16:54
Leeds have beaten Fulham 4-3 in a thriller at Elland Road. They were 4-1 ahead but ended up hanging on. The early signs are that Leeds’ promotion is the best thing to happen to the Premier League in years.
16:41
A couple of surprises in the United team. Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Daniel James start on the right, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mason Greenwood on the bench. Donny van de Beek is also among the subs, but Nemanja Matic isn’t even in the squad. And David de Gea is still United’s first-choice keeper.
Palace make one change from the team that beat Southampton last weekend: Mamadou Sakho replaces Scott Dann at centre-back.
Updated
16:33
Team news
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) de Gea; Fosu-Mensah, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Pogba, McTominay; James, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial.
Substitutes: Henderson, Bailly, Fred, van de Beek, Greenwood, Ighalo, Wan-Bissaka.
Crystal Palace (4-4-2) Guaita; Ward, Kouyate, Sakho, Mitchell; Townsend, McArthur, McCarthy, Schlupp; Ayew, Zaha.
Substitutes: Hennessey, Kelly, Inniss, Milivojevic, Meyer, Eze, Batshuayi.
Referee Martin Atkinson.
Updated
11:08
Preamble
Hello. It’s time for another season in the irresistible soap opera that is Manchester United post-Fergie. The last one went pretty well: United finished third in the league, realistically the highest achievable position, and reached the semi-finals of all three cup competitions. But these are not the kind of laurels on which a club of United’s stature should rest; their task for this year is to continue the dramatic improvement that was sparked by the arrival of Bruno Fernandes in January.
While Donny van de Beek looks a crafty signing, most people expected United to do more business in the transfer market. Jadon Sancho and Sergio Reguilon will not be making their debuts tonight, and a slightly frustrating off-season was compounded by the sight of Harry Maguire and Mason Greenwood on the front pages.
United’s first XI still looks pretty strong, though, and they will hope to pick up where they left off in July. United are on the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League, having won nine – some of them spectacularly – and drawn five since the signing of Fernandes.
They will certainly want a better start than a year ago, when they won only two of the first nine games – a run that included a 2-1 defeat at home to today’s opponents. That’s one of many terrific results that Crystal Palace have had away to the Big Six in recent years. This is a long way from being a home banker.
Kick off 5.30pm.
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