30/07/2017 12:01, Report by Adam Higgins

In preparation for the new 2017/18 season, we're taking a look back at Manchester United's Premier League record against every other top-flight team.  

Next on our list is Crystal Palace, whom the Reds faced in the final domestic game of 2016/17 and will welcome to Old Trafford again on Saturday 30 September. The return clash at Selhurst Park is currently scheduled for 3 March 2018.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Manager: Frank de Boer will lead Palace for the first time next season after being appointed in June on a three-year contract to replace Sam Allardyce. The Dutchman immediately stated that the club should aim to be a solid Premier League team who are not battling to survive. De Boer is most remembered for a successful six-year spell in charge of Ajax between 2010 and 2016, where he helped last year’s Europa League runners-up win the Eredivisie title four years in a row, but was he sacked by Inter Milan earlier this year after just 85 days in charge. The former Rangers defender said he had spoken to former Reds boss Louis van Gaal before taking up the role, becoming Palace’s first permanent non-British manager.

Stadium: With the noise of thousands of vocal Palace fans reverberating around the stadium at every home game, Selhurst Park is renowned for generating a fervent atmosphere which can be intimidating for visiting teams. With a capacity of 26,309, it will be the sixth smallest ground to host Premier League football next season and, at a distance of 235 miles from Old Trafford, one of the longest away trips in the league for the Reds. The Croydon-based ground, which first opened in 1924, welcomed an average of 24,969 through its doors for matches last season.

Last meeting: We don’t have to cast our minds back very far to remember our previous encounter with the Eagles, which came on the final day of the 2016/17 league season. With the Europa League final against Ajax in mind, Jose Mourinho named a much-changed United team – the club’s youngest in Premier League history, with an average age of 22 years and 284 days. Josh Harrop, who has since moved to Championship side Preston North End, lashed home a superb finish from inside the box to open the scoring on his debut before Paul Pogba’s low strike sealed a 2-0 win for the Reds at Old Trafford.

Last season: After losing to United in the 2016 Emirates FA Cup final, Palace regrouped with a raft of new additions, most notably the £27m signing of Belgian striker Christian Benteke from Liverpool. After a relatively solid start, the Eagles struggled during the autumn and a torrid run which yielded just four points from a possible 30 led to the end of Alan Pardew’s near two-year spell as boss. Relatively fresh from his infamous one-match stint as England manager, Sam Allardyce took over in December, having previously gained a reputation for keeping teams in the Premier League. After waiting six games for his first win, he engineered a positive turnaround as notable victories over Liverpool and Arsenal helped the Eagles end any lingering relegation fears and finish the season 15th in the table.

Head to head: United boast a highly impressive record against Crystal Palace, having never lost to the Eagles in the Premier League era in 16 meetings, winning 13 of them and drawing just three (all of which have been at Selhurst Park). The first-ever clash came in September 1992 at Old Trafford where a late Mark Hughes goal gave the Reds a 1-0 win, while United’s biggest win over the London club was a 5-2 home success in 2004 (see below). Paul Scholes has scored the most league goals for United against Palace with three, while more recently, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba have each netted twice at the Eagles' expense.

Memorable match: As mentioned above, United saw off Palace in a seven-goal thriller at the Theatre of Dreams in December 2004 in a Premier League contest which many fans will remember. An eventful afternoon began with a missed penalty by Wayne Rooney before Scholes put United ahead. Danny Granville poked in an equaliser and Alan Smith restored United’s lead before Joonas Kolkka headed Iain Dowie’s Palace level again. But the Reds wrested control to run out convincing winners through an Emmerson Boyce own goal, a skilful Scholes strike and a late John O’Shea finish.

Played for both: Wilfried Zaha is in an exclusive group as the only player who has represented both United and Palace in the Premier League. The Ivorian winger exploded onto the scene in 2010 after coming through the ranks at Selhurst Park and impressed so much in the Football League that United came calling in January 2013. Zaha was loaned back to Palace for the remainder of the campaign and helped the London club gain promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-off final. Although Zaha's stay at Old Trafford was shortlived, he returned to Palace, initially on loan, following a brief stint at Cardiff City and has blossomed once again. Now an integral member of the Eagles team, the 24-year-old has been named the club's Player of the Year for the last two seasons and he signed a new five-year deal in May. 

Tickets for our home game against Crystal Palace are on sale to Official Members.