredo can score from any angle – he has already had 33 shots at goal in his 17 games and they have been from all over the pitch.

The striker has the power, the movement and the pure ability to rip Palace to shreds tomorrow, and I don’t envy Tony Pulis having to find a way to stop that.