Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's late kickoff as Crystal Palace host Manchester United at Selhurst Park. Both sides have been in torrid form of late and will be desperate to return to winning ways here, so we should have an interesting encounter on our hands. Let's start with a look at the hosts...

It has been something of a mixed bag for Crystal Palace this season, but they will be content with their current position having feared a relegation battle at one stage of the campaign. Neil Warnock really struggled during his time in charge at Selhurst Park, but Alan Pardew has had much the same impact as Tony Pulis had last season and the Eagles are once again safe from the threat of the drop going into the closing stages of the campaign.

At one point a top-half finish looked likely, which would have been a remarkable turnaround from Pardew. To keep that dream alive they realistically need a win here today, with five points currently separating them from 10th place. Everton's defeat to Sunderland earlier today means that a win would lift Palace above the Toffees and into 11th this afternoon which, considering they were 18th when Pardew took over, is some turnaround.

It hasn't been all plain sailing under the former Newcastle boss, however, and Palace come into this match in their worst form of the season having lost their last three matches. Two of those would have been particularly disappointing, with relegation candidates West Brom and Hull both running out 2-0 victors at Selhurst Park in consecutive games. Palace are a side renowned for working hard but, with their Premier League status secure, there is a danger that a few players may be looking forward to their summer holidays already.

Having said that, they battled hard last time out against Chelsea, who only managed a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge courtesy of an Eden Hazard goal. That was enough to clinch them the title, but Pardew would have taken more positives from that result and performance than the games against West Brom and Hull. They have a knack of raising their game against the big teams this season, so they will be hopeful of doing the same again here.

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Surprisingly, considering the level of support they receive at Selhurst Park, Palace's home record has been their major drawback this season. They have picked up six fewer points in front of their own fans than they have away from home, while no side in the league has amassed fewer at home than the Eagles this term. They have only won two of their last eight home matches in all competitions and just five in the league all season, although three of those have come against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

The concern for Pardew will be that two of his side's last three games do come at Selhurst Park, with Swansea the visitors on the final day following a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield next weekend. Failure to improve their home form will surely spell an end to any hopes of creeping into the top half, but United will be wary of the big scalps that have already been claimed here. Palace haven't won in front of their own fans too often this season, but when they have it has usually been a surprise.

They won't panic if they fall behind either, having picked up a league-high 18 points from losing positions this season. That will mean that they need to end an ongoing goal drought, however, with Pardew's side having failed to find the back of the net since Bolasie completed his hat-trick in the 4-1 victory over Sunderland. They have not gone four games in a row without scoring for more than two years, and failure to do so again could see them fall to four defeats in a row for the first time since September-October 2013.

They come up against a side in similarly poor form today, however, with Manchester United also having lost their last three games without scoring. Just a few weeks ago the Red Devils looked on course to launch a serious bid for second place, but they now find themselves embroiled in a battle with Liverpool for fourth place. They are still very much in the driving seat when it comes to that race, holding a four-point advantage with three games remaining, but they will need to turn their form around sooner rather than later.

If they manage that today then they would be just one result away from securing the final Champions League spot, and that could happen tomorrow afternoon when Liverpool face newly-crowned champions Chelsea. Defeat for the Reds at Stamford Bridge, coupled with a win for United here, would confirm them in the Champions League next season, but should Louis van Gall's side fail to win again today then the pressure would very much be on. United are perhaps fortunate to still be in the top four after Liverpool missed chances to close the gap against West Brom and Hull recently.

Fourth place would have been the minimum requirement for Van Gaal in his debut season, with the Dutchman looking to rebuild following David Moyes's disastrous reign. United spent a lot of money in the summer and it is fair to say that a number of their signings have flopped, but the return of Champions League football was the main aim and, despite their recent slip-ups, they remain on course to achieve that. Should a similar amount be spent this summer, adding to the recent acquisition of Depay, then a title challenge must surely be expected next term.

