- Crystal Palace face Arsenal and Manchester City
- The Eagles have massive say in title race
- Closely fought battle between challengers
Crystal Palace could decide the Premier League title race between Arsenal and Manchester City. The Eagles face both Mikel Arteta’s Gunners and Pep Guardiola’s Citizens.
The season is reaching its final stages, and Glasner is overseeing a promising end to the campaign. Since the defeat to Manchester United on March 1st, the south London side have managed two wins and two draws in the league.
Those two wins came in a 3–1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur and a 2–1 comeback win against Newcastle United last Sunday. Both of their draws were 0-0 stalemates against Leeds United and West Ham United, with the latter confirming Wolverhampton Wanderers relegation.
Having made an indirect impact on relegation. Glasner’s men could now hold the narrative in the title race between Arsenal and Manchester City in the final two fixtures of the season.
Crystal Palace Key in Title Race
Destiny always has its say, and crowning this season’s champions might well fall on Palace. This campaign had its highs and lows, from losing Eberechi Eze to Arsenal and Glasner announcing he’ll be leaving at the end of the season.
However, European dreams are still alive after beating Fiorentina 4-2 on aggregate to reach the Conference League semi-finals. This means that after winning the FA Cup last year, hopes for a European trophy remain intact.
Moreover, all this adds to the confidence of Glasner’s troops as they aim to finish in the top half of the Premier League. Last time they faced the two title rivals, they suffered a 3-0 loss to Manchester City and a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Palace also face Liverpool, Bournemouth, Everton, and Brentford. But meeting City on May 22nd and Arsenal on May 24th are ultimately the stuff of Hollywood thrillers.
History repeats itself
In 2014, Palace was in a similar situation. The only difference they faced title-chasing Liverpool at Selhurst Park. All the Reds needed was a win, but the Eagles had other ideas.
Liverpool had the game in control with a 3-0 lead. However, Palace shattered the visitors’ dreams with a dramatic 3–3 comeback. This thereby handed the trophy to Manchester City.
The Eagles currently sit 13th in the table with 43 points, 4 points behind 10th-place Everton. A push for 10th looks ideal, provided they take all possible points off Liverpool, Bournemouth, and Everton.
For the showdown, they’ll need to channel a true giant-killer mentality. If they get past Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-final, the Conference League Final awaits on May 27. So, before facing Arsenal and City, the team needs to rotate wisely to preserve balance and to cause a twist.
