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Selhurst Park, London
Friday 28 August 2026, 20:00 BST
Crystal Palace welcome Manchester City to Selhurst Park on Friday evening in a Matchweek 2 fixture that pitches two sides at very different stages of their early-season development.
Pierre Sage is still searching for his first competitive win as Palace manager after the Eagles fell to a 2-0 defeat at Everton on the opening weekend, while Enzo Maresca oversaw a dramatic late comeback against Bournemouth in his first Premier League match in charge at the Etihad. Those looking for new betting sites ahead of the weekend fixtures will find plenty of options across the market. For those wanting a closer look at the Coral review, the bookmaker covers all Premier League markets in depth.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City preview and form guide
Palace sit 16th in the Premier League table with zero points after their opening-day defeat at Goodison Park, where Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened the scoring in the first half and Thierno Barry doubled the lead after the break.
The Eagles registered 58 per cent possession in that match but managed only two shots on target across the first half, a pattern that exposed the gap between territorial control and cutting-edge finishing under the new coaching setup.
Pierre Sage retained the 3-4-2-1 shape inherited from Oliver Glasner, relying on compact defensive lines and quick transitions through the wide areas, but the loss of Chadi Riad to a serious knee injury during the match further weakened a back line already short of options.
Sage arrives at Selhurst Park with a Conference League winners' medal and an FA Cup from the Glasner era to point to, but the squad he inherited has been unsettled by ongoing transfer speculation around Ismaila Sarr, who missed the Everton match entirely with a groin problem.
City, by contrast, opened the Maresca era with three points after coming from behind against Bournemouth in the final ten minutes at the Etihad, Marc Guehi heading home the equaliser before Josko Gvardiol completed the turnaround in the 90th minute.
The visitors' pre-season form was mixed, including a 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal at Wembley on 16 August, but the squad has since been reshaped by significant departures and the integration of new arrivals.
City arrive in south London having lost both Savinho and Omar Marmoush to Tottenham this week, a double departure that thins the attacking options available to Maresca considerably.
Rayan Cherki emerged as a key figure in the Bournemouth victory, providing two assists in just 28 minutes from the bench, and the Frenchman is expected to start on Friday as Maresca reshapes the forward line around Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Antoine Semenyo. Those exploring the best UK sports gambling sites will find comprehensive coverage of this fixture across all major platforms.
Haaland was scoreless against Bournemouth despite registering five shots, two of them on target, but the Norwegian finished the 2025-26 Premier League season with 27 goals in 35 appearances and remains the primary focal point of everything City do in the final third.
Foden produced eight crosses against Bournemouth, the most by any City player in that match, and his ability to find space between the lines will be crucial against a Palace side reconfiguring its defensive structure without Riad.
Selhurst Park under the Friday-night lights traditionally produces a hostile atmosphere, but City have not lost at this ground in the Premier League since April 2015, a record that spans multiple managerial eras. The best betting sites UK for football price City as clear favourites for this trip.
Team news and predicted XIs for Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
Crystal Palace
Riad was stretchered off during the defeat at Everton with a knee injury, adding to a troubling history with the joint that has already cost him over 400 days since joining Palace in 2024.
Sarr is out after missing the Everton squad entirely due to a groin problem that kept him from training for two days beforehand, with Sage confirming after the match that the Senegal international is not for sale despite concrete interest from Galatasaray.
Axel Disasi trained with the first team for the first time on Wednesday, giving Sage an additional option at centre-back, though the Frenchman is unlikely to start after only one session with the group.
Transfer speculation continues to surround Jean-Philippe Mateta, which could affect the striker's involvement on Friday if a late approach materialises before the window closes.
Dean Henderson twisted his ankle in the pre-season friendly against Freiburg on 15 August but played the full 90 minutes against Everton without visible limitation, making him a near-certainty to start between the posts.
Without Riad and Sarr, Sage is expected to deploy Chris Richards, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jaydee Canvot as a back three, with Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell operating as wing-backs.
Predicted Crystal Palace XI (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Tomiyasu, Canvot; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Nketiah, Pino; Strand Larsen.
Crystal Palace
Manchester City
Savinho completed a £75 million move to Tottenham on Monday, bringing an end to his 18-month spell at the Etihad, while Marmoush is also heading to Spurs on an initial loan with a £50 million mandatory buy clause.
Doku has been ruled out for two to three weeks by Maresca after aggravating a calf problem during the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, with a return pencilled in for the Manchester derby on 13 September.
Maresca confirmed that Ayyoub Bouaddi is fit and ready for selection, giving the Italian another midfield option as City adjust to the loss of attacking depth in the wide areas.
Elliot Anderson came off in the second half against Bournemouth with a knock, but Maresca confirmed post-match that the injury was not serious and City's club-record signing is available for this fixture.
Nunes is a doubt with a knock of his own, which could see Rico Lewis slot in at right-back, with Gvardiol continuing on the left of the back four.
Predicted Manchester City XI (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Lewis, Guehi, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, O'Reilly; Semenyo, Foden, Cherki; Haaland.
Manchester City
Head-to-head record: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
The overall record across 76 meetings is heavily weighted in City's favour, with 41 victories to Palace's 18 and 17 draws.
In the five most recent encounters, City have won three, drawn one and lost once, that defeat coming in the 2025 FA Cup final, where Palace claimed a 1-0 victory at Wembley for their first major trophy.
Both Premier League meetings during the 2025-26 season finished 3-0 to City, with Semenyo, Marmoush and Savinho all scoring in the most recent encounter in May 2026.
The fixture in December 2024 at Selhurst Park ended 2-2, with Palace twice coming from behind in a match that demonstrated what the Eagles are capable of producing at home on their day.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City predictions and betting tips
- City are unbeaten in 11 consecutive away league visits to Selhurst Park
- Palace managed just two shots on target in the first half of their opening match at Everton
- City won the last three Premier League meetings by a margin of three goals each time
- Cherki provided two assists in 28 minutes from the bench against Bournemouth in Matchweek 1
Adam is a freelance sports journalist with a decade of experience in the industry. Football is his passion, although he also follows darts and many other sports.
Adam supports Arsenal and local club Wealdstone, made famous by the Wealdstone Raider, who he has interviewed. Adam also follows the women's teams and the England national side.