The signing of Depay will please United fans for a number of reasons aside from the fact that they are getting a very promising young player. In recent windows, United have left their business until late, but this time they appear to be getting it done early, which should help them to snap up the best talents available. They have also been linked with the likes of Lacazette, Hummels, Gundogan and even Bale, so there could be another big summer ahead at Old Trafford.

Their focus for the immediate future, however, must be to clinch the final Champions League place that could prove key to enticing that calibre of player. They fell to a hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of West Brom at Old Trafford last weekend, although it was something of a smash-and-grab job by the Baggies. United missed a penalty and had 79.9% possession in that match - the highest figure of the season and the second highest in the Premier League since 2003. Ultimately they couldn't find a breakthrough, though, as West Brom held out for a famous victory.

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As mentioned, that made it three defeats on the spin for United, something that has not happened in the Premier League since December 2001. They have not lost four consecutive league matches in the same season since 1961, so will be desperate to get back to winning ways having won six on the bounce before this recent dip. To do that, like Palace, they will need to break their three-game scoring streak having not found the net since their 4-2 win over Manchester City last month. They have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six games which, coupled with a number of blanks in front of goal, is only going to result in defeats.

Two of those defeats came away from home, where United have struggled all season. They didn't get their first victory on the road until November and have only gone on to pick up five all season, drawing seven and losing another five on their travels. They have also failed to score in their last two away games, and they have only drawn three blanks in a row once before in Premier League history, back in April 2005.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the headline news is that Van Persie has been left out of the squad entirely by Van Gaal. Rooney will return to a more advanced position as a result, with the visitors making two changes as Jones and Shaw start. Palace, meanwhile, have made three changes as Souare, Jedinak and Murray all return to the starting XI for Pardew. Full teams for both sides coming right up...

CRYSTAL PALACE STARTING XI: Speroni; Ward, Delaney, Dann, Souare; McArthur, Jedinak, Ledley; Zaha, Bolasie, Murray

CRYSTAL PALACE SUBS: Hennessey, Kelly, Mutch, Lee, Campbell, Chamakh, Puncheon

MANCHESTER UNITED STARTING XI: De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Shaw; Blind, Herrera, Mata, Fellaini, Young; Rooney

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Valdes, Evans, McNair, Pereira, Januzaj, Falcao, Wilson

What can we make of those two sides, then? Well, there are no surprises in Pardew bringing some key players back into the side for today's match, most notably Murray to lead the line up front. The striker was shipped out on loan earlier this season but has established himself in the team since Pardew's arrival. It is hard to argue with his figures either, with Murray having had a direct hand in six of Palace's last eight Premier League goals (three goals, three assists).

He will be given support by Zaha and Bolasie here, with the wide duo posing a big threat on the counter-attack if, as expected, United see most of the ball today. For Zaha it is the first time he has faced his former club since his January return to Palace, while Bolasie has so far been unable to build on his hat-trick against Sunderland in terms of further goals. Both will have a point to prove today, then, and both can be very dangerous when on form.

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Elsewhere there is also a return for skipper Jedinak, who is such a key player for the Eagles in the middle of the park. He will sit alongside McArthur for the hosts as they look to quell the influence of the likes of Mata and Herrera, while Jedinak may also be able to help with the physical side of dealing with Fellaini in the air. Those two holding midfielders could be key to any Palace result here today.

They may have been expecting to come up against Rooney in midfield, but the United skipper has been named up front today and will surely be eager to show that is where he belongs. His goalscoring record is there for all to see, with a hat-trick today taking him beyond Andy Cole as the Premier League's second-highest goalscorer of all time. United fans will be happy to see him leading the line once again as, on current form, he offers more than Van Persie or Falcao.

Speaking of Van Persie, the Dutch striker is left out entirely today despite not being listed as injured before the match. Van Gaal did reveal that there had been a virus in camp without naming any players affected, however, so it is possible that Van Persie is suffering from that. He missed a penalty last weekend and would have been desperate to make amends, but he will now have to wait until the final two games of the season to do so. Falcao and Wilson are the strikers on the bench.

