Crystal Palace v Manchester United predictions: Red Devils to win and Marcus Rashford to score

Crystal Palace welcome Manchester United to Selhurst Park still looking for their first win of the Premier League season on Saturday (5.30pm Sky Sports Main Event).

The Eagles lost to Brentford and West Ham before earning draws against Chelsea and Leicester City in their last two league matches.

Oliver Glasner’s men do have two wins to their name in the League Cup, beating Norwich and Queens Park Rangers to secure their place in the fourth round.

On the same night Palace beat QPR 2-1 at Loftus Road, United were putting seven past Barnsley at Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen all scored twice, while Brazilian winger Antony converted a first-half spot-kick on a night which was sure to be a huge confidence boost for a squad that has felt fragile in recent weeks.

Betting sites have installed United as favourites to win at Selhurst Park off the back of their recent success, although Palace cannot be written off on home soil with odds of 9/5 available.

Since suffering a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford by Liverpool, Erik ten Hag’s side have beaten Southampton and Barnsley, scoring 10 without conceding so it’s not a great time for Palace to be facing United.

The visitors do travel to Selhurst Park with a point to prove. Palace did the double over them last season, winning 4-0 at Selhurst Park and 1-0 in Manchester.

It was the first time the Eagles have ever beaten United in consecutive league matches and the likelihood of them making it three in a row seems unlikely based on their start to the season.

Although we’re backing a United win, some strange statistics might just favour the home side, not least the fact that the Red Devils don’t seem to like travelling to London.

United have won just two of their last 16 Premier League away games against London sides, losing 10 and drawing four. Both victories came against Fulham - a 2-1 win in November 2022 and 1-0 almost exactly a year later.

The visitors have lost as many Premier League games in the capital since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement (24 in 64 visits) as they had in 118 such matches with the Scot in charge.

However, Palace’s early season form is a concern, especially their displays at the back where they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League. They also needed a late penalty from Jean-Philippe Mateta to avoid defeat to Leicester.

United have not been great either, but have shown signs that they are improving, notably Rashford in the final third. They may have enough to edge out Palace and we’re being bold by predicting a 2-1 win for the Red Devils on football betting sites.

Crystal Palace v Man United prediction: Manchester United to win 2-1 - 10/1 Bet365

No one at Old Trafford will be getting too carried away with the win over Barnsley but there will be have been much relief at the club to see Rashford finding form.

The striker has had a frustrating season so far and has looked a shadow of himself but three goals in two games will have done him, and United the world of good. There is no doubt that a confident Rashford is not only a huge asset to his club but also his country.

He managed just nine goals in 50 appearances last season, epitomising United’s struggles. As a result, Rashford was also left out of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.

The last time Rashford was firing on all cylinders, he scored 34 in 63 games for club and country as United qualified for the Champions League at the end of the 2022/23 season.

With Rasmus Hojland unlikely to be fit for the Palace match, while Joshua Zirkzee is still finding his feet in England, Rashford must be a key presence in the final third for the Red Devils.

Amad Diallo and Garnacho’s form has been impressive, which will take the pressure off Rashford. But, we’re backing him to make a decisive impact to build on his goals against Southampton and Barnsley.

Odds of 29/10 are available on betting apps for Rashford to score any time for Ten Hag’s men on Saturday.

Crystal Palace v Man United prediction 2: Marcus Rashford to score anytime - 29/10 Unibet

Customers should always practice responsible gambling when using established operators or new betting sites online. Even if you know a lot about football, anyone can close a bet.

Only gamble what you’re comfortable losing and stick to a budget. Never chase your losses, even when using free bets.

Gambling sites have a range of support tools to add responsible betting such as deposit limits, loss limits, time outs and self exclusion if users require assistance.

For users that need further help there are a range of charities and healthcare providers that can be found through the links below.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.