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Crystal Palace host Manchester United on Wednesday night and they will be hoping to make it seven consecutive games unbeaten in all competitions. Roy Hodgson got his game plan versus Leicester spot on and it would surely be tempting to go with the exact same approach against the Old Trafford outfit, but there’s a better one to be taken.

On the chalkboard

The Eagles’ 4-1 win over the Foxes saw them defend diligently and hit their hosts on the counter-attack again and again, with Michy Batshuayi leading an attacking trident which Wilfried Zaha seems to be enjoying – the Ivorian bagged a brace against Claude Puel’s men.

There was an element of luck about the result and it has to be said that their opponents on Saturday weren’t at their best; going about the United clash the same way could easily see the Selhurst Park outfit on the receiving end of a drubbing.

Instead, going with an approach that has been tried and tested against top-six opposition may be better if Hodgson wants to pull off another shock result.

Townsend’s legs crucial, Zaha won’t be happy

The incredible 3-2 victory over Manchester City in December saw Hodgson opt for a 4-5-1 formation in an attempt to suffocate the champions’ often sublime build-up play and it worked brilliantly – albeit the three points were won in no small part thanks to Andros Townsend’s volley.

The 13-cap England international’s thunderbolt surely made most forget about the excellent work he did in defence, though – his tracking back was essential and he did all he could to help out Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whom he was deployed just in front of.

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This work-rate will be essential again against the Red Devils, 45% of their attacks come down their left-flank, particularly if Wan-Bissaka is still unfit – the impressive youngster missed the Leicester clash and Joel Ward deputised at right-back.

Townsend seems happy to run all game long, but Zaha is less inclined to track back and he would be gutted if Hodgson took this approach – the Ivorian thrives off of freedom on the pitch, of which he would have considerably less in a 4-5-1, whether he would be deployed as a lone striker or on the opposite flank to his fellow attacker.

Switching away from a formation that is beginning to look like a winning formula might be unthinkable, but doing so gives Palace their best chance of upsetting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co.