Fellaini, Mata, Young and Herrera will all looked to help Rooney from midfield, but one big miss for United is Carrick in the middle of the park. He is out for the remainder of the season with a calf injury and it is no surprise that United's form has tailed off as a result. They have won just six of the 17 Premier League games that they have played without Carrick this season, compared to 13 of 18 when he has featured.

There are timely returns in defence for Shaw and Jones, however, with Rojo still sidelined and Evans only deemed fit enough for the bench. Behind them stands David de Gea, whose future has been the subject of intense speculation over recent months. He has been United's standout player this season and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in recognition of his superb form, so he would be a major loss to the Red Devils if he were to depart this summer.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Selhurst Park, which means that it is time for a prediction! Both sides come into this match in torrid form, which makes this one a difficult one to call. Palace's home record is poor, but so is United's away record. The hosts are at their best when they can counter-attack, though, which is why they have a good record against the big teams and away from home this season. I can see them getting another result here, although United should have enough about them to grab a point too. I'll go for 1-1.

Find out what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this match in our video preview below:

Palace have a pretty poor record against United in recent years, with a League Cup victory in 2011 their only cause for celebration since 1991 in this fixture. United have never lost to Palace in the Premier League, winning nine and drawing two, while they have kept clean sheets in nine of those 11 matches. The last time Palace did taste success in the league was all the way back in May 1991.

United have kept a clean sheet on their last four visits to Selhurst Park in all competitions and have conceded just three goals in their last eight visits to London as a whole. Indeed, they have only lost two of their last 22 Premier League away games in the capital, with both of those coming at the hands of Chelsea. They have won 12 of those 22 matches, drawing the remaining eight.

Mata scored the only goal of the game in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford back in November, while the corresponding fixture last season saw United run out 2-0 winners courtesy of goals from Van Persie and Rooney. The latter will be confident of getting on the scoresheet again considering Palace have not kept a clean sheet in their last 11 league games. Indeed, they have kept just six clean sheets all season - the joint-lowest tally in the division with QPR.

KICKOFF: United get us underway at Selhurst Park as they look to open the gap to Liverpool back to seven points in the race for the final Champions League place.

Palace look to be in for a brief second as the ball is played inside the full-back, but Shaw stepped up just in time to play Bolasie offside. The winger would have been clean through on goal otherwise.

An early corner for United sees three players fall to ground inside the box, but it looked to be nothing more than a tangle between a few players. It has been a fairly cagey start to the match from both sides.

United are pressing Palace really high up the field in these opening exchanges, with none of the home players getting any time on the ball. Palace have seen plenty of the possession so far, though, in what has been an even opening seven minutes.

OFF THE POST! United are inches away from taking the lead in some style! Blind picks the ball up a long way from goal and drills a fine low strike towards the bottom corner that Speroni gets a fingertip to to push it onto the post and wide. So close to an opening goal for the visitors there.

Really good play from Bolasie as he hounds Shaw, forcing the full-back to carry the ball a long way towards his own goal. He makes the block when Shaw eventually tries to clear it too, which raises the volume levels that little bit more inside Selhurst Park.

Ward shows Young down the line on the United left and the winger doesn't need a second invitation, knocking the ball to the byline before getting his cross in. He puts too much on the delivery, however, and a good position goes begging.

Shooting opportunity for Herrera, but he fires his effort a long way wide. Rooney worked well to win the ball back in midfield before leaving it to Herrera, who drilled his strike well past the far post.

Good break from Palace with Murray making ground down the left channel. He pulls the ball back to McArthur in the box, but he can't touch it to an unmarked Bolasie just behind him. Instead he chooses to keep hold of the ball himself before being crowded out.

Brilliant play from Zaha as he stands Valencia up before beating him with some fancy footwork on the left and playing a cross into the box. United get it clear when Murray can't turn it goalwards but it comes right back at them. Young is then dispossessed in a very dangerous position, but the whistle goes for a free kick as Bolasie slips when shooting.

