Crystal Palace v Manchester United: Premier League – live

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The teams are out. Palace wear their red and blue squiggles, while United are bedecked from head to toe in white. Casemiro, once of Real Madrid, looks very much at home. We’ll be off in a minute or two. “The scariest thing about that Eric Cantona kung-fu pic is the guy in black to the right of the ‘victim’,” writes Peadar from Poland. “Not only is he completely unfazed but he has the same colour eyes as the bogey man who lived under my bed when I was a nipper.”

Erik ten Hag is asked by Sky whether the arrival of Wout Weghorst changes anything. “Nothing. It changes nothing. Obviously he is a different profile, but he’s a typical number nine, so it fits good with Antony, Bruno and Marcus Rashford. I don’t think Wout Weghorst is the player for only crosses. We are aware [that a booking for Casemiro means he’ll miss the trip to Arsenal at the weekend] but it is about today. Obviously we don’t want him to get booked, but it’s about winning today. I am looking forward, it is great to play here, it is always really loud. I like it! Perfect.”

Patrick Vieira talks to Sky Sports. “It’s a big blow [to be without Joachim Andersen] because he is an important player for us. But we have players who can fill that spot, and today Chris Richards will have an opportunity to show his talent. The frustration is when people tell you that you play well, but you don’t manage to win games. We don’t want to be the team who produce good football but don’t win. That has to change. We want to play well, of course, that is how we want to approach the games, but football is about winning. It is important for us to understand that when we have opportunities, we have to take them, especially against big teams when you may not create a lot. We have to show more character and desire. United is a different team. This year they have found a way to play well and win. They are consistent. But with our support, we know we can beat any team. So it’s about us to perform. The support will be there. We have to go for it.”

Team-news news. Adam Griffiths is irked, people, and the social-media gurus at Old Trafford are the ones to blame. “When I am emperor of football, any team that announces their line-up in squad number order rather than position order (as Man Utd have done tonight) gets deducted three points and has to play the next game wearing the lost and found from the PE cupboard at the local comp. It entroubulates me something fierce.”

In lieu of Adam’s progressive new law coming into effect, here’s a reminder of what the Premier League table currently looks like without it. United can go second with a win tonight, while Palace are looking for three points that’d nudge them a little closer to the top half. (For the record, if Adam was Grand Mufti of All Soccer, or whatever it is he’s demanding, United would be bottom, four points adrift of 19th-placed Southampton.)

Team news: debuts for Richards and Weghorst

Crystal Palace make four changes to the starting XI named for the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea on Sunday. In come Will Hughes, Odsonne Edouard, Jean-Philippe Mateta and, making his league debut for Palace, USA international Chris Richards. Jordan Ayew, Ebrechi Eze and Jeffrey Schlupp drop to the bench, while Joachim Andersen is out with a calf problem.

Manchester United give a debut to the on-loan Burnley striker Wout Weghorst. He’s one of three changes to the team named to start the Manchester derby, with Lisandro Martinez returning to central defence (Luke Shaw returns to his regular left-back beat) and Antony rejoining the attack. Fred and Tyrell Malacia drop to the bench, with Anthony Martial missing out through injury.

The teams

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Mitchell, Guehi, Richards, Clyne, Hughes, Doucoure, Edouard, Olise, Mateta, Zaha.
Subs: Johnstone, Ward, Tomkins, Riedewald, Milivojevic, Schlupp, Ozoh, Ayew, Eze.

Manchester United: De Gea, Shaw, Martinez, Varane, Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Eriksen, Rashford, Fernandes, Antony, Weghorst.
Subs: Heaton, Lindelof, Maguire, Malacia, McTominay, Fred, Pellistri, Elanga, Garnacho.

Preamble

Crystal Palace are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, while Manchester United are hoping to make it ten wins in a row. An important game, for sure … but really, we’re all thinking about this, aren’t we?

‘An early bath for you, Mr Cantona!’ Photograph: Action Images/Reuters

Exactly one week short of 28 years ago, that happened. God we’re getting old. Kick off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!