First blood goes to United as Mata, chosen from 12 yards after recent misses for Rooney and Van Persie, tucks his penalty away. It is Dann who gives the penalty away having leaned into a Young cross from the left. It struck his upper arm, and Michael Oliver was in doubt that it was a penalty. Mata's record from the spot is not great, but he puts it right into the corner past Speroni, who guessed the right way but couldn't keep it out.

Half chance for United to get a quick second as Young twists Ward one way and another before picking out a cross. Rooney knocks the ball down to Herrera in the middle, but the midfielder snatches at his effort and slices it over the top.

The penalty was a close one as it was right on the upper arm of Dann, very close to his chest. After a number of replays it is clear that Michael Oliver made the right decision, though, despite Palace's ongoing protests.

United are keeping the ball really well at the moment and seem to be in complete control. Mata has another shooting chance here having darted in from the right flank, but his effort takes a nick on the way through and is easy for Speroni to collect.

CLOSE! Palace have their first shot of the match, and it isn't far away from Jedinak. A corner arrives into the box and the skipper attacks it really well, dominating Blind in the air before planting a header narrowly over the crossbar.

Palace win a free kick in a good crossing position and bamboozle United with one straight off the training ground. It just doesn't come off, however, and United scramble the ball to safety.

Palace have forced their way into the match a little more in the last few minutes following a spell in the immediate aftermath of the goal when United were looking very confident.

There is a bit of concern regarded Rooney at the moment, with the United skipper limping a little up front. Falcao has been sent to warm up just in case, so it is one that Van Gaal is aware of. Rooney is barely moving at all at the moment.

Good burst forward from Ward as he collects a Murray pass inside before driving into the box having got the wrong side of Fellaini. The Belgian eases the full-back off the ball, prompting calls for a penalty, but it would have been a very soft one.

Bright play from Bolasie to pounce on a loose pass and beat Shaw to the ball. He immediately looks to get on the front foot, but Fellaini does well to stick with him and eventually the winger slips as the chance goes begging.

Another injury concern for United as Shaw goes down, while Rooney takes the opportunity to go over for treatment as well. The United skipper appears to have a dead leg, while Shaw looks a little dazed after losing out to Bolasie just then.

This injury to Shaw looks a little more serious than first thought. The doctor comes on and the stretcher is soon behind him. It is a head injury and United won't take any risks over Shaw, who still looks very groggy. He won't be able to continue here.

MANCHESTER UNITED SUB: Indeed, Shaw can't even walk off the field as he is carried off on the stretcher to be replaced by Jonny Evans. That seemed very innocuous with Shaw.

CHANCE! Good chance for Rooney as Fellaini plays the ball down the left flank for Young, who hangs a cross into the box. Rooney meets it with a side-footed effort which strikes Delaney and bounces up onto his arm. Rooney wants a penalty, but the referee is having none of it and rightly so.

CHANCE! Another chance for United, this time from the right flank. Valencia cuts inside and drops the ball back for Herrera, who puts a good cross into the middle. Rooney can't reach it, which surprises Fellaini at the back post as the ball hits the Belgian and rolls into the arms of Speroni.

Poor from Mata as he gives a lazy pass back towards his defence, allowing Murray to nip in and steal possession on the edge of the United box. The visitors recover to see off the danger, though.

There will be a minimum of four minutes added time at the end of this first half following the injury to Luke Shaw.

CHANCE! Good chance for Palace to level things as Bolasie fires an early low ball into the area. Murray takes it off the toes of Jedinak with his back to goal, but his shot on the turn is blocked. He may have been better served leaving that for his skipper.

Manchester United hold the slight advantage at half time against Crystal Palace, going into the break with a 1-0 lead following a fairly even opening 45 minutes. The visitors have seen more of the ball but Palace have had their moments and will feel confident of getting something from this match if the deficit stays at just one until the final 20 minutes or so.

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The goal came from the penalty spot to end United's three-game drought, with Juan Mata tucking the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards. Dann was the man who conceded the spot kick, leaning into a cross from Young to put the ball behind for a corner. It struck the very top of his arm, and Michael Oliver was right to point to the spot. With Rooney and Van Persie both having missed from the spot recently, Mata stepped up and made no mistake despite Speroni guessing the right way.

United almost broke the deadlock inside 10 minutes too as Blind drilled a long-range effort towards the bottom corner from 25 yards. Speroni just about got a crucial touch to the daisy-cutter to turn it onto the post, denying the Dutch midfielder what would have been a very good goal.

Rooney and Fellaini both had sights of goal towards the end of that first half too, with the former seeing his effort blocked by Delaney and the latter being taken by surprise at the back post and unable to react in time to turn the shot goalwards. Rooney wanted a penalty for his, but the referee was right to wave away the claims, while Fellaini really should have done better with his opening.

Palace's best effort came from Jedinak, who attacked a corner really well before planting a firm header narrowly off target. The skipper could have had another opening right on the stroke of half time, but Murray collected the ball inside the box himself before seeing his shot on the turn blocked. There hasn't been much to shout about for Palace in terms of clear chances, but they have got themselves into some good positions.

KICKOFF: Palace get us back underway for the second half at Selhurst Park, and the first thing to tell you is that both sides have made a change at the break. The hosts bring on Jason Puncheon in place of Ledley, while Radamel Falcao replaces Rooney, who was struggling with an injury throughout that opening 45 minutes. United have already made two of their three changes, then.

Palace have switched wingers at the start of this second half, with Bolasie going over to the left and Zaha filling in on the right. Bolasie goes up against Smalling here, turning him inside out before seeing his cross blocked behind for a corner.

CLOSE! Better from Palace as Puncheon slides a pass to Souare down the left, with the full-back making a good forward run. His low cross towards the front post is a very good one and Murray gets a foot to it, but he can only put it into the side-netting.

Palace are holding their own here, and they are looking a little more threatening in attack in this second half too, particularly on the left flank. United haven't quite settled as quickly as they did in the first half.

PENALTY SHOUT! Big penalty shout for Palace as Puncheon takes the ball down really well inside the box before eventually working space to shoot. His effort is blocked but it bounces back to him before he goes down under the challenge of Mata. Puncheon went down dramatically, but there was contact and I have seen them given! The visitors got away with one there.

YELLOW CARD! Herrera goes into the book for a late challenge on Souare, who had beaten the midfielder with some smart footwork.

Palace have the equaliser, and it is the sub who gets it! Smalling concedes a free kick in a very dangerous position, and Puncheon bends it over the wall and past De Gea. It took a slight deflection off Blind on the way through, with the United man just standing there and making no attempt to stop the ball. The wall did not do its job there, but take nothing away from Puncheon's strike.

We have a game on our hands now! Palace have been much improved in this second half and Selhurst Park is rocking once again, with the fans feeling that their side can go on to win this one now.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Palace to get a second! Puncheon wins the ball in midfield and McArthur suddenly finds himself in a two-on-one situation. He has Murray in support, but opts against looking for his teammate and instead sends an effort narrowly wide with the outside of his boot. What a chance that was.

United are under the cosh a little now, with Palace feeding off the atmosphere inside Selhurst Park and taking the game to the visitors. They have seen a lot more of the ball in this second half and are looking increasingly dangerous when coming forward.

Another big chance for Palace to break, with Bolasie leading the charge down the left flank this time. He has Jedinak in space in the middle, but he tries to find him with the outside of his foot and woefully over-hits his cross.

Puncheon has made a real difference since coming on at the break. He has brought plenty of energy to the midfield and is combining with Bolasie and Souare down that left flank to cause United plenty of problems.

In contrast, Falcao has been virtually anonymous since his introduction at the break. He hasn't been helped by Palace's improvement, but he needs to do more to get himself into this match.

Better from United in the last few minutes as they begin to get more possession inside the Palace half. Young wastes a good position here, however, sending a cross straight out for a goal kick following some slick build-up play from the visitors.

WHAT A SAVE! Oh my word, what a stop this is from De Gea! It is a glorious chance for Murray as he collects the ball inside the box and only has the keeper to beat from close range. The Spaniard spreads himself magnificently to make a world-class stop, though.

CHANCE! De Gea is called into action again, although this time it is an easier save. It would have been a brilliant goal from the hosts, who played the ball around nicely before pinging a ball to Zaha coming in at the back post. The winger takes it first time, but his low effort is kept out by De Gea.

CLOSE! This time it is United's turn to threaten, with Young beaten Ward all ends up once again. He skips past his marker on his way inside before firing an effort towards goal that deflects off Dann and bobbles just past the far post.

CHANCE! Back at the other end Palace have another opening, but this time it falls to the wrong man. The ball is lifted back into the area after an initial corner is cleared, with Zaha keeping it alive with a header at the back post. It falls to Delaney, whose volley is skewed well wide.

CHANCE! This is end-to-end stuff now! Young again beats Ward down the flank to race through, reaching the byline before fizzing the ball in towards Mata, who can't keep his effort down.

What a bitter blow that is for Palace, and it is a shocker from Speroni. Mata and Fellaini combine to feed the ball out to Young, who has been responsible for the majority of United's most dangerous moments today. He waits for Fellaini to get into the middle before finding the big Belgian with a hanging cross towards the back post. Speroni comes to claim but is nowhere near commanding enough, getting blocked off by his own defenders. It is an easy finish for Fellaini, who just watches the ball onto his head before nodding it into an empty net.

Palace will be so disappointed with that as they have been the better side in this second half, squandering a couple of really good chances in the process. They could, and perhaps should, be ahead here, but instead they find themselves trailing United with just 10 minutes remaining. How many times have United managed to pick up a positive result when not at their best this season, though?

A hint of a chance for Palace, who are still taking the game to United here. The ball is played across for Jedinak, but it is a difficult chance and he can only slice his effort away from goal.

Souare tries to make himself the hero here, picking the ball up 25 yards from goal and trying a shot. He won't be doing that again in a hurry, however, having blazed an effort a long way high and wide.

MAN UTD SUB: The visitors make their third and final change, and it may be yet another enforced one as Smalling rather limps off to be replaced by Paddy McNair.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUB: Palace also make a change as Jedinak departs to be replaced by Lee Chung-yong.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUB: The hosts' third change swiftly follows as Zaha makes way in favour of Marouane Chamakh.

CHANCE! Another chance for Palace, but once more De Gea is there to make the save! It is Murray he denies yet again, keeping out the striker's low volley from inside the box after Murray had done really well to roll McNair.

Where would United be without De Gea this season? They simply have to keep him this summer and, if they don't, they will need to really dig deep into their pockets to find a replacement. He has been invaluable for them this term, and again today.

Time is running out for Palace here. They have been so much better in this second half and deserve at least a draw from this match, but as things stand it is United who are taking a step closer to Champions League football next season.

SAVE! Cracking save from Speroni to keep the deficit at one! Falcao creates the chance with a reverse pass to Herrera, who takes the volley on first time. He connects with it well, but Speroni reacts to tip it over the top.

There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match.

United have the ball at the right end of the field as far as they are concerned, and they are doing a good job of seeing this game out at the moment. Just a minute of added time left for that to change...

United do hold out for the victory, and what a huge win it is in the race for Champions League football. It was by no means all plain sailing for the visitors, but their 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace takes them to within one result of securing a top-four place. If Liverpool are beaten by Chelsea tomorrow then United will be back in the Champions League next season.

United went into the break with a deserved lead having seen Mata convert from the spot following a Dann handball, but Palace came flying out of the blocks in the second half and equalised through Puncheon just before the hour. Fellaini grabbed the winner for his side, however, nodding into an empty net following a mistake from Speroni.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's late kickoff as Manchester United hold out for a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace to give their top-four hopes a major boost